Gina Forsyth
Gina Forsyth is a singer/songwriter, violinist, and guitarist from New Orleans. She is known and loved for her songwriting and fiddling. Her first solo CD, You Are Here, was released nationally on Waterbug Records in 2001. Her new CD, Promised Land, released on Waterbug in February 2012, was one of the Top 10 CDs on the Folk DJ List in 2012 (#9). Gina has also appeared on two CDs with the Malvinas, i’m not like this (2002) and Love, Hope + Transportation (2004), and numerous fiddle tracks with countless other artists.
Ferron
Ferron, born Debby Foisy, is a Canadian folk singer/songwriter and poet. In addition to being one of Canada’s most famous folk musicians, she is one of the most influential writers and performers of women’s music, and an important influence on later musicians such as Ani DiFranco, Mary Gauthier and the Indigo Girls.
Ferron’s rough-hewn voicing, chewy phrasing, and poetic songwriting have brought many favorable comparisons, including Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen (cf. Stephen Holden 1994). One wit aptly summed up Ferron’s legendary status by calling her “the Johnny Cash of lesbian folk singing” (Bett Williams 2000). The reviewer Al Kaufman (2008) put the well-meaning comparisons to rest, finally, when he wrote, “Ferron is much more than the answer to the trivia question, ‘What if Bob Dylan had been born a Canadian lesbian?’ For one thing, unlike her nasal counterpart, Ferron’s voice is rich and beautiful. Yet like Dylan, Ferron is a poet who is able to convey emotion without becoming maudlin, and beliefs without edging toward the pedantic. Like the great artist that she is, she paints a picture and has the listeners derive from it what they will, based on their own personal experiences.” “Ferron … is a real salt of the earth singer who approaches her art with both sleeves rolled up, ready to dive in. She walks her talk with heart exposed and performs with a courage and commitment that few other artists ever muster. The songs don’t sound composed and sung as much as they feel wrung from the sweat and toil of hard fought experience. In Ferron’s world, the contents of her songs appear as if they’re lived out on the canvas of her life and not just inside the confines of her art…when she sings, no one can miss the gravity and weight inferred by her commanding alto voice” (Heselgrave 2008).
emma’s revolution
“Boasting gorgeous close harmonies and unsinkable tunefulness, Emma’s Revolution (the Emma is Goldman) is a classic, globetrotting folk duo comprised of activist singer/songwriters Sandy O. and Pat Humphries. Their music is progressive, socially-conscious, confrontational and shot-through with intelligence and cutting humor; their songs have been sung for the Dalai Lama, covered by Holly Near and they count the great Pete Seeger among their admirers. Newest disc ‘Revolutions Per Minute’ is a front-to-back gem.” -Iowa City Press-Citizen
Smart, funny and informative–like Rachel Maddow and Jon Stewart with guitars. emma’s revolution is the duo of award-winning activist musicians, Pat Humphries & Sandy O. Called “Inspiring, gusty and rockin’”, the duo is celebrating the release of their third cd, “Revolutions Per Minute,” an electrifying soundscape of “rousing and soulful” songs of social conscience, in settings from intimate acoustic to full-on funk. Grand Prize winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, the duo’s songs create new standards in the art of social justice. Their songs “Peace, Salaam, Shalom” & “Keep on Moving Forward” are sung around the world, and their music has been featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and Pacifica’s “Democracy Now!”
Pat and Sandy are partners in life, love & justice. In the spirit of Emma Goldman’s famous attribution, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution,” emma’s revolution brings their uprising of truth, hope and a dash of healthy irreverence to concerts and peace & justice, environmental, LGBT & women’s rights, immigration & human rights, and labor events around the world. Based in the Washington DC area, emma’s revolution has performed at more than a thousand events throughout the US and abroad. Join the revolution!
Ellis
Her fans describe her as not only a talented folk musician, but also as a supportive friend who offers encouraging words and humor alongside her compelling songs. She leaves audiences better than she finds them, with softened edges & opened hearts. With songs that capture deep wisdom as well as a childlike playfulness and joy, Ellis’ music is being spread across the globe by fans who are so moved that they have to share it others.
A native of Texas, Ellis moved to Minneapolis at the age of 16, where she quickly built a local following that blossomed into a nationwide presence, with extensive touring and seven albums released in the last sixteen years. In addition to selling more than 40,000 copies of her CDs independently, Ellis has accrued a wealth of accomplishments including winning the 2011 Midwest Regional Round of the Mountain Stage New Song contest, and the 2009 Just Plain Folks Best Female Singer Songwriter Award. She also received Top 5 recognition in the Telluride Troubadour Song Contest and the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Song Contest was voted “Most Wanted To Return” at both the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and Sisters Folk Festival.
Lisa Downing
Lisa is a multiple award winning, international concert artist who is re-defining the genre of solo piano. Your soul will be touched , your memories revived, and your deepest thoughts can be heard as you listen to Lisa expressing shared human experiences through her heartfelt and technically impressive original compositions.
