Thanks!

Jan. 23, 2008

Nora:
Thank you VERY much for your help, and the help of your great team at
the Folk Festival!!!
I played with Scott Elnes and Weatherproof, and it was a GREAT time!
Everyone was great, and you and your team helped make it all a
fantastic experience, but most of all... ...FUN!
Thanks again for all of your help, and please pass on our gratitude
and appreciate for all of the hard work of everyone involved in the
Anchorage Folk Festival!

- Leon Cargile
Bassist, Weatherproof Featuring Scott Elnes

Dear Nora,

Huzzah! What a gloriously fun time we had playing this year at the Anchorage Folk Festival! We are ever so greateful you sent an invtation our way. See you next year!

Slainte,
Lucia Woofter - ROGUES & WENCHES

Jan. 30, 2007 Rogues & Wenches

Janet and I just returned from wondrous adventure at the Wintergrass Academy and Bluegrass Festival in Tacoma. What we discovered was that our own Anchorage Folk Festival in many ways is far superior. Let me count the ways:

It is in our own backyard and we do not have the great expense of travel and lodging.

It is free and if one's conscience bothers them about that they can volunteer and meet new friends and gain the satisfaction of giving or they can make a donation.

The quality of the music is only slightly less accomplished but on the other hand we know the folks on stage. They are our neighbors and friends or future friends. They are people we can talk to and meet up with later to play music. Or, just wait awhile and our great headliners will be on stage.

The venue is far superior. The seating, stage, lighting, etc. are all first class at the Anchorage Folk Festival versus a level floor - hard seat venue with seats all cramped together with no leg room and hard to reach bathrooms. All performances are in one place rather than several different buildings a fair distance apart. There is ample seating and one can come and go and be assured of a seat when they come back. At Wintergrass if you leave a seat you may not get back into that venue.

Most important--we learned that the production staff in Anchorage is without equal. At Wintergrass they had a staff of wonderful volunteers coupled with professional sound and production people.

Their sound board was as large as a king size bed and had a bank of computer screens behind that. It took a staff of three to run and that was only for house sound. There was another board larger than AFF's board just for the monitors and that board had a separate operator. And it took them 10 minutes between sets to get the sound adjusted for the next act. Granted, some of the acts were pima donna's but still this was a professional crew. Having had nothing to compare to I had no idea how much of a treasure Lucy is. We need the legislature to name Lucy a "State Treasure" as she is nothing short of fantastic.

The stage crew at Wintergrass made so much noise behind the set that they could be heard talking in the first few rows of the house. They had about 16-18 mics on stage and just left them in place even for a solo artist. From an audience viewpoint it was hideous. Your stage crew only has the mics that are needed in the focus area. Your crews change over between acts in under one minute for simple changes and 2 minutes for complex changes involving piano moving etc. Their stage crew never completed a changeover in less than 10 minutes and it was done under full light. Nora, you are also on my candidate list for a "State Treasure". You and your volunteers run circles around the pros.

The Academy that is run for three days in advance of the festival was a mixed bag. My instrument instructor is one of the top players in the country. He does not read music or TAB. He does not know the names of the notes or chords. He knows no music theory. He is strictly an ear player. When there is no common language to use when demonstrating or trying to teach it is difficult to learn. And it was expensive. I find that the free workshops at Anchorage Folk Festival are far superior to those at Wintergrass. Teachers like Earl Mullins understand that some people need to see music or TAB or a chord chart. Some need handouts. And a very very few can learn by ear. Here the instructors have assistants that can help individual students and support the instructor. Our workshops are far better run.

All in all I have always thoroughly enjoyed the Anchorage Folk Festival. I have participated as a player, workshop instructor, stage crew, and audience. But until I went to my first national level festival and had something to compare to I had no idea of just how great our festival is. Most importantly, I now know how very special folks you, Lucy and the cast of volunteers that support the Anchorage Folk Festival are.

Thank you.

Jerry George