2016 Summer Gathering
Tolland, MA, Camp Kinderland, June 3-5, 2016
Video
Plenary with Joe Jencks - “Songs in The Key of Life”
Round Robin - 62 videos of individual performances!
Sarah Underhill, Luis Cortes, Letitia VanSant, Annie and Jonny Rosen, Luci Murphy, Joe Jencks
Workshops (a sampling)
What Makes Activist Music Powerful? – Hudson Valley Sally
Song & Poetry Jam Against Police Brutality & Mass Incarceration – Ángel L. Martínez, Carlos Raúl Dufflar, Luci Murphy, Letitia Vansant, Professor Louie
Making The Most of Your Voice – Joe Jencks
Songwriting: On Purpose, Be’Cause’ – Jane Fallon
Songs of Our Ancestors: The Carter Family & Leadbelly – Deborah Silverstein and Mike Glick
Artist in Residence: Joe Jencks
Plenary: Songs in the Key of Life
Music is a life long companion and a multi-faceted tool for personal growth, community service, spiritual practice and of course… political expression. The Music of the People, is any music we make, any music that helps all of us stay mindfully present in an ever-evolving world, and interpret the complexities of life for ourselves and others. Encompassing lessons learned on the road and on the picket line, PMN’s 2016 Artist in Residence – Joe Jencks – will shine some light on what it means to pursue both efficacy and sustainability in our musical lives. Listen and participate in a musical conversation about how we can more effectively use our music and talents to pursue positive change within ourselves and in the wider world.
Biography: Joe Jencks has been performing professionally since the age of fourteen, and touring, full-time internationally, for more than 17 years. From traditional Irish and North American Folk music to musical theater, from classical and jazz ensembles to modern singer songwriter, labor, and political music, Joe’s life has been devoted to songs. From the personal to the global, Joe Jencks weaves a diverse set of educational and professional experiences into a complex tapestry of art and heart.
www.joejencks.com
Friday Concert
Camp Kinderland, Paul Robeson Theatre
The People’s Music Network Summer Gathering Friday Night Concert is the opening event for a three day weekend of music for social justice from June 3-5, 2016. This showcase concert takes place in the Paul Robeson Theatre at Camp Kinderland, located in Tolland, MA. The show features 2016 PMN Artist-in-Residence, Joe Jencks, and five other wonderful artists (see below). These performers represent a small slice of the many PMN members who are making music for social change.
The concert is open to the public for a suggested donation of $10-20 at the door. Concert admission is included with registration for the PMN Summer Gathering. Immediately following the concert, at 10:00pm, there will be a Campfire Song Swap at the Beach Fireplace (right next to the Paul Robeson Theatre) which is open to all gathering participants.
Performers
JOE JENCKS is an international touring performer, songwriter, entertainer, and educator, based in Chicago, IL. His songs have traveled to every continent via his own performances, radio, CDs, web casts, and other musicians. He is noted for his unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. Joe is the 2016 PMN Artist in Residence. www.joejencks.com
LUIS CORTES started playing the guitar after hearing Silvio Rodriguez cassette. While studying at the University de Chile, began learning Violeta Parra, Victor Jara, Inti-Illimani, Quilapayun, Illapu, Sol y Lluvia and more. He moved to NY in 2012 and performs at open-mics and participates in a Chilean Folk Dance. He moved to Albany in 2015 and works for Citizen Action of NY as a Community Organizer.
LUCI MURPHY is a D.C.-based vocalist and song leader whose music draws inspiration from the folkloric traditions and musical idioms of cultures and languages throughout the world — including her own roots in Spirituals, Blues and Jazz. She has served on the Steering Committees of the People’s Music Network, and many other progressive organizations. She sings with the SGI New Century Chorus and the D.C. Labor Chorus.
ANNIE & JONNY ROSEN perform with Annie & the Hedonists, a band that performs music of the great female blues and jazz artists of the 1920s – 50s and other Acoustic Americana. Their recordings include songs of the late labor song writer, Hazel Dickens. They sing at labor events tied to Jonny’s work as a labor occupational safety and health professional. www.annieandthehedonists.com
SARAH UNDERHILL is a Singer/Songwriter/Song Collector who learned to sing on her Mother’s knee and has been amassing a Folk repertoire ever since. A member of PMN for many years, she runs a Celtic session in the Rosendale/High Falls area, where she often performs. Find her two CD releases on CD baby. www.sarahunderhill.com
LETITIA VANSANT is a Baltimore-based singer, songwriter, and storyteller. Her lyrics, which are informed by a long-standing interest in social justice, explore spiritual questions about human nature and society. Whether she is accompanying herself on the banjo, ukulele, or guitar, VanSant’s sound draws from many of the corners of Americana. www.letitiavansant.com