Back from LEAFing

I enjoyed the best festival experience ever just a few weeks ago at the Fall edition of the Lake Eden Arts Festival in Black Mt., NC. According to its press release "LEAF, one of the top small festivals internationally, is set apart from other festivals by the resplendent beauty of its location, dedication to community outreach, and bringing together family and friends all generations." That is just the tip of the ice burg! LEAF has Healing Arts Workshops, Handcrafts, a National Poetry SLAM, Camping, an adventurous Zipline, Canoes, Kayaks, and Swimming, Talent Contest, Fiddle Contest, Mountain Drum Circles, Wacky Games in the Kids Village including Kids Bedtime Stories, Jam Sessions, Gourmet Food and more! LEAF also connects to its historic creative past with Black Mountain College Tours. My first LEAF experience was during the Spring of 2007 was pretty amazing, but this past Fall's festival topped it!

My second LEAF experience began with a few days of blues workshops at the WD Williams Middle School in Swannanoa, NC. There I worked with Jamie Munn's third grade class to develop a 30 minute presentation on the historical and musical importance of blues music. The program included the children singing a work song, a couple of blues standards and a song that they wrote called "School Blues." We had a blast performing at the school and at LEAF! My LEAF experience ended with a performance with the W D Williams kids at the Sundance Power Tent on Sunday.

Other LEAF highlights included my performance at Eden Hall opening for the legendary Leon Redbone and a solo show in the Barn. I had a chance to visit with Leon Redbone during sound check and after his show and really enjoyed talking with his piano player, Paul Asaro. My Barn performance felt particularly good and I'm told my ukulele rendition of John Lenon's "Imagine" moved a few people to tears. I think that's a good thing!

My wife Lisa Kae and son Emerson enjoyed the Chinese acrobats and Tuvan throat singers and we all took in Scythian and several other great shows. Lisa and I even cut the rug to Martha and the Mood Swingers. Soaking in the beauty of the site and the fall foliage was it's own entertainment as well!

I met several new friends and reconnected with a few old ones while at LEAF. All in all it was a weekend I'll remember fondly for a long time! Thanks to all the fine folks at LEAF!

Thanks to Jamie Munn and Lisa Kae for the pictures!