Serving the Vermont Champlain Valley Area for 45 Years
Tuesday October 6, 2015 Edition
Main Sections
Front Page SportsValley VitalsIt's in the StarsStarwiseArchivesLinksAbout The VoiceContact Us







Upcoming Rise Again Singing Concert Sparks The Community

With songs that reach inside all people, the new Rise Singing Concert and song book links us to music, group singing and being together to make music!
photo by Photo Provided
With songs that reach inside all people, the new Rise Singing Concert and song book links us to music, group singing and being together to make music!

Tuesday October 6, 2015

By Cookie Steponaitis

Ron Slabaugh was in the fourth grade when his journey with music and the trumpet began. He was singing in the church choir as a teen, the band room was his home room in high school and college added the guitar and singing folk songs on study breaks for recreation with friends. Slabaugh openly shares his love for almost all kinds of music and his musical journey has included playing in a small chamber orchestra on the Oregon Coast and in dance bands featuring big band music and brass quintets.
   “Music lifts our spirits, raises our children, plays with them, puts them to sleep, teaches them and it reaches deep going beyond the mind to touch the spirit,” expresses Slabaugh. “It's being used in nursing homes with dementia patients. It has played a huge role in labor struggles, in movements like Civil Rights and now climate change.” Slabaugh always keeps his guitar and banjo with him just in case the chance happens to play and learn songs and credits music for being a huge part of his mental health. Slabaugh annually celebrates Pete Seeger’s birthday at College/Community Chorus’s and open mikes with a community sing along and invites singers from the community to lead others in song. Occasionally, Seeger’s niece who owns a children’s camp in Hancock will come and lend her voice to the celebration.
    The Folk Music song book Rise Up Singing is at the heart of these celebrations and contains 1200 songs that are broken down in to thirty-five different categories and includes only lyrics and chords. It was created to be a learning tool for beginners and professional’s alike inviting people to gather, sing and explore music as a way of community celebration and expression of joy. The book was created by Peter Blood and Annie Patterson and has been a part of the music world since 1988 celebrating Pete Seeger and the spirit of the folk song movement.
    The release of the new edition of the songbook Rise Again  and concert tour in Middlebury on Sunday, October 11th at the Middlebury United Methodist Church at 7 p.m. featuring Annie Patterson & Peter Blood, Bill Harley, Magpie and Charlie King is causing a great deal of excitement. The event is a celebration of music and a benefit for the Lake Champlain Committee and there are 1200 more songs in the new book, including music categories of Blues, Jazz and Rock and Roll. There are only three concerts nationwide; in Middlebury, the Midwest and California. The event is special and connects not only folk singers but people of all ages. 
    “The two authors, married couple Peter Blood and Annie Patterson were good friends of Pete Seeger,” shared Slabaugh. “Through their books they have connected to a multitude of folk singers. They started with a list of some 4500 songs and have culled it to the 1200 in the book.” The music in these books and concert not only celebrates community but for Slabaugh, “moves us into the emotional realm as well as chronicles our social history.
    The October 11th concert will bring joy to anyone who attends connecting people and harnessing community joy and power. The proceeds of the concert are dedicated to protecting Lake Champlain’s environmental integrity and the celebration of song will resonate within people’s hearts long after the last note has been sung. Tickets for this uplifting night are on sale now and the Rise Again Concert is an affirmation of the joy of people singing together and the power of music to focus, enchant, challenge and bring us joy. Bring your voices and hearts and be a part of an evening that will be remembered in the annals of music. Adult tickets are $20.00, children 18 and under $10.00, a family $50.00 and under the age of five are free. Purchase your tickets today at www.riseupandsing.org/events/rise-again-middlebury.


 Printer Friendly  Top
Advertisements


Search our Archives


· More Options



   

Agricultural Weather Forecast:

© 2006-18 The Valley Voice • 656 Exchange St., Middlebury, VT 05753 • 802-388-6366 • 802-388-6368 (fax)
Valleywides: [email protected] • Classifieds: [email protected] • Info: [email protected]