YARMOUTH — North Yarmouth Academy, 317 Main Community Music School and Portland Ovations are partnering to present the first annual Maine Acoustic Festival April 4 through 6.
The event brings together talented Maine middle school and high school students for an intensive three-day festival of workshops and rehearsals focused on the traditional acoustic music styles of bluegrass, old-time American, Franco-Acadian, and Irish with an additional category for singer/songwriters.
Thirty-one students were selected during statewide auditions held in December. The following students from the Freeport/Brunswick/ Georgetown area were selected: Bennett Brainard, Freeport, mandolin, old time; Perrin Davidson, Freeport, banjo, bluegrass; Sally Jarmusz, Georgetown, harp, Irish; Claire Maurer, Freeport, fiddle, Irish; Max Maurer, Freeport, guitar, bluegrass; and Finn Woodruff, Brunswick, fiddle, bluegrass.
The student musicians will meet in Yarmouth April 4 to 6 to work in ensembles led by three nationally prominent special guest artists: Tony Trischka, Darol Anger and Michael Daves.
Trischka is regarded as one of the most influential banjo players and teachers of the past 35 years and has performed with everyone from Bill Monroe to the Boston Pops. Violinist and Berklee College music professor Darol Anger has helped drive the evolution of the contemporary string band through his versatile musical style which incorporates bluegrass, jazz and world folk idioms. Brooklyn based guitarist Michael Daves has garnered attention for his work with Steve Martin, Tony Trischka and Roseanne Cash in addition to a very well received CD of duets with mandolin player Chris Thile of The Punch Brothers.
The 2013 Maine Acoustic Festival faculty is rounded out by 317 faculty member Matt Shipman (bluegrass), Mike Block (bluegrass), Christian “Junior” Stevens (Irish), Lauren Rioux (old time), Don Roy (Franco-Acadian), and Joyce Andersen (singer/songwriter).
The festival will culminate with a Student Showcase performance on Saturday, April 6, at 4 p.m. at Hannaford Hall on the University of Southern Maine campus in Portland. Tickets are $10 and available online and at the door.
Following the Student Showcase will be a concert by Tony Trischka: The Banjo Project at 8 p.m. at Hannaford Hall. Tickets are $38, $35 and $10, and are available through Portland Ovations.
Student deal and member tickets are not available online. To purchase these tickets, call PortTIX at 842- 0800 or visit the PortTIX Box Office at Merrill Auditorium.
Both performances are open to the public.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
