PREVIEW: 45th Old Songs Festival Offers A Community Driven Alternative to Commercialized Festivals
6/27-6/29 @ Altamont Fairgrounds
“We forget how close we are sometimes. I believe that music heals, and I’m hoping it continues to spread.”
The ubiquity of festivals in modern times has become borderline overwhelming, with new ones popping up every year across the country boasting bigger and better lineups. The phrase “Take my money!” is standard fare among group chats with like-minded music fans hoping to avoid some major FOMO.
But in a world of corporate-backed festivals featuring oft-recycled lineups, it’s the local grassroots ones that stand out, especially when they have a track record as impressive as the Old Songs Festival. Returning for its 45th iteration this year at Altamont Fairgrounds, the three-day long festival prides itself on being a community driven endeavor with a relaxed and interactive atmosphere.
Executive Director Joy Bennett took time out of her busy schedule to provide some insight into the history of the festival and the organization behind it, including her own multifaceted involvement.
“This is my 33rd festival in one way or another,” she told me. “I started out as an audience person; I've been a performer at the festival. And then there was some rumor going around years ago that I was going to take over running it.”
In 2018, the rumors manifested and she took over after former Director Andy Spence retired. Her formidable resume deemed her the perfect candidate for the role.
“Part of the reason that I got this job is because I understand the various sides of the whole thing. I came from the corporate world, so I understand corporations. I understand business. I'm a performer. I understand the care and feeding of performers, and I understand organization.”
Treating people well—performers, crew members and audience members alike—is a tenet of any successful festival; Bennett’s experience and dedication delivers on that promise every year. The atmosphere of Old Songs harkens back to festivals of yore, before things got overly commercialized and – *ahem* – expensive. Bennett spoke of an artist from last year’s festival who remarked how much it reminded them of the festivals they would attend growing up (this is by design, as you’d probably guess).
Throughout the weekend, there are of course performances aplenty, but it’s the extracurriculars that truly set Old Songs apart. In addition to the nightly concerts, the festival exhibits a packed schedule of daytime educational workshops, dances, community singalongs and jam sessions which even encourage audience members to join. Also featured are craft, food and instrument vendors, and a children’s activity area to keep the next generation of folk musicians/fans happy. And that’s not even the only way Old Songs Festival involves them—school-age children who play an instrument are invited to participate in the ‘Great Groove Band’ with the help of a carefully curated team of music coaches.
“It is an integral part of the festival,” Bennett beams. “It's for kids five to 18. You get three days of instruction, and it culminates with a performance on the main stage on Sunday afternoon.”
The festival also prides itself on a geographically diverse lineup, having featured artists from all over the world on their stage. Bennett tells me they’ve hosted acts from Canada, Italy, Ireland and more, allowing audiences the chance to expand their worldviews both musically and personally. She recalls a particularly resonant performance from last year’s festival.
“We had a group called Les Arrivants, which was three guys: an Israeli, Palestinian, and another guy from the Middle East, but I don't remember the country. Just the fact that you put an Israeli in a Palestinian group, you can see the things we have in common as opposed to the things that are different.
“We forget how close we are sometimes. I believe that music heals, and I’m hoping it continues to spread.”
Organizing a festival of this magnitude is no easy feat. Old Songs Festival in particular would not be possible without the help of nearly 400 dedicated volunteers who believe in the organization’s mission of keeping traditional music and dance alive. It’s something they’ve been doing for almost 50 years and has not gone unnoticed by the local music scene: in April, the festival was nominated for two Eddies Awards, including Concert Series of the Year, and Presenter/Promoter of the Year for Bennett herself who was thrilled to be recognized for the first time.
Needless to say, it’s a festival unlike any other, and one that must be experienced to be truly understood. It’s a chance to not only expand one’s music palette, but to also unwind from the daily grind. And for musicians, it’s a perfect opportunity to engage with contemporaries and to even participate in some impromptu performance sessions.
“I've been to many festivals in my life,” Bennett says. “One of the reasons that I really started to love this one after being here one or two times was looking around and seeing as many performers in the audience who weren't there to perform as there were on stage, because they love being here. They love the atmosphere.”
For more information, including tickets and the full schedule, visit https://festival.oldsongs.org/.
To donate to Old Songs, Inc.—a nonprofit organization—visit https://givebutter.com/oldsongsappeal
