Calendar
Submit calendar info to:
calendar@corvallisfolklore.org
Westwind Weekend
of music and dance
A beautiful setting on the Oregon Coast. A pristine, sheltered beach, tidepools galore, wildlife in the water, woods, and air, hikes that lead to superb vistas up and down the coast. It’s a weekend at the beach, with music and friends old and new. It’s always sunny at Westwind, AND it almost always rains. Which is to say, any weather can happen.
A growing, family friendly community. More than a fourth of those who attend the Westwind Weekend are young people. Kids bring their friends. They dig in the sand, play Frisbee, hike, play cards, dance, play music, drink hot cocoa, help out, hang out, and build lasting memories.
Non-stop music jams. At any moment you’ll find swing favorites on the front porch, old-time in the shed, and Irish/contra tunes in the kitchen. Some of the finest musicians in the Willamette Valley come to Westwind and are joined by folks just learning to play and everyone in between.
Contra dancing and more. Friday and Saturday evenings feature the Westwind All Star Orchestra playing tunes, and dance programming that’s aimed at all ages and abilities. Expect family dances, contras and squares, and a set of Scandinavian favorites. Also find musicians jamming and swing or zydeco dancing underway outside the main hall.
Camper-led workshops. Gumboot dancing, daisy chain squares, swing chords, beach talk, favorite folk songs: come with your special talent to share or learn something you’ve never heard of before. Sunday morning expect time for singing the gospel of our non-denominational love of community.
A Saturday camper concert. Enjoy listening to the crazy, creative, and sublime as your fellow campers perform, or put together your own high or low art performance and step up onto the whale bone stage.
Happy, hearty vegetarian food. Beth Littlewolf has been our cook for 25+ years. She makes wonderful fare that brings us all together in the historic Wilson Lodge for family-style meals. Meals at Westwind include snack Friday evening, breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday, and early-wake up breakfast fare plus brunch on Sunday.
All levels Welcome!
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First Sunday Vocal Jam Circle
Vocal improv singing for all skill levels and ages.
First and Third Sundays
The first Sunday of the month will be dedicated to Balkan dances and the third to Israeli.
Corvallis Guitar Society
The goal of the Corvallis Guitar Society is to act as a catalyst to bring local guitarists out of the woodwork and provide an opportunity to perform and enjoy guitar music in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. The accent here is on participation and we hope people will want to participate in the open stage section also – no piece of music is too short or simple (though there is a five minute limit if we have a full sign-up sheet) and you are guaranteed a warm round of applause for showing us what you can do! We do have a limited number of open stage slots so be sure to sign up early at the front desk on the way in.
Our Mission
To promote classical and related guitar styles by providing a supportive performance environment for people of all ages and ability.
We seek to achieve this through a monthly meeting that provides an opportunity to discuss, listen to, and play solo guitar music including classical, flamenco, finger-style, jazz, as well as classical guitar ensemble styles.
All levels Welcome!
David Roth strikes many chords, hearts, and minds with his unique songs, offbeat observations, moving stories, sense of the hilarious, and powerful singing and subject matter. As singer, songwriter, recording artist, keynote speaker, workshop leader, and instructor, David has earned top honors at premier songwriter competitions – Kerrville (TX) and Falcon Ridge (NY) – and taken his music, experience, and expertise to a wide variety of venues in this and other countries full-time for more than two decades.
Song Circle
Share a song, lead a song, request a song, or listen as we go round the circle. Song Circle is free and open to all who wish to participate. Bring your own instrument, borrow one, or just sing.
All levels Welcome!
Perennial favorite Chuck Pyle will be in town on Friday May 15 to do a house concert at the Pereira’s. The show starts at 8 PM and admission is $18 for CFS members and $20 for nonmembers. Admired as a sly humorist and an innovative guitarist, Chuck Pyle has performed for the Colorado Legislature, on Austin City Limits, and at Bill Gates’ home. He’s had his songs recorded by John Denver, Chris LeDoux, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band & Jerry Jeff Walker. He sees what’s best about America, writing songs about love lost & love found, forgetful cowboys, heroic highway patrolmen, and brain stems gone “critical”.
He is an accomplished guitarist with a warm and welcoming voice. He has performed in Corvallis many times and his concerts are really entertaining- with great stories and songs that make you laugh, keep you thinking, and many that make you want to get on your horse and ride the open range.
Pyle’s latest CD, COVER STORIES, is a collection of tunes by some lesser-known songwriters – like Pete & Lou Berryman, Walt Wilkins, Lynn Miles and Hayes Carll – whose work has been admired by other songwriters for years. These are 12 well-crafted songs beautifully rendered in 12 great performances by Chuck Pyle with his innovative Chuck Pyle Finger-Style, accompanied by side-kick, Gordon Burt on fiddle, and Don Richmond on steel guitar, dobro & mandolin.
“Chuck Pyle’s songs, playing and singing are transporting. If you’re looking for top-flight alt-country-inflected contemporary folk… this is it.” – Sing Out!
“Pyle was one of my favorite songwriter discoveries of this year. Every song lover in town should make it a point to seek out this man’s music.” – Music Row Magazine
To reserve a space and get directions, send an email to cherep@comcast.net (or, if an email won’t work, call 541-753-9224).
The Nettles
Laura Brophy – fiddle;
Kevin Johnsrude – guitars;
Michael Proctor – bass;
Brian Bucolo – percussion;
The Nettles are well-known on the West Coast for their original approach to contra dance music. Playing traditional music from all over the world, The Nettles create a strong rhythmic groove under soaring improvisations. Rhythmic drive and melodic fluidity allow The Nettles to propel contra dances into the stratosphere. .
Kelsey Hartman
Since I am a “contraholic,” I can often be found any given weekend dancing or calling a contra dance. My inspiration for calling comes from Frannie Marr, who got me thinking that there was life in contra off the dance floor, and Nils Fredland, whose callers’ workshop at American Week (BACDS) in 2012 spurred me down the caller’s path.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
Potluck: 5:30 pm; Host: Diane Arney, 770 Lookout Drive. The annual CFS membership meeting will coincide with the pre-dance potluck.
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
Ralph Penunuri
Folksinger
Played in Marin County bands Fairfax Street Choir (Gospel Rock), Happy Valley (Progressive Folk); and in Corvallis, Oregon, played in Two Hits & a Ms. (Orig. Roots & Swing), Bon Ton Roulet (Cajun-Zydeco) and Inner Strength Gospel Quartet (Black Congregational style covers — Blind Boys of Alabama, Dixie Hummingbirds, etc…).
Played in front of thousands at UC Berkeley Amphitheater, San Francisco Cow Palace & Golden Gate Park Festivals. Played for just a handful too. Most memorable was SF Cow Palace with Fairfax Street Choir, opening for Crosby-Stills-Nash & Young.
Currently write, play, sit in with friends and host a monthly vocal jam in Corvallis, OR.
First and Third Sundays
The first Sunday of the month will be dedicated to Balkan dances and the third to Israeli.