As described in our “About”page, this blog was born out of the experience that is the Newport Folk Festival. The idea was to spread the festival’s pervasive sense of joy, good will, and community as widely as possible, throughout the year. Of course, this year the “folk family” stayed home. Nevertheless, via social media, the tremendous efforts of the Festival Foundation, Jay Sweet, and numerous other organizers and musicians, we all managed to be together even while apart. Thank you Jay Sweet, Caps, and everyone else for making the weekend happen.
Tag: music
article by Warren Haynes
“No true musician can claim to embrace the music of someone without accepting as equal the human being from which it came. It is impossible to regard the influence of someone else’s creativity as great while judging the person who created it as somehow inferior.” — Warren Haynes, Newsweek, 6/24/2020
David Handelman on coping with the COVID lockdown
“How have you been coping with COVID? If not the illness itself, then the whittled-down existence it has demanded?
I have a suggestion.” –David Handelman
click to read David’s blog post
live music comforts coronavirus patients and caregivers
“I’m hoping to offer a brief moment of comfort or distraction or beauty.” —Michelle Ross, violinist in Manhattan
click here to read the full NY Times article
RIP John Prine
“I guess I just process death differently than some folks. Realizing you’re not going to see that person again is always the most difficult part about it. But that feeling settles, and then you are glad you had that person in your life, and then the happiness and the sadness get all swirled up inside you. And then you’re this great, awful candy bar, walking around in a pair of shoes.” —John Prine, quoted by Pitchfork, 2018
read rememberances in Rolling Stone and The New York Times
Instagram post from The Wood Brothers
“Here’s another one from our tiny attic sessions we did in January. We miss playing together and we miss playing for our fans but we feel inspired by the connection and community that’s resulted from everyone trying to get thru this together. This song is a good reminder not to sweat the small stuff. Enjoy and be safe!”
quarantined Italians sing from their balconies
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Click here for a Vox.com article, with photos and additional links.
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Avett Brothers interview
“That’s why we make art, music, film…to connect. I mean, our contribution and our duty, above all, is to love people. And our contribution is to make things that relate to people. And through those things, that’s our vehicle to actually directly, physically, emotionally, connect with them.” —Scott Avett, September 2019
quote from Sade
“Once a song’s out there, it’s no longer mine. And that the whole purpose of music: to belong to people.” —Sade Adu
open letter from Jay Sweet
As stated on our about page, the idea for this blog was born out of the experience of attending the Newport Folk Festival each year. This letter from the Executive Producer captures some of the reason why.