Page 56 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2014

touring and television guide students through classes. The seminar is
held over six days, starting on the Monday before the festival. During
the course, each student is given the opportunity to work in the studio
and a CD is produced afterwards for each of the participants. The
seminar closes on Saturday with a concert performed by the young
seminar members as a part of the festival which is attended by an
audience of thousands. www.bluesfest.no
Kitchener Blues Festival
(Kitchener, ON Canada) August 7-10, 2014
This festival offers a day-camp experience from August 5-8, 2014
for young musicians from 12-18 years of age, with instruction and
Spirited drum circle at the Dusk til Dawn Festival Photo by Richard Byrd performance experience with working blues musicians, culminating
with a performance at the festival. During the week, campers will
Billtown Blues Festival learn about the history and influence of blues on modern music.
(Hughesville, PA) June 8, 2014 They will learn new licks, how to jam, how to set up, how to perform
Each year this festival includes a kids (with adults welcome), on stage and how to form their own bands.
workshop. This year Steve Mitchell’s “Circle of Drums” invites www.kitchenerbluesfestival.com/events/grand-river-blues-camp
participants to bring their percussive instrument of choice and will
also include his own wide selection of instruments for public use. Many festivals offer special activities for young musicians and
The entire acoustic tent is filled with “spontaneous but orchestrated” youngsters who want to be entertained or educated. When you are
rhythms ranging from primitive to symphonic in the spirit of the scheduling your festival plans, you can check the festival listings at
blues. All kids under 16 with a parent are admitted free of charge. www.bluesfestivalguide.com and contact the event organizers to
During festival week the Billtown Blues Association has also invited inquire about activities for kids. This article shares just a sampling of
Gary Allegretto to participate in the area’s Blues-A-Thon, a 24-hour offerings. We’ve tried to be accurate, but dates and schedules often
fundraiser to support the Uptown Music Collective and their blues change as events approach. Some programs may be included in the
education program. While in the area, Gary plans to present his price of admission, some require advance registration or additional
“Harmonikids” program to children from Hope Enterprise, the fees, but all are likely to be just what you need to keep your kids
Children’s Development Center and the Special Olympics. happy. Give them an experience they will never forget, and perhaps
www.billtownblues.org even shape the future of the blues!

Eureka Springs Blues Weekend Author William Toll (aka Sweet Willie Tea) is a two-time IBC semi-
(Eureka Springs, AK) June 12-15, 2014 finalist, recording artist and touring “one-man-band” in the style of
fellow Michigander, the late Doctor Ross, “The Harmonica Boss.”
There will be a Blues For Kids Drumming Workshop with He performs original, boogie-woogie and Delta-style blues on
Angelo Yao this year. The past three years, the Eureka Springs Blues the diddley-bow, cigar box, resonator guitar and harmonica with
Weekend has given away harmonicas to kids, and great blues percussion. More info, recordings and performance schedule are
artists like George Hunt have taught them how to play a blues song. available at www.sweetwillietea.com.
www.eurekaspringsblues.com
Waterfront Blues Festival
(Portland, OR) July 3-6, 2014
Educational workshops, children’s programming, stripped-
down performances, interviews, and jam sessions are offered at
this festival’s secondary stage. Past offerings have included blues
harmonica and piano for kids, blues history and storytelling with
festival artists, blues photography workshops, special jam sessions
and more. www.waterfrontbluesfest.com

Notodden Blues Festival
(Notodden, Norway) July 31 – August 1, 2014
Each year, 40 youth between the ages of 14 and 18 are given
the opportunity to be a part of the “New Generation of the Blues.”
Professional instructors, with backgrounds ranging from studio, Eureka Springs Blues Weekend Harmonica Workshop Photo by David Frank Dempsey

54 Blues Festival Guide 2014