Holiday Sing, hosted by Sally Potter, with special guests
Don't miss this season's Holiday Sing, hosted by Sally Potter, with special guests Matt Watroba, song leader; Doug Berch, hammered dulcimer; accompanying spoken word artist Ruelaine Stokes; and Doug Austin at the grand piano. Lyric books provided; special ‘family’ pricing.
Come sing wonderful, seasonal songs with your community, all evening long.
Don’t miss this season’s Holiday Sing, hosted by Sally Potter.
With special guests:
Matt Watroba, song leader
Doug Berch on hammered dulcimer
Accompanying spoken word artist Ruelaine Stokes
Doug Austin, grand piano
Lyric books provided; special ‘family’ pricing.
Sally Potter
“Shared Song; Communal Memory” New York Times 2/10/08
When Sally Potter isn’t producing an annual singing festival or helping other communities produce similar events, singing with the Arts Chorale of Greater Lansing, or leading local monthly community sings, she is teaching economics, civics, and history to students at Williamston High School.
Sally’s grandmother, Lillian Paulson Potter was an opera singer, and later, a church choir director, producing countless community events over a fifty-year span. On the other side, Sally’s uncle, Brian Shanley played Dixieland jazz clarinet with Bob Scoby in Chicago in the 50’s. Yet it was when her brother Tom taught her Old-Time tunes on his back-up banjo that Sally settled into the folk music world.
A mainstay in the Mid-Michigan folk music community since 1984, Sally, Betsy Clinton and Pat Madden were members of the very popular group, Second Opinion, from 1989 – 2001. In 2005, Potter released her fifth CD, this one together with Madden entitled, “it’s about time.”
In 2003, Sally organized the first Mid-Winter Singing Festival, now an annual event where hundreds of people get together on a January weekend – just to sing. Since then, she has continued to perform, song lead, and help produce numerous music events, most recently taking on the volunteer job of concert booking manager for the 41 year-old Ten Pound Fiddle Concert and Dance Series.
Matt Watroba
Matt Watroba is first and foremost a community singer. He has the knack for picking the perfect songs and stories for the audience in front of him. In concert, at a festival, in a library, in a school, or in the park, you can count on a performance that will get you singing, make you laugh, and leave you feeling a little bit better about the world we live in. Matt also works with award winning performer Rev. Robert Jones, presenting educational programs that celebrate diversity through the roots and branches of American folk music.
Matt has just released a brand new CD: Community Sings Volume One
15 sing-along tracks recorded over two shows at the Ark in Ann Arbor, MI in 2015 & 2016
The songs were picked specifically for you to learn, sing, and share. Available at www.mattwatroba.net or at live shows.
Doug Berch
Doug have been performing, teaching and making instruments since the mid 1970’s.
During the 1980’s he toured throughout the United States and performed at many folk festivals, dulcimer festivals and concert venues. He recorded two records for Kicking Mule Records.
In 1983 he took first place in both the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship and the National Mountain Dulcimer Championship in Winfield, Kansas.
In the early 1990’s he made two recordings, one featuring a tune he composed on hammered dulcimer called “Ocean of Wisdom” that has been performed and recorded by several other hammered dulcimer players. His work appears on dozens of albums and soundtracks as a support musician.
Ruelaine Stokes
Ruelaine Stokes is a writer, teacher, and performance artist based in Lansing, Michigan. She gives poetry readings, lectures, and workshops on poetry, spoken word, and creative writing.
Ruelaine has a remarkable ability to bring poetry to life and to bring people to poetry. She is also a gifted teacher who opens new doors for students in workshops that abound with creativity and laughter.
Since 1988, she has coordinated one of the liveliest poetry venues in Mid-Michigan, now known as the Old Town Poetry Series.
Doug Austin
A veteran of the Lansing musical community, Doug Austin has been at the keys for musicals, choir concerts, recitals and much more. He has written two musicals, “Just the Two of Us” sand “Flipswitch” with Roger Rochowiak, and provided arranging and performance prowess to countless other musical projects in MId-Michigan.
