Content

• Michael & Carrie Kline will join May 6 Song & Story Swap in Amherst and over Zoom
• Remembering Lou Wigdor

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Michael & Carrie Kline will join hybrid May 6 Song & Story Swap

Please come share in an evening of music and stories at the Pioneer Valley Folklore Society Song & Story Swap.

Viewers may also watch the event via YouTube Livestream beginning at 7pm ET on May 6.

The featured performer at the May 6 hybrid Song & Story Swap will be musical folklorists Michael & Carrie Kline.

Michael and Carrie Kline have a long-respected tradition in the folklore and music worlds. They are recipients of several fruitful fellowships that have supported important and unique recordings. This top-notch research comes out on stage, captivating their audiences and stirring the emotions.

From the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia to the vibrant colorful fabric of the Pioneer Valley, Michael and Carrie Kline have immersed themselves in the oral tradition, and enlightened those fortunate enough to hear them.

The Klines met in Western Massachusetts and became forces in promoting the local folk scene. Michael served as staff folklorist for the Pioneer Valley Folklore Society while Carrie embarked on a radio project to document the local expressive culture.

The couple then ventured to Wheeling, WV and spent three decades studying and interpreting the songs and oral histories of Applachia.

Now returned to the Valley and living in Sunderland, Michael and Carrie Kline continue to bring concerts and classes developed through lifelong careers as folklorists to appreciative audiences. Don't miss them at the May 6 Song & Story Swap in Amherst and online.

Learn more about Michael & Carrie and their work at www.folktalk.org.

This month’s opening round theme is Musical Instruments

The May 6 Song & Story Swap has returned to an in-person format at First Church, 165 Main St. in Amherst, Mass. The event will also be conducted as a Zoom online meeting. To register for the event please go to https://pvfs.us/register-for-swap or visit https://pvfs.us and click on the "Register" button at the top of the page.

Looking ahead to next month, on June 10, 2023 Song & Story Swap will present the return of Acoustic Beatles Night which serves as our annual fundraiser. Come prepared to perform a song by or related to The Beatles, or just to listen. Watch our website for details.

The Song & Story Swap is held on the first Saturday of each month, excepting July and August, and is organized by the Pioneer Valley Folklore Society. Visit the Folklore Society website at pvfs.us.

The Song & Story Swap is open to the public, free of charge with donations accepted ($5 - $10 is suggested). Donations to the featured performer may be made securely via credit card or Paypal at https://pvfs.us/donate.

People of all ages gather to share stories and songs that are traditional, newly written, or of personal experiences. You can tell, sing, or lead everyone in singing, or request a song or story. Listeners are welcome.

For information contact Paul Kaplan, (413)-687-5002 or visit https://pvfs.us.

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Remembering Lou Wigdor

The Pioneer Valley Folklore Society has lost a dear friend in Lou Wigdor who passed away in February.

A professional writer and incomparable connoisseur of music of all genres, Lou became familiar to readers of this newsletter through his regular commentaries and concert reports, Lou's Reviews. He showcased his unique and sometimes madcap style in a popular blog that he called Wig and Pen: Excursions in Lateral Thinking From Amherst, Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley.

A particularly important contribution to the history of the local folk music scene was Lou's writeup of his backstage interview of Taj Mahal, Chasin' the Taj.

Rest in Peace, Lou.

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