Greetings, friends and fellow music lovers!The heat is on here in Eugene! Summer is blazing and I hope you are staying cool and enjoying these long days wherever you are. I will keep it short and sweet because who has time to read emails when there are summer adventures to be had!? I wanted to let you know what’s coming up in July! Here goes…1. GRATITUDE2. THE NEWS
3. JULY SHOWS
4. THE FUTURE
1. GRATITUDE. Extra special thanks to Bill & Pat, Jim & Gordon, Neil & Lynn, Colleen and all at the University Club in Albany, to the Schulz family and their generous friends, to Dylan and Mike & all at Artsville NY, to Jen & Scott & Annie & Phil and all the wonderful partipants at the Wood and Stone Retreat, to the City of Crisfield, to Steve & friends for fun times and great singing, and to Route 5 NW Wine Bar for supporting local musicians.
2. THE NEWS. July is jam packed with greatness – I’m smiling just thinking about it! It starts off with two shows at my favorite concert series ever with some of my favorite musical cohorts ever! Can’t wait for two fabulous nights at Chukkar Farm in Alpharetta, GA, followed by a Sunday afternoon visit to the Chattanooga Market. Then it’s on to another great local wine bar show, and a new festival in Trout Lake, WA, some new fabulous venues in southern CA, a local fundraiser for the FAR West Folk Alliance, and finally Joe Craven’s Rivertunes Music Camp, where I’m thrilled to be teaching and learning with all the folks there alongside the south fork of the American River…whew!
What a profoundly awesome time we had at the Wood and Stone Retreat in Crisfield, MD! Jen and Scott Smith (of the duo Naked Blue) were wonderful and gracious hosts to us at beautiful Jane’s Island State Park. They even treated us to a crab feast on our last night! I loved my time there getting to know all the couragous folks who came to spend a few days in the woods and explore to their creativity. I’m super excited to be invited back as an instructor again next year…woop!
Charlie Paparella from WBOC TV came and spent some time with us at the Wood and Stone Retreat. Click on the link here to check out this cool piece he put together!
My time at the Wood and Stone retreat got my wheels spinning in the most wonderful way. What if I took the leap and hosted a creative retreat? Where would that be? Who would join me? My mom has already volunteered to be our chef so that alone makes it an amazing experience! 🙂 It was inspiring to see Jen & Scott’s vision put into action, and it was a great reminder of the power of dreamers that DO!! Stay tuned for more brainstorming…and holler at me at bethwoodmusic@hotmail.com if you have ideas…your thoughts and feedback are welcome!
Here’s one more thing I wanted to share. In the spirit of the Rivertunes music camp coming up, whose mission is “to validate, encourage and promote the creative music abilities of all people with informally learned American Roots Music,” I wanted to share this article I came across. It turns out that everone CAN sing, as I have long suspected! It’s one of the reasons I’m passionate about sharing my love for singing. Because like many skills, singing is not just for people who make it look easy. It’s for everyone and it can be learned and developed! Duh!
3. JULY SHOWS
Life is so uncertain…please call ahead!
Fri, July 3 – Home By Dark @ Chukkar Farm – Alpharetta, GA. 1140 Liberty Grove Rd. HOME BY DARK is a songwriters in the round concert event unlike anything you’ve seen or heard. We feature the best performing songwriters in America accompanied by the best instrumentalists on the planet. Hear the stories behind the songs and witness powerful performances as honest and as authentic as they come… from the writers themselves. Chukkar Farm is a gorgeous polo farm and stunning setting for these concerts! In the round show with James Casto, Jesse Terry and BW and some of the finest musicians in the world! $19 general admission. See Home By Dark website for or ticket info. 8 pm.
Sat, July 4 – Home By Dark @ Chukkar Farm – Alpharetta, GA. Same as above!
Sun, July 5 – Chattanooga Market – Chattanooga, TN. @ First Tennessee Pavilion – 1829 Carter Street. A local staple, the Market blends a farmers and artists market with community ties. Every Sunday, Chattanooga Market features farms and food artisans selling produce, meats, cheeses, breads and specialty prepared foods, keeping the selection varied and fresh. Additionally, we host local and regional artists and crafters offering unique finds such as pottery, jewelry, photography, apparel, home and beauty products…. fresh cut flowers are a big draw too.At Chattanooga Market it’s either grown, baked, sewn or made by our vendors; we’re a producer only market. Live music, with trending musicians, is featured on the EPB stage for two free shows each Sunday. Admission and parking are always free – come see why we are the region’s largest most authentic public markets. BW plays on Peach Festival day! 12:30 pm.