An award-winning attorney by day, Doug has cleared his calendar and we are thrilled he will help us ‘sing in the season’ on the CMS grand piano on Friday, Dec. 2, 2016
Come sing wonderful, seasonal songs with your community, all evening long.
Don’t miss this season’s Holiday Sing, hosted by Sally Potter.
With special guests:
Matt Watroba, song leader
Doug Berch on hammered dulcimer
Accompanying spoken word artist Ruelaine Stokes
Doug Austin, grand piano
Lyric books provided; special ‘family’ pricing.
Sally Potter
“Shared Song; Communal Memory” New York Times 2/10/08
When Sally Potter isn’t producing an annual singing festival or helping other communities produce similar events, singing with the Arts Chorale of Greater Lansing, or leading local monthly community sings, she is teaching economics, civics, and history to students at Williamston High School.
Sally’s grandmother, Lillian Paulson Potter was an opera singer, and later, a church choir director, producing countless community events over a fifty-year span. On the other side, Sally’s uncle, Brian Shanley played Dixieland jazz clarinet with Bob Scoby in Chicago in the 50’s. Yet it was when her brother Tom taught her Old-Time tunes on his back-up banjo that Sally settled into the folk music world.
A mainstay in the Mid-Michigan folk music community since 1984, Sally, Betsy Clinton and Pat Madden were members of the very popular group, Second Opinion, from 1989 – 2001. In 2005, Potter released her fifth CD, this one together with Madden entitled, “it’s about time.”
In 2003, Sally organized the first Mid-Winter Singing Festival, now an annual event where hundreds of people get together on a January weekend – just to sing. Since then, she has continued to perform, song lead, and help produce numerous music events, most recently taking on the volunteer job of concert booking manager for the 41 year-old Ten Pound Fiddle Concert and Dance Series.
Matt Watroba
Matt Watroba is first and foremost a community singer. He has the knack for picking the perfect songs and stories for the audience in front of him. In concert, at a festival, in a library, in a school, or in the park, you can count on a performance that will get you singing, make you laugh, and leave you feeling a little bit better about the world we live in. Matt also works with award winning performer Rev. Robert Jones, presenting educational programs that celebrate diversity through the roots and branches of American folk music.
Matt has just released a brand new CD: Community Sings Volume One
15 sing-along tracks recorded over two shows at the Ark in Ann Arbor, MI in 2015 & 2016
The songs were picked specifically for you to learn, sing, and share. Available at www.mattwatroba.net or at live shows.
Doug Berch
Doug have been performing, teaching and making instruments since the mid 1970’s.
During the 1980’s he toured throughout the United States and performed at many folk festivals, dulcimer festivals and concert venues. He recorded two records for Kicking Mule Records.
In 1983 he took first place in both the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship and the National Mountain Dulcimer Championship in Winfield, Kansas.
In the early 1990’s he made two recordings, one featuring a tune he composed on hammered dulcimer called “Ocean of Wisdom” that has been performed and recorded by several other hammered dulcimer players. His work appears on dozens of albums and soundtracks as a support musician.
Ruelaine Stokes
Ruelaine Stokes is a writer, teacher, and performance artist based in Lansing, Michigan. She gives poetry readings, lectures, and workshops on poetry, spoken word, and creative writing.
Ruelaine has a remarkable ability to bring poetry to life and to bring people to poetry. She is also a gifted teacher who opens new doors for students in workshops that abound with creativity and laughter.
Since 1988, she has coordinated one of the liveliest poetry venues in Mid-Michigan, now known as the Old Town Poetry Series.
Doug Austin
A veteran of the Lansing musical community, Doug Austin has been at the keys for musicals, choir concerts, recitals and much more. He has written two musicals, “Just the Two of Us” sand “Flipswitch” with Roger Rochowiak, and provided arranging and performance prowess to countless other musical projects in MId-Michigan.
An award-winning attorney by day, Doug has cleared his calendar and we are thrilled he will help us ‘sing in the season’ on the CMS grand piano on Friday, Dec. 2, 2016