The Focal Point

Summer 2008

Dexter Ardoin & the Creole Ramblers - zydeco dance party

Come to the zydeco! Accordionist Dexter Ardoin will play a house dance at Focal Point with the Creole Ramblers from Scott, Louisiana. The Ardoin family has played a key part in the development of both Cajun and zydeco music for several generations. They have traveled the world to perform their music & share their rich musical heritage. Dexter will be joined by Reoland Anderson on rub board, June Barfield on bass & Jamyric Sonnier on drums. His latest CD release, "What You Come to Do" should be answered by, "I've come to dance!" You won't be able to resist when the music compels your feet to move.
A dance lesson will precede the dance at 8:00pm.
Space will be limited so purchase your tickets in advance to assure your spot on the dance floor.
$17 in advance / $20 at the door

Spencer Bohren

Spencer lives in New Orleans, and he plays the slide guitar. His gospelsinging parents provided the foundation for a musical style and career that remain healthy after more than four decades. Like all of the Bohren children, Spencer learned to sing the third above the melody around the same time he learned to speak in sentences. And in the ’50s, with Hank Williams and Elvis Presley on the airwaves, he spent hours gathered around a piano, singing with the family choir. Spencer says, “My mother didn’t have boys and girls. To her we were sopranos, altos and tenors.” Like many whose first language is music, Spencer sings and plays with an ease and natural grace that will charm you, catch you up in the story and the melody, and make you happy. Come on both nights, different themes will make it extra fun!
$15 in advance; $17 at the door.

www.spencerbohren.com

Bill Morrissey

This New England songwriter’s astute lyrical gifts and graceful, understated melodies have put him on festival stages across the world; into theatres, concert halls, and coffeehouses; garnered much critical acclaim. Bill has created quite a body of work, a collection of finelyhoned songs that match his economy of lyric and melody with a writer’s gift for storytelling. His empathetic knack for capturing the harshness and small sadness of the characters in his songs is tempered by his wry sense of humor, leaving the listener with a smile. Over the course of his long career, two of Bill Morrissey's ten albums have received Grammy nominations and several have earned 4-star reviews in major national publications. Join us as we welcome Bill and his return to our Focal Point stage!
$15 in advance; $17 at the door.

www.billmorrissey.net

Piperlink — A Multi-Media Performance

The uilleann pipes have become the iconic instrument in Irish music. With their unique tone and rich complexity, the pipes have had a profound influence on Ireland’s musical heritage. The legacy of the master pipers of the past and the sound of the pipes themselves continue to shape the evolution of Irish traditional music. But what do we really know about this mysterious and fascinating instrument? How often do we hear a listener say 'I really love the uilleann pipes' without knowing that much about them? The instrument has been central to so much well-known and popular Irish music, from The Chieftains to Planxty to Riverdance: why? How do they work? Are they really Irish? And why, if more conventional instruments like the flute, the fiddle, and the accordion abound, do the pipes have such a profound influence on traditional music?

Direct from Ireland, Piperlink now gives you a chance to really understand this beguiling instrument. Presented by Na Píobairí Uilleann (the association of uilleann pipers based in Dublin, Ireland) Piperlink will not only include performances by some of Ireland's leading pipers, but will also give you a chance to interact with the players and the instrument.

Following an audio visual introduction and a demonstration to show how the pipes work, piping expert Seán Donnelly will conduct an entertaining talk on the history of the instrument, navigating a clear path through the development of the pipes, their evolution, different styles of piping, the great players and the famous 'piping' tunes. Piperlink doesn’t stop there. We will also invite you to try out a practice set of pipes and participate in an extensive question and answer session about all aspects of piping.Other topics will include pipers from your locality, modern musical innovations using the pipes, and their use in the accompaniment of songs and in ensembles.

This original artistic experience will be introduced by one of Ireland's best known traditional singers, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, who will also perform some of the songs associated with the pipes. The piping performances will be given by leading exponents Tommy Keane and Gay McKeon.

See their flyer Piperlink

www.pipers.ie

Donate for Katrina Survivors

Donate a musical instrument and keep the music playing! Music for Lifelong Achievement will give you a tax deduction for its value and get the instrument to disadvantaged students in New Orleans or displaced Gulf Coast students in St. Louis schools.

New Orleans Musicians Clinic (NOMC)

This is a fantastic hands-on organization that has the names and addresses of so many great musicians because they have them all coming to their FREE health clinic all these years and now. They are the ones who are tracking down the local musicians and finding them shelter. The New Orleans Musicians Clinic is determined to keep Louisiana Music Alive! It is our beacon to soothe our souls. We want to relocate our New Orleans musicians into the Lafayette/ Acadiana community where they can remain a life force! But most of them have lost everything... we must help them rebuild their lives. They can't access any of their NOMC accounts. They desperately need money to fund these efforts.
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They can be contacted at musiciank@swlahec.com
Contact: Kathy Richard directly at 337-989-0001

Send donations to:
NOMC Emergency Fund
funds will be distributed by:
SW LA Area Health Education Center Foundation, Inc.
103 Independence Blvd.
Lafayette, LA 70506
desk: 337-989-0001
fax: 337-989-1401
e-mail: finance@swlahec.com
http://www.swlahec.com/