Thu, July 9 – Route 5 NW Wine Bar – Eugene, OR. 218 E. 5th Ave. Join us for music and wine and delicous grub on the beautiful patio from 6-8!
Sat, July 11 – Trout Lake Festival of the Arts – Trout Lake, WA. Since its inception in 1996, Trout Lake Arts Council (a 501©3 nonprofit organization) has organized and presented a two day Festival on the second weekend of July. All the work of organizing the Festival is accomplished by volunteers. Our vision is to provide a venue for artists to display and sell their work in a beautiful setting with outstanding amenities including music, food, and children’s art projects. BW will play two sets… 11 am and 1 pm.
Fri, July 17 – Camarillo Cafe – Camarillo, CA. 1605 E. Burnley St. 805-907-8318. A smoke-free and alcohol-free coffeehouse-style concert series sponsored by the Pleasant Valley Recreation Park District and hosted by Gary & Kathy Lynch. Although not an actual dining establishment, the Camarillo Café is a delightful, intimate coffeehouse-style concert series in Camarillo, California. On the third Friday in January, March, May, July, September and November, the finest singers, songwriters and musicians from the Southern California area and beyond will entertain you. $15 suggested donation. All ages welcome. 8 pm.
Sat, July 18 – The Living Tradition Concert Series – Anaheim, CA. The Anaheim Downtown Community Center 250 E. Center St. (714) 955-3807. The Living Tradition is a non-profit organization working to support and preserve traditional music and dance in Southern California. We host contra dances, contemporary and traditional folk music concerts, and traditional music jams nearly every month at the beautiful Anaheim Downtown Community Center in Anaheim. All of our events are family-friendly and are open to the public. Admission prices for dances and concerts are modest, and children under 18 years are free with a paid adult. Bring your friends, make new friends, get some exercise (dancing), or just relax and enjoy traditional American music. The Living Tradition events are partially funded by a grant from the Anaheim Arts Council. For reservations, concert information and booking inquiries, please contact Gary Trobridge at concerts@thelivingtradition.org or (714) 955-3807. $16 per person ($13 with Living Tradition membership discount). Children under 18 FREE with paid adult. Free Parking. 7:30 pm.
Sun, July 19 – House Concert – Chino Hills, CA. Email bethwoodmusic@hotmail.com for info.
Fri, July 24 – FAR West Folk Alliance Benefit at Tsunami Books – Eugene, OR. Mother Hen Promotions Fundraiser to raise awareness of Folk Alliance Region West in the PacNW as well as funds for the use at FAR-West (Folk Alliance Region West) 2015 conference Howard Larman Scholarship (to pay registration fees for artists who might not otherwise be able to attend the conference) and the Venue Sponsorship Fund. FAR-West’s ongoing mission (since 2002) is to foster and promote traditional, contemporary and multicultural folk music, dance, storytelling and related performing arts in the Western United States and Canada.Featuring Chico Schwall and BW. $5-$20 donation at the door. 7:30 pm.
Sun, July 26-Thu, July 30 – Rivertunes Music Camp – Coloma, CA. American River Resort – 6019 New River Road. RiverTunes is a small community-based volunteer assisted Music Camp, whose purpose is to validate, encourage and promote the creative music abilities of all people with informally learned American Roots Music. We are three and a half days of acoustic music instruction, performance opportunities, evening activities, jamming, dance and more in a breathtaking outdoor setting in the heart of California’s beautiful gold country. It’s an opportunity to study with a variety of string, voice, percussion and keyboard-based instruments in a variety of genre. Traditional and Contemporary Folk and Americana, Blues, Pop, Hawaiian, Tin Pan Alley, Bluegrass, Old Time, Swing and Dance are just some of the styles delved into. Improvisation, Rhythm, Songwriting, Theory, Performance Craft and Jamming are a few of the popular topics.Camping out under the stars,making new friends and reuniting with friends of RiverTunes past, eating delicious/nutritious catered food, tons of laughter, very little sleep, and so much more, are what await us every year.
check out the greeting committee at our West Chester house concert!! Seriously y’all, the Schulz family throws the BEST party, and they know how to make a girl feel welcome!

