Make This Happen!

Make it happen by sharing on Facebook and with friends at least once a week!

The Pokagon Area Folk Music Collective is an abstract idea rather than a concrete, defined entity. Anyone who wishes or imagines himself to be a member, or who participates in a Collective activity, is a member, by that virtue alone. My role is simply to facilitate and catalyze connections and ideas that bring people and music together. More specifically, I neither have nor will I accept operational or financial responsibilities beyond promoting this vision. Whatever happens in the course of Collective get-togethers is entirely the responsibility of individual parties enjoying themselves on equal footing.

Pokagon Scene

Pokagon Scene

NEWS





Jul 27, 2016: The Folk Music Collective at Trine State Recreation Area is now thriving thanks to Jim Weber's work and support from Pokagon, the Steuben County
Scenes from the first June Folk Music Collective
Tourism Bureau, and the performing musicians. The July event brought in a good 100 people across the four hour period, and the upcoming August 13 Saturday event with the Jug Huffers and the Goat Beards will be smashing!  (rain date Aug 14)

 THEN JUST LAST NIGHT the superb John Getz (left-most figure in the photo) spoke and mostly played to a very appreciative crowd of 40 for an hour at Angola's Carnegie Public Library. Fabulous, thanks to the library's director Dina Ferre, who met and engaged John at the very first June Folk Music Collective performance.

 So...  With the last scheduled summer outdoor performance so near, and autumn just ahead on the heel of winter, and another three months before spring, and yet another  quarter year before summer... perhaps the Pokagon Area's folk will embrace - yea even DEMAND that a year-round Folk Music Collective coalesce from these initial successes... 

 And what better place than the beautiful and accommodating Angola Carnegie Public Library...

 And what better champion than Dina, who has done so much for regional art for so long?

 Just a thought, but isn't that how everything begins?

 And you... yes YOU! Is there anything... anything at all you might do?

 Talk it up? Share this news and these thoughts? Encourage Dina and others to share and participate? Ask how you might help?

Mar 20, 2016: What a huge success! First Day of Spring DRUM CIRCLE at Pokagon State Park – someone counted 43 at one point, and a great majority PARTICIPATED, thanks to those who brought extra shakers, tambourines, etc for others to use.

For me, the best memory will always be the ENCHANTED MOOD! About half the participants were park guests, including youngsters, who had no idea they would encounter, let alone participate in this event. As we set up, they milled about and observed, obviously uncertain, but gathered around as we began to introduce the event, and so many HUGE SMILES and BRIGHT WIDE-OPEN EYES! It really was a MAGICAL time I will never forget.

 And finally, the BIG LESSON might be: Anyone wanting to round up a few friends with drums and some shakers, tambourines, cowbells, etc for others might have a lot of fun parking their lawn chairs where people will pass by and inviting them to join the PEOPLE'S BAND for 10 minutes or so, maybe longer... And make sure they know the PEOPLE'S BAND is called the POKAGON AREA FOLK MUSIC COLLECTIVE, and that they are authentic members by virtue of their participation.

That is the purest expression of the COLLECTIVE vision I can articulate, and YOU can make it happen, whoever you are and wherever you go!



Special thanks to Doug Laughlin, Island Vibe drummer and Sweetwater Academy of Music instructor, who even brought extra drums for people to use, and who facilitated the drumming.





Jim at Old Mill Shoppes and
Art Gallery near Clear Lake
Mar 8, 2016: Jim Weber has accepted the challenge and opportunity of working with the Pokagon Management and regional musicians to seed and develop regular, ongoing Pokagon Area Folk Music Collective happenings at the 200 acre Trine State Recreation Area. This is a fantastic opportunity for musicians, the state park, its visitors, and the general public to come together under the vision and leadership of a man known and loved by regional audiences and musicians alike.


Jim at his Computer Station business in downtown Fremont

 Click here for a Vision Statement on the above



Of course this will develop over time, so when you see Jim, whether you are a musician or just love music, give him a big Thanks and ask HOW CAN I HELP?


Stephen Rowe (me) with Jim Weber, who drove Dave's Lake Shack
 hippy van to the Garrett Summer Sixties Music Fest
(45th anniversary of Woodstock)  I promoted in 2014



 Feb 25, 2016: A core group of ten people met two hours at 6 Autumns for an organizational meeting focused on
  1. The Vision
  2. Organization
  3. Events, Operations, and Venues
  4. Promotion and Social Media
  5. Making it Happen!
The ten were:
  • Lou Ann Homan
  • Dan Helton
  • Ron Phillips
  • Ed Bates
  • Mary Sarra Zin
  • Jeffrey M
  • Robert Baker
  • Kathy Vaugn
  • Pete Keck
  • Tom Bledsoe

A very interested and enthusiastic group, and an excellent, high-energy meeting. The next major step will be the Collective's kick-off event: a "first-day of spring" drum and percussion circle at the Pokagon State Park, open to the public. Anyone may participate or spectate - for more info, click on the What's Happening? (EVENTS) link.
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