Wendy V's Local Blend

Volume 10 Issue 1

September/October 2002 - Writer/Editor: Wendy Vickers

 In this issue:

- Ten Years Spreadin' the Word

- Local Scene USA: Nashville

 - CDs:  Barb Ryman, Bob Louisell

- Catching up with: Michael Loonan

- Minnesota Folk Festival in September!

- "Promoting and Marketing Your Musical Talent" is back!

Related Links:
 
 Gig Calendar

Just Plain Folks

 Links to musicians playing around the area.
 
 Radio Regulars page

What this newsletter's about.

Matter of FAQ: So what's it (normally) take to have your CD mentioned in Wendy V's Local Blend? Click here for the guidelines!

Singer/songwriters, venues: Have a web page full of gig dates? Send me your link for the gig calendar! 

Well, it's either feast or famine in the writing world sometimes! 

This issue, I have the happy problem of a wealth of information to share with you. So, this issue will be set up a little differently. Some features will appear on this page. Others will be linked to a second page so you won't need to do so much scrolling down on one page. I hope you'll take time to read them all!

Ten Years Spreadin' the Word:

Ten years ago, I began to wonder who and what I was missing.

Prompted by, of all things, a radio talk show with a musical sidekick, I started taking notice of who, in the coffeehouses and small clubs, was worth telling others about. Places like Music City Café in St. Paul, Dunn Brothers and others were featuring music nearly seven nights a week, spanning a wide range of talent and musical diversity. Folks like Bobby E., Michael Loonan, Ruby (Paul and Tim Frantzich), Barb Ryman, Cooker John, Chris Miller, Michael Monroe, Peter Mayer and Stuart Davis were just a few back in the beginning drawing a steady, devoted following.

Later on in the period came Ginkgo Coffeehouse, Coffee Grounds and other venues that decided to sit up and take notice of the value of the local acoustic scene and put some resources into the presentation of the music. A small but spirited South Minneapolis coffeehouse called Gathering Grounds gave me my first introduction to Wayne Hamilton, Brenda Weiler and Lisa Kane.

Musicians worth talking about. But, by and large, the local media wasn’t doing much of it unless they were talking about a rock band. That’s where I decided to come in. Somebody had to get the word going. A perfect case of God using the least among us to take on a God-sized assignment, I started a small paper newsletter called “Local Folk” in order to give these musicians some sort of publicity. For the most part, I spent my own money making copies and putting them in coffeehouses, but did get some welcome assistance from folks who believed in the effort. Perhaps, I thought, if people picked up one of these and saw a name or two, they might remember it next time they decide where to go and who to see. At least it might bring forth some form of name recognition.

 I can tell you how far I’ve come in these ten years. Despite all the kind words I’ve received from musicians over the decade, I continue to insist they have blessed me much more. They have created so many opportunities I had never dreamed possible. The newsletter that started on paper evolved with the techno world as what you see today as “Wendy V’s Local Blend”. Its mission is unchanged: to tell the story of those who deserve more recognition than they receive.

How far has the scene come? I can only give you my $.02 and change. The players on the coffeehouse scene came and went, as did the shops themselves. The demise of some of the venues was particularly heartbreaking (Music City Café, Gathering Grounds). On the upside, some artists did go on to greater regional/national visibility (Peter Mayer, Stuart Davis to name two). And, haven’t you noticed how there seems to be a greater awareness of the acoustic singer/songwriter and “in the round” songwriting presentations? Yet, not much progress has been made on the media front in terms of regular artist coverage, save for a bright spot in 1997 when Neal Justin wrote a prominent feature on coffeehouse artists for the Star Tribune. Others, such as Pulse, have made efforts to recognize this part of the local scene. However, more encouragement toward these musical communities is needed. 

I truly thank you who have encouraged this work and all the people I've written about. 

Linked features - page 2:

Scene Spotlight: Nashville

CD's: Barb Ryman, Bob Louisell

Catching up with: Michael Loonan

 Mark your calendars for:

2002 Minnesota Folk Festival
SEPTEMBER 21 & 22, 2002
MOUNDS PARK, ST. PAUL
Free Event (a donation of 2 non-perishable foodshelf items is appreciated)

Featuring John Gorka, Lynn Miles, Vance Gilbert, Tim Eriksen, Café Accordion Orchestra, Bells of the North, Laura MacKenzie, Lehto & Wright, Bill Isles, and more!

Songwriters: hope you've entered the New Folk Songwriting Contest! By the way...yours truly will be emceeing part of the songwriting contest on Saturday the 21st! It's an honor and a thrill for me!

For more detail about the class, go to:
http://www.wendyv.com/class.htm

For registration information, click on the MCTC link above:
--search for the "Promoting and Marketing Your Musical Talent" class.

Registration includes a copy of "Out of the Jar...and Into the World"!

Hope to see you there! -- Wendy V