well looky here what my friends Pat & Mini-Cooper Bill gave me…woop!!!

A mysterious light-lined cruise ship window appeared behind me in Brooklyn at Artsville, NY!
the crew from the Wood and Stone retreat…SO much fun!

my little house in the woods at Jane’s Island State Park. If that doesn’t say ‘writer’s retreat’ I don’t know what does!

democracy in action! Here we are deciding our schedule for the last day…

loved singing with Phil Madeira and Naked Blue!

our delious back porch crab feast thanks to Jen & Scott & Annie (our fabulous chef)…welcome to Maryland! Thank you Sam Segal for the great pics from the concert and retreat!

took my breath away…

Hey, Route 5 Wine Bar, I love the new sign! 🙂

can’t wait to be a part of this fest! even if i weren’t playing i would still want to go to there.

4. THE FUTURE. The rest of the summer holds many more travels for me. I’m thrilled to be heading to CO and then doing some more shows with the great Dave Stoddard, including closing out the Great River Folk Festival in La Crosse, WI. Woop!
I’m still plugging away at my poetry book, trying to get the art work just right. I’m letting things percolate a bit on the song of the month club and next project – a live acoustic album. I have learned over the years that I am slow to process sometimes, but that’s ok with me (see “Backroads”). 🙂 All will happen in good time, exactly when it should. Sometimes a seed takes time to grow!
Thank you for cheering me on and for supporting me in my musical journey! May your summer be long and filled with adventures! Hope to see you out there on the road. With much gratitude from your fan,
Beth Wood
World Headquarters: www.bethwoodmusic.com
Holler at me: bethwoodmusic [AT] hotmail.com
Here I am on Facebook.
I barely know how to use it but I’m tryin’ on Twitter
Does anyone go to Myspace anymore? Seriously. I haven’t been there in years. I think I just saw a tumbleweed.
For the love of Pete, somebody please help me with Youtube!
Down the road a piece…
8/1- Eugene, OR – Route 5 NW Wine Bar
8/4- Port Angeles, WA – Private Party
8/7- Evergreen, CO – House Concert at The Place
8/9 – Boulder, CO – Columbine Unity Church – special music
8/10-14 – Lyons, CO- Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Song School
8/15 – Colorado Springs, CO- Pederson Backyard Concert w/Tom Faulkner
8/20 – Fergus Falls, MN – Concerts in the Park w/Dave Stoddard
8/21 – Dalton, MN- Dalton Opera House w/Dave Stoddard
8/22 – Elizabeth, MN- The Nave w/Dave Stoddard
8/27 – Iron River, WI- Lellodgio House Concert Series w/Dave Stoddard
8/28 – Hopkins, MN- Green Galaxy Garage Concerts w/Dave Stoddard
8/29 – La Crosse, WI- Great River Folk Festival w/Dave Stoddard
8/30 – La Crosse, WI- Great River Folk Festival w/Dave Stoddard
9/4 – Eugene, OR- Silvan Ridge Winery
9/5 – Portland, OR – Art in the Pearl
9/8-11- Sisters, OR – Americana Song Academy
9/12 – Sisters, OR – Sisters Folk Festival
9/13 – Sisters, OR – Sisters Folk Festival |