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News
August 2008 |
For August, the Claire Lynch Band has much to share: some music and video links; a sweet IBMA Awards nomination; an IBMA sweepstakes opportunity; and a report on the state of live music in Canada - complete with dancing frogs on stilts!
Read on!
Claire
(photo above: skyline of Edmonton at the Edmonton Folk Festival, a vibrant live music scene)
In This Issue:
- IBMA Nomination & a Sweet Sweepstakes Opportunity
- Frogs on stilts & more: Folk Music Alive & Vibrant in Canada!
- Meet my youngest fan!
IBMA Nomination & a Sweet Sweepstakes Opportunity 
I'm honored to report that I've been nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association.
This nomination is such a sweet boost to my spirits! If you're a voting member of IBMA, my heartfelt thanks; four of our most recent recordings can be heard here as you consider the final ballot. (Look for the "Listen" links on the right.)
Here's another sweet thing: IBMA's World of Bluegrass sweepstakes, with great prizes that include VIP tickets to the Awards Show (Oct. 2 at the historic Ryman Auditorium) , plus a travel stipend, hotel rooms and free tickets for Bluegrass Fan Fest (Oct. 3-5). Click here to enter; you can enter once per day through Aug. 29.
The CLB will be showcasing at IBMA's World of Bluegrass this year on Tuesday, 11:30 pm at the Keith Case Showcase. Alas, we had to decline a Fan Fest invite this year because we'll be at the Guthrie, OK International Bluegrass Festival. But we hope to see some of you at our showcase or the awards show!
Frogs on stilts & more: Folk Music Alive & Vibrant in Canada!
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I'm happy to report that folk music in Canada is alive and very, very well. Our recent visit to the Edmonton Folk Festival cemented this fact for me. We strolled through a crowd of 25,000 last weekend and performed on 3 of the 7 stages there. We had only one full CLB set. The other 3 performances took the form of Edmonton's signature "workshops". As is their tradition, we were put on stage with fellow performers and asked to pass songs around - much like a "song-pull" at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe, only on a much grander scale.
Our stage-time was shared with songwriter Martyn Joseph (extraordinary songwriter-Wales), Moya Brennan of Clannad fame and her amazing band (Ireland), super-talent Shawn Mullins (fellow Southerner-Georgia), Dar Williams (what a sweet gal, great singer, thoughtful songs), The Duhks (Canada's eclectic sensation) and Danish fiddling duo, Haugaard & Hoirup - unbelievable talent! Although we felt like little fish in a big pond, I'm confident we "held our own" and made many new friends and fans.
A great time was had by all of us - that includes our short stint in the "hula hoop pit" and Mark's dance with the frog ballerinas on stilts. (You know a frogs-on-stilts video is worth watching: (see it here on YouTube!) The beautiful music on this video is Mark Schatz's "Samolynn Waltz" (Brand New Old Tyme Way, Rounder Records).
Meet my youngest fan!
She's a little older than this now, but here's a nice pic of my youngest fan. Ava actually attended my voice class at NashCamp last summer in utero!
I'm delighted to report that "Friends for a Lifetime" is one of her favorite albums. Her mom, Keri, writes:
I never knew how essential music would be to soothing an unhappy, frustrated infant, or one that simply needs a little help settling down for a nap. The minute she hears "Go and Do the Same"/"Paul & Peter Walked"/"Your Presence is my favorite Gift" she listens intently and usually within 10-15 minutes is asleep. I tell everyone that the only babysitters Ava's ever had are "Van Morrison, The Temptations & Claire Lynch" because if she's not sleepy, she'll lay in her swing for 30 minutes and listen to you guys sing, while I take a shower, tidy up the house or return a phone call. A lifesaver for me!! :)
There's no greater compliment you can pay an artist than to "listen intently". Thanks, Ava and Keri!
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