Preaching Maine's Community Music gospel in Idaho

I had fun playing contra dance music and soaking in hot springs in Idaho last weekend, with the great Maine Fiddler Ed Howe. Maine is known around the country for great contra dance bands and it this is one of our chief musical exports, along with country singer Dick Curless, the Shaker song "Simple Gifts", David Mallet's "Inch by Inch, Row By Row" aka The Garden Song, and Sea Shanties and Sea Songs from Johanna Colcord and singers like Gordon Bok.

One of my favorite things to do at dance weekends like this- where anywhere from a few dozen to hundreds or even a thousand dancers come together for epic 12-18 hour days of traditional and modern contra dancing- is to lead a singing workshop. I did that here on Saturday afternoon and we talked about Bagaduce Music's collection of songs, in particular its sea shanty and shaker song collections.