turtle island tales: songwriter's notebook

The First Tale

2/24/07
We begin with the story of our short trip to Louisianna with Bill Hudson's Feel Good Tour. Rich Baumann who started a Million Closet Project joined us there. Gordon Soderberg gave us context and hospitality. He's been there since Katrina hit.
We decided it was time to see the Katrina recovery efforts with our own eyes and help while we did it. We drove from Pine Bush NY with instuments donated to give to those who lost theirs or kids who need one to play. We brought sweaters, socks, gloves and hats to distribute because it was less then 30 degrees at night, damp, windy and a lot like Pumpkin Sail on the Woody Guthrie with a full crew and no boom tent. We brought our instruments, our voices, our hearts and hands. We brought songs to school kids and the working weary. Music is the in the fabric of the rich culture of the delta.

Consider if you can make time to volunteer. There are many groups to pick from and many jobs to do. Louisianna was the second poorest state before the hurricanes hit and it's a mess. Slidell to Buras is like NYC to Albany, NY. The area affected is much larger then what we saw in five days. Mississippi, where Bill and Al will bring the Feel Good Tour in April is in similar shape. It's a huge human tragedy. It's not fixed. It's not over. You may not read about it or hear about it. But it's not over. Still there is joy and hope. We are better for having gone.
Check out these links. Figure out a way to help. Some of the work getting done is being done by young people who have energy, awareness and idealism (phew! We've been hoping to to see that again). Learn about what's really going on and spread the word. Person to person. We just might reach critical mass and turn the tide. Contact us if you have a group that wants to hear about this.

The beginning of the blog is at the bottom, new posts are at the top. We went back in 2008 with an organ delivered to a church for it's organist.

November 15, 2007

I just put Gulf Coast music and pictures (the PowerPoint) up. We got sidetracked with the Broad Old River Resurrection project. Rich went back delivering a cello to Peter Spring. Mike Meade, Elaine Guzman and Al Coffey are preparing to go down in March-April 2008.

We've shown the slides several times now and were invited by John Pietaro to show the pictures and play our music from the trip at Dissident Folk & Arts Festival 2007, Sat October 13, Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main Street, Beacon NY 12508

ALL proceeds of this concert will be donated to the Howland Center's attempt to install an eco-friendly geo-thermal heating/cooling system. Think of this year's Dissident Fest as the cultural nail in the right-wing coffin! Join us.

Check out our music page for FEMA Trailer Blues and Why Me Katrina.

2008 Events

Mel and Vinnie’s 2008 Events
Contact: melhealy@yahoo.com

Jan 6 Benefit for family of Helyn Chrobocinski, Neptune, NJ

March 29 Party for winter crew, 6:30pm Saugerties, NY

April 20 Earth Day Festival, noon-dusk Beacon, NY free

April 26 Molton Java Coffeehouse, Bethel CT. Joining My Dad's Truck for the second set.

May 4 Mel and Vinnie Quartet play on DJ Kendall’s “Third Stone from the Sun” ’60s and ’70s radio show on WXCI , 91.7 FM, Sunday, May 4, from noon to 12:30 p.m. Western Connecticut State University.

May 4 Molton Java Coffeehouse, Bethel CT. CoHosting a song circle open jam 2-5pm.

May 10 Roots Music Coffeehouse, 8pm Danbury Ct $10, bring instruments for the open mike/circle of song at 8pm and a post show jam at 11pm. Clearwater Song Circle followed by 2 shows, Great Blue and the Mel and Vinnie Quartet. Portion of proceeds to Clearwater.

May 26-28 In New Orleans volunteering with various post Katrina relief groups.

June 14 Tribes Hill Annual Meeting, Valhalla, NY noon-night

June 21 Clearwater Festival, Croton Point Park, NY 12:30-1 Sing to the River with Mel and Vinnie at Circle of Song.

June 22 Clearwater Festival, Croton Point Park, NY 11:45-1 Open Round Robin Song Circle hosted by Mel and Vinnie. 5:15-6pm Hudson River Sloop Singers Reunion hosted by Rick Nestler.

July 10 Dedication of River Pool at Beacon

August 3 Newburgh to Beacon Swim Across the Hudson for River Pool at Beacon, Beacon NY

August 16 NJ Sloop Club Festival, Asbury Park, NJ. Noon Joe and Vinnie at Circle of Song. 3:15pm Mel and Vinnie on East Stage.

August 17 NJ Sloop Club Festival, Asbury Park, NJ. 3:00pm Joe and Vinnie at Circle of Song. 5:15 Hudson River Sloop Singer Reunion on East Stage.

September 6 General Montgomery Day with Artists on the Green on the lawn of the Boorland Housem Mongomery, NY. Dance, drama, music, artist in residence and children's activities.

September 28 Clearwater Gathering, all day

October 19 Beacon Sloop Club Pumpkin Festival

December 19 Beacon Sloop Club Holiday Sing

2007 Calendar

Mel and Vinnie’s 2007 events

January 20 Clearwater Crew Potluck Saugerties NY

January 21- 26 Shiva Reflection Week, Pine Bush NY

February 13 Peace Lutheran Church Slidell LA

February 14 Boyet JHS, Slidell LA

February 14 EC Coming Home Cafe, Algiers LA

February 15 EC Y Cafe, Buras LA

February 15 Bootheville-Venice Elementary School, Bootheville LA

February 16 House Concert Slidell LA

March 4 Ferry Sloop Reunion Dobbs Ferry NY

March 10 Broad Old River Resurrection Committee forms Monticello, NY

April 14 Step it Up 2007 Hands Across the Hudson Bear Mountain NY

April 21 Earth Day Festival Beacon NY, children’s area and on sloop

May 27 WFDU 89.1fm, Traditions Teaneck, NJ

June 16 and 17 Sale of the entire 100 20th Anniversary Limited Edition CD release of Broad Old River the Hudson River Sloop Singers album

June 16 Clearwater Great Hudson River Revival Croton NY 12:30-2 round robin facilitators Circle of Song

June 17 Sloop Club Congress workshop Ways to Work Together Croton NY 9:30-10:45, 11am “Redemption” Circle of Song, 5pm with Hudson River Sloop Singer Reunion Circle of Song

August 5 Great Newburgh to Beacon Hudson River Swim Beacon NY Circle of Song hosts

August 18 NJ Clearwater festival 2 pm Circle of Song with Hudson River Sloop Singer Reunion, 4pm East Stage, 6pm Circle of Song Vinnie’s Blues workshop Asbury Park NJ

August 19 NJ Clearwater festival with Hudson River Sloop Singer Reunion 11:30 West Stage Asbury Park NJ

September 15 Take Me to The River festival, Hastings on Hudson NY 2:50pm and Circle of Song hosts

September 29 Clearwater Annual Gathering Beacon NY, event team leader

October 13 Dissident Folk and Arts Festival, 2:20-2:50pm presentation, “New Orleans Today” Howland Center Beacon, NY

October 14 Pumpkin Festival, sloop club Beacon NY 3:55pm

November 10 IndieCon 2007,Burlington Vermont.
Music for Peace with Rik Palieri and others 1pm on in Contois Auditorium inside Burlington City Hall

November18 River Pool at Beacon annual meeting Bowdin Park between Poughkeepsie and New Hamburg

December 14 Holiday Sing at Beacon Sloop Club 8pm Dessert potluck served. Donations accepted for H.R.S. Clearwater, unwrapped gifts accepted for Toys For Tots and donations of instruments for the Feel Good Tour.