News

Click on the calendar below to see current events:

Happy New Year!

You are invited:  On Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 8:00 P.M., Russ & Julie’s House Concerts will host a house concert featuring The Susie Glaze New Folk Ensemble.

The Susie Glaze New Folk EnsembleReturning with their award-winning Americana folk fusion, The Susie Glaze New Folk Ensemble is bringing a brand new and exciting show this year, featuring diamonds in the rough and hidden gems from some of the best songwriters in the world. With tunes by Linda Thompson, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle, Iris Dement, Lucinda Williams, John Prine and Bob Dylan, this show promises to be a powerful experience in songs of heartbreak and revelation. Country classics from Dolly Parton and the band’s own originals from songwriter Rob Carlson will round out this truly eclectic sound.

Do You Have This In Blue? CD CoverNamed the BEST NEW FOLK artist by LA Weekly in May of 2019! Award-winning vocalist Susie Glaze, mandolinist Steve Rankin, fiddler Mark Indictor and bassist Fred Sanders are The Susie Glaze New Folk Ensemble, the newest version of the acclaimed Los Angeles-based Americana group, a lush new folk Americana fusion ensemble, presenting gorgeous eclectic blends of mountain folk and exciting “new grassy” and Celtic-inspired originals, all with the remarkable voice of Susie Glaze. www.susieglaze.com

The minimum donation for this special evening is $25 per person, payable in cash at the door. All the money goes to the performers. We will also have our usual “potluck” style coffee and dessert buffet. The show is called for 8:00 P.M. Doors open at 7:30 P.M. RSVP today to Russ & Julie at: rsvp@houseconcerts.us

We look forward to seeing you here!

Russ & Julie
Russ & Julie’s House Concerts
www.houseconcerts.us
RSVP: rsvp@houseconcerts.us

We Need You

Songmakers Board of Directors Annual Election 2025

We need candidates.
Hello Songmakers!

Per our bylaws, members of the Board of Directors of Songmakers serve for two years.  Half of the board’s positions are filled by election every year at the annual Songmakers Roundup.  Since the board has 15 members this means that 7 or 8 positions are filled every year.  This year 7 board members’ terms are expiring.  Six current board members have agreed to place their names on the ballot for the next two year term, they are Louis Richter, Steve Berman, Paul Jenkins, Louise Dobbs,  Alan Stillson, and Douglas Kerr.  That means that we need a minimum of one additional candidate.  More candidates are welcome which would create a competitive ballot, a refreshing change.

    So what does being a member of the board of directors entail?  There are four quarterly board meetings per year.  The meetings have been virtual meetings using the Zoom internet platform since the beginning of the pandemic. The meetings are usually on Sunday afternoon, beginning at 2 pm and running 2 to 3 hours.  There is one meeting each in March, June, September, December.  Occasionally, when an item can’t wait until the next board meeting, there will be a flurry of emails between board members. The officers of the club are then elected from and by the board of directors during their March meeting.

Any Songmaker member can nominate themselves.  To nominate yourself you can send an email announcing your candidacy to;   board@songmakers.org
Or contact any current member of the board and let them know.
If you know of another member that you think would make a good board member please contact them and encourage them to nominate themselves.

Songmakers needs you!

From:  Linda Szitkar, election chairperson, Songmakers

Songmakers Annual Roundup 2025

Saturday, February 22, 2025

Songmakers!  All Songmakers’ members are invited!  Roundup is coming Saturday, February 22nd  , beginning in the early afternoon and into the evening.

Please join us at Roundup!  (Songmakers’ official, annual meeting)

Every Songmaker is invited to vote for the new board members and do what Songmakers do best… make music!! The venue is the Somis Community Church.  (3300 West St. Somis, CA. 93066) 

There will be:
1. several rooms for song circles giving everyone a chance to play and sing. 
 2.  an area set up for you to bring music-related items for sale or give-away
 3.  dinner will be provided and is included in your membership dues.
 4.  A concert by and for you, the members.
 5.  Election for the board of directors.

Further emails with more details will be coming soon.

From your Songmakers Round Up Committee
Chairperson, Louise Dobbs, treasurer@songmakers.org

Far-West Campfire Zoom-based Songcircles

We have been invited by Far-West to participate in their twice a month Songcircles:

Every month on the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Join us around the virtual campfire for our twice-monthly song circle, where artists and audiences from the FAR-West region and beyond are welcome to enjoy original songs, favorite covers, and tunes inspired by that week’s theme.

Don your slippers and join us around the campfire. First timers are always welcome!

Sign up in advance using the link to perform or be in the audience.

Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month (with the exception of November and December due to holidays) you can register for free at found.ee/farwestcampfire. What started during the pandemic to keep us Folkies busy is still going strong! We would love to see a Songmakers presence there.

The dates for the 2025 camp outs, and the approximate dates when you can reserve your site. Ventura Co are listed below. Parks says you can reserve 180 days in advance, but I just checked and reservations for KG are currently open through December 21, which is almost a week less than 180 days from today. We tried to space these well, not bump into holidays, and not start when it’s too early and cold! 

Spring Break
March 27-30, 2025
[Reserve c. Sept 18, 2024]

Spring Fling
May 1-4, 2025
[reserve c. Nov. 2, 2024]

Summer Camp
June 19-22, 2025
[reserve c. Dec. 21, 2024]

Fall Out
October 16-19, 2025
[reserve c. April 4, 2025]

To make reservations up to 6 months in advance, go to https://www.venturaparks.org click on Camping & RV at the top, Select Kenney Grove Park and find your site. 

Sally Charette

  • If you are aware of any LIVE or virtual song circle or performance that will welcome Songmaker participation (or want to host one), please provide the info to the webmaster for inclusion to the calendar. Do you know of an upcoming musical event that may be of interest to our readers? Please provide a write-up with dates & website &/or other pertinent information and send to: webmaster@songmakers.org.
     
  • Joining Songmakers is not accomplished via Meetup. The www.songmakers.org list of events will continue. Songmakers membership is only $10 per year per family / household – join via https://songmakers.org/member-registration

Additional event links are listed by Folknik at  https://www.sffmc.org/community-folk-calendar/

A list of virtual Song Sessions: https://www.bostonsongsessions.org/virtual-sessions

Old Time & Celtic Music Calendars. The latest revisions on the oldtimeSF & celticSF groups.io groups. To join these groups go to https://groups.io/g/oldtimesf & https://groups.io/g/celticsf. Also available via: https://www.berkeleyoldtimemusic.org/ – select “Monthly Calendar of Old Time Music” under the About menu AND here https://sites.google.com/site/davbrown2/celtic Join the CelticSF group via https://groups.io/g/celticSF