FRAA to offer ongoing ‘Writers on the River’ workshops
FLORENCE — Get ready for another
year of exciting literary events at the
Florence Regional Arts Alliance (FRAA)
with “Writers on the River.”
The monthly creative writing program
will feature inspiring workshops for writ-
ers of all levels and genres Jan. 16, Feb.
20 and March 19, at the FRAA Art Center,
120 Maple St. in Old Town.
The fun begins on Saturday, Jan. 16,
from 10 a.m. to noon, with the “2016
Writing Boot Camp.” An experiential
immersion into the craft and discipline of
Music
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Edwards scored a massive Top 5 hit
with the catchy and defiant protest song
“Sunshine (Go Away Today)” in 1971.
Ten additional local, regional, and
nationally-known artists, five each day,
will fill the stage with a series of con-
certs beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday
and Sunday.
These include Crow and the Canyon,
Cabin Fever NW, John Craigie, Ian
McFeron, True North, Bob Haworth, and
the popular contemporary folk music duo
Pretty Gritty. Siuslaw High School grad-
uate Billy Jones, an up-and-coming
singer; and singer/songwriter Molly
Hardin, round-out the line-up.
The Friday (8:30 to 11:30 p.m.) and
Saturday (9 p.m. to midnight) no-host
public jam sessions at Pier Point Inn
return this year too.
Festival ‘transports’ students
through centuries of immigration
For the 14th year in a row, the Friends
of the Florence Events Center’s Winter
Music Festival Kids’ Concert turns the
FEC’s auditorium into a good old-fash-
ioned, raise-the-roof, kid-friendly hooten-
anny.
Florence mayor Joe Henry will serve
as host and emcee to nearly 900 school
children on Thursday, Jan. 14.
As part of the annual two-day, 12-band
extravaganza that is the Florence Winter
Music Festival, students in first through
fifth grade from Florence, Mapleton and
Reedsport will be transported back in by
time the performances of The Trail Band,
an Oregon-based eight-piece ensemble
that features songs from the various eth-
nic and cultural groups who have settled
over the centuries in what is now
Oregon.
creative writing, the workshop will help
writers: Define their writing goals and
projects for the New Year; remove the
wall blocking the writer within; invigorate
their prose with tools to fuel their creativ-
ity; get back in the flow and stay there;
Turbocharge their words with simple revi-
sion tips
Workshops fill up quickly, so pre-regis-
tration is suggested. Cost is $20 for FRAA
members or $25 for nonmembers, payable
at the door.
Writers on the River also provides an
ongoing group open to all writers seeking
the time, space and support for their writ-
ing.
Register by calling 541-708-2120 or
email CJReditor@gmail.com.
Classes will be taught by award-win-
ning writer, editor, journalist and colum-
nist Catherine J. Rourke, who brings more
than 30 years’ staff experience at daily
newspapers, national magazines and
major publishers.
Educated at the City University of New
York, Oxford University and the Walter
Cronkite School of Journalism, she has
served as a contractual book editor and
jacket cover copywriter for Amazon and
Random House, in both print and digital
formats.
The former New Yorker now resides in
Florence where she is writing a memoir
about her adventures as an investigative
reporter titled “And Forgive Us Our Press
Passes.”
For more information about FRAA, call
541-999-0859 or visit www.fraaoregon
.org.
“I first heard The Trail Band in
In addition, the Friends of the
2000 during a concert at the FEC
FEC pays for a music teacher to
and thought, ‘We’ve got to get our
travel to Mapleton to teach the
local school kids in to hear this,
music in a formal setting. In the
and give them a top-quality edu-
integrated process, every student
cational concert in a real theater,’”
has a chance to create a piece of
says Pearson.
art which will then decorate the
The two performances, each for
auditorium walls.
more than 450 kids, are by invita-
A full weekend pass is $45 and
tion only to students, teachers, and
includes Saturday and Sunday day
their official chaperones.
passes for all concerts, and admis-
Pearson said the concerts pro-
sion to the Jonathan Edwards and
vide a chance for each child to
Shook Twins concert.
feel special and valued for their
Individual passes for Saturday’s
participation and effort while
or Sunday’s daytime concerts that
belonging to a larger, significant,
begin at 11 a.m. are $12.50 for
school-wide event.
each day.
“These students are not only
Individual tickets for the Shook
hearing lively tunes, they are hap-
Twins and Jonathan Edwards con-
pily absorbing history, folklore,
cert are $28.
rhythms, and ideas from cultures
More information, including
all over the world,” says Pearson.
concert schedules, artist profiles,
“All the singing, clapping, and
and ticket prices for the Winter
laughing to traditional folk songs
Music Festival, are available
serve to enrich learning.
through WinterMusic Festival.org.
Combined with songs from other
Event sponsors and underwrit-
countries and watching examples
ers include: Nan Osbon, Art and
of native Umatilla and Yakima
Jean Koning (Terrace Homes),
tribes’ ceremonial dress and
Grocery Outlet, The River House
dance, students get an integrated
Inn and The Old Town Inn,
cultural and art experience they
Driftwood Shores, Pier Point Inn,
wouldn’t otherwise receive. It has
Waterfront Depot, the City of
a contagious, exponential effect
Florence, SEAcoast Entertainment
on learning.”
Association board members, the
COURTESY PHOTO
Pearson said the cooperation of
Oregon Community Foundation,
the teachers is what transports the Jonathan Edwards is a singer-songwriter in a league the Mapleton Community
Kids Concerts beyond a simple
with James Taylor, Carole King and Jim Croce, and Foundation, the Kiwanis Club of
music experience.
Florence, Ladies of the Elks,
delivers songs of passion, insight and humor.
“Teachers prepare students for
Trillium Community Health Plan,
Dietrich, Siuslaw Elementary’s music
the concert by investing classroom time
Coast Radio KCST/KCFM, the Siuslaw
teacher, incorporates the music into her
in reading song lyrics, map study,
News, Oregon Coast Magazine, Eugene
classroom curriculum; and Lynn
research on peoples and populations,
radio stations KLCC and KRVM, Maire
Anderson’s Siuslaw Indian Education
doing related art projects, and more,”
Testa, Frank and Florence Williams, and
explains Pearson. “Every teacher receives students will perform the Intertribal
in memory of Art and Ann Rule.
Happy Dance on stage with The Trail
a CD of The Trail Band’s music for
Also, special thanks go to the Siuslaw,
Band.”
classroom use. For example, Deb
Mapleton and Reedsport schools.
J AN U A RY 2 0 1 6 • A r ts & E nt er t ai n m en t • C OAST C ENTRAL •
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