Lisa is a compelling storyteller as she describes the inspiration for the music she writes for piano. She performs all over the world with performers such as Liz Story, David Lanz, Suzanne Ciani, and Peter Kater, to name a few. From Spain to Argentina to right here in the United States, Lisa’s audiences are entranced by her intense music that describes our lives!
For more information about Lisa Downing, Vision Quest Entertainment (303-979-7011).
Cathy DeWitt
Cathy DeWitt is a composer, arranger, vocalist, pianist, guitarist, and harp therapist. She is the Musician-in-Residence at the world-renowned Shands Arts in Medicine program, where she uses music to transform the hospital experience. She has been a Unity Music Director and touring New Thought musician and speaker for over twenty years, working with Revs. Sharon Connor, Marciah McCartney, Peggy Hostetler, Mary Masters, and more. She has been a guest musician and speaker at churches and spiritual retreats throughout the country, and has provided music for Alan Cohen, Marianne Williamson, Wayne Dyer and others. Her songs published in Unity Association songbooks include “Spirit of Spring (Joy Chant),” “Sweet Spirit,” and “For the Pure in Heart,” and her song “Everybody’s Somebody’s Child” was a finalist in the Posi-Awards video category in 2012. Her original melody for James Dillet Freeman’s “Prayer for Protection” is used at many Unity churches, and is available on her latest recording, “The Traveler: New Music to the Words of James Dillet Freeman,” which is a collaboration across space and time with the poet laureate of the Unity movement. A professional musician for many years, Cathy is a jazz vocalist as well as a bluegrass and folk musician. Growing up in a musical family, she always felt a sense of responsibility to go along with this gift of music, and after playing at countless benefits and writing songs for numerous causes, playing in the hospital and joining the Positive Music movement has been a natural evolution.
Bil Cusack
Bil Cusack started music lessons at age 8 in his hometown Chicago, and by age 11 was the youngest member of a local band. Throughout life he has played guitar, saxophone, piano, vocals and been an arranger. The songs on Speak With Your Life came at a time when he wanted to express lessons learned on the spiritual path. Bil is married with a son and daughter, works as a piano technician in concert production, and directs music at a Unitarian Universalist Church.
Steve Crump
Steve Crump, jazz vocalist and UU minister, from Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, was born in Bloomington, Illinois, and comes from a musical family in which he and his four siblings each played a band instrument. Living now in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he conducts a popular Jazz Worship Service the Sunday before Labor Day, and has done so for 30 years.
Steve is lead vocalist for Relationship Jazz, a concept album of original jazz tunes and lyrics that examines the relationship themes of our lives. Steve is songwriter and vocalist on the project. Pianist-arranger Mike Esneault led the combo of horns and rhythm section in a New Orleans studio session on the west bank of the Mississippi River –before Hurricane Katrina hit the region.
CD or lyrics and lead sheets are available by contacting Steve Crump directly at: Minister@UnitarianChurchbr.com or 225.751.3207.
Lui Collins
Lui Collins, folksinger/songwriter, has been performing, writing and recording since the 1970s, earning international recognition for her music and releasing several highly-acclaimed recordings, on Philo, Green Linnet, her own Molly Gamblin Music, and Waterbug. A native Vermonter, Collins’ early music education included classical studies on piano, violin and French horn, followed by music theory studies at the University of Connecticut. While these formal studies provided a solid foundation for her music, folk music has been her inspiration and her path.
The Boston Globe has described Lui as “one of New England’s first and brightest stars,” and Sing Out! Magazine calls her “incomparable.” Renowned guitarist Dave van Ronk called her “one of the best guitarist-arrangers I have heard in years.” Michael Devlin of Music Matters Review wrote: “…there are relatively few artists who are bringing a traditional sensibility to modern songwriting, and in the process creating new traditional music. Lui Collins is among the barefoot royalty of this group…”
In 2003, after training with the international early-childhood music program Music Together, Lui founded the educational branch of her work, now called Lui Collins’ Upside-Up Music. Along with teaching Music Together and her own curriculum for older children, Kids’ Jam, Lui’s current focus is on adapting this 8-season traditional music based curriculum for use by homeschooling families – and others – with lower elementary-aged children.
For concert schedule, recordings, and more information see www.luicollins.com.
Richard Bruxvoort Colligan
Richard has a strange and wonderful job: he makes songs for people to sing together.
A full-time freelancing composer, Psalmist, retreat leader and concert performer, he is committed to what he calls “adventurous and imaginative songs for the ever-evolving church.” Across Christian denominations and global faith traditions, Richard helps communities voice their heart.
Richard’s degree in Theology and the Arts and his experience as a spiritual director weave together a leadership style that is inviting, generous and empowering. His songs have been published by the UU, UCC, ELCA, UMC and PCUSA traditions.
Be welcome at Worldmaking.net and PsalmImmersion.com to connect with his music. Richard enjoys life with his wife Trishy and son Sam in Strawberry Point, Iowa.
