The Last Dance Kickstarter

HOORAY! Folk Americana Family Band, The Hollands! are back in the studio, recording, The Last Dance, slated for release Sept 2018.

As a family and as a band, we have been following our calling to be conduits of creativity and kindness for nearly a decade and it is our greatest honor and privilege to share “The Last Dance,” our 4th full-length album.

The name is no coincidence, with the younger Hollands! beginning to launch out on their own, the name not only ties all of the lyrical themes together on the album but resonates with this season in our lives.

The Last Dance is our most diverse and comprehensive album thus far. The album comprises of twelve songs, written over the last five years featuring stories of true love, life and death, family, a sense of home or safety, and more love. The final track is the infamous Celtic song we play at the end of most of our performances, “The Blessing”, which was written by our mate, Sammy Horner.

Recorded over 7 days in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia with recording engineer, Chris Gillespie at his off-grid, solar powered, Blue Sky Recording Studios.

The musicality of The Last Dance holds to the essence of The Hollands! Folk Americana sound with beautifully woven harmonies and core instrumentation of Guitar, Cajon, Mandolin, Banjo, Piano, and Ukulele. However, in true Holland fashion, we’ve invited an all-star cast to join us on this album!

Let us introduce our kinfolk,

The Players:

Our dear friend and famed blues guitarist, Cameron Henderson added a few licks on the Gretsch hollow body, giving a few tracks that extra dose of effervescence

 

Our recording engineer, Indie Singer/Songwriter, Chris Gillespie set the tone on the Bass and added a bit of sunshine on the Dobro

 

Colleen Davick has showcased on three of The Hollands! albums and this time is no exception. Colleen adds her fine Penny Whistle expertise on The Blessing

 

Jeffrey Niemeier has toured with us on and off over the last three years. This is his 700th recording and we are very excited to have his fireball fiddling on The Last Dance. Photo by Adrianne Adelle

 

Composer and long time friend, Jeff Kurtenacker laid down an epic Hammond Organ track on one of the songs.

 

One of our favorite drummers of all time, Jason Torrens (of Cisco Caesar) added his drumming magic to The River and John Brown

Our visual artist:

Dalia Milan has had the fortune of being mentored by parents, John and Elli Milan, of Milan Art Institute. At 14, she has found her own unique voice among those in the world of fine art. We’re excited to partner with this young prodigy on The Last Dance

And YOU!

As you can see, we’ve assembled an amazing team of collaborators to make this project a success and our desire is to be able to compensate those artists for helping us fulfill our vision for The Last Dance.

This is where you are invited to join the fun! Your Pre-order and contributions not only help The Hollands! create a legacy through music but also supports a village of artists. You can do this by clicking HERE.

Our goal is to raise $6,700 USD. This will cover all of our basic recording/production/printing costs and allow us to care for those who have contributed.

Bringing something new and creative into the world is a deeply vulnerable thing to do, let alone to ask people to notice it, evaluate it, or pay for it. So, thank you for taking the time to consider partnering with us on the most important record of our career to date. We could not do this without you!

Love,

The Hollands!

 

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Shambhala In Your Heart

Two years ago we visited friends of friends in the Northern Thailand town of Pai. Once there we discovered not only the beauty of a new place but also sincere friendship at Shekina Gardens. We kept in touch with our new friends and recently reached out to them for a return visit. They told us about a 10-day festival called Shambhala in Your Heart, hosted by a Japanese community, based in Thailand. They said that the festival happens every February and suggested we join them there. We contacted the festival to inquire about performing and they accepted our proposal. Our friend and fellow bus rider, Jeffrey, contacted us and asked to join as well. He met us in Australia and we all flew over together.

We arrived in the small town of Chiang Dao on a warm Thursday afternoon and found our way to the festival grounds. We were greeted by the mighty, mist-shrouded Doi Luang mountain. Teepees and tents sprinkled the grounds, prayer flags blew in the breeze and happy hippies from around the globe frolicked in the stream. We met a new friend named Totto and asked her what Shambhala actually meant. She explained that in Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist traditions, Shambhala; is a mythical kingdom and suggested it was like being safe in the palm of the Buddha’s hand.

The days were filled with workshops in the arts, history, crafts, every kind of yoga that exists, sound therapy, and meditation. In fact, our friends from Shekina Gardens hosted a gentle and exploratory “Christ-centered” meditation every day in one of the Teepees. This was the first year they were invited to lead and we found the gesture to be quite progressive and affirming to our faith practice. It complimented the intercultural nature of the festival and enhanced what seemed to be a core ideology of an open and simple life for all, free from greed, destruction, and war.

One favorite workshop was about the history of the indigenous people, or the Ainu people in Japan. (Ainu” means “human”.)  Some attention was given to the plight of the Ainu people in Japan and how in 1899 Japan created a law that restricted the Ainu from participating in their own cultural activities. In other words, the Ainu people were stripped of their land, customs, and language in hopes that they would assimilate to Japanese culture. It wasn’t until 1997 that this law was lifted and the Ainu people were allowed to practice their own customs again. It was both enlighting and disheartening to learn of this considering the plight of our own indigenous friends in both Australia and the US and stirred in us an advocates heart. Most of the class, however, was on the rituals and beliefs of the Ainu people. We learned that they regard things that are useful to them or beyond their control as “kamuy”(gods). In daily life, they pray to and perform various ceremonies for the gods. We learned about the ancient practice of “stitching”. In this practice, Ainu women weave and elaborately decorate the traditional ceremonial clothing with symbols of the of the gods including “nature” gods, such as of fire, water, wind and thunder and “animal” gods, such as the bear or crow. Then we were given opportunities to learn the craft of stitching ourselves. It was a fascinating and inspiring way to spend an afternoon.

Another fun activity was just a short walk down the road to the sulfur hot springs. It was free to the public and offered a variety of tubs varying in temperature. Our new (10yr old) friend, David, from Russia, joined us one afternoon and we had a lively discussion about how much he loves fire. When I suggested he become a fireman when he grows up, he looked at me and said with disgust “I do not want to kill fire! I want to make fire big! Very big! I want to be fire!” Haha!! Watch out world!

In the evenings there was music, fire twirling, and dancing. At some point during the night, there were announcements. Three speakers took the stage, one spoke Japanese, one Thai, and one English. It was fascinating to watch them translate for one another. Most of the announcements had to do with interacting with and respecting the local village and culture; things like respecting the village by putting on more clothes (not cool to run around in bikini’s or shirtless in Thailand) or quiet hours starting at midnight. It was refreshing to watch these leaders setting a tone of humility and harmony by offering us wisdom to better interact with the local culture.

There were two performance stages. The kitchen stage ran during the afternoon and featured open mics, poetry, and spoken word. The main stage was in the middle of the grounds and ran in the evening from 5:30pm-midnight. The bands varied from singer/songwriters to full-on rock/reggae bands and most were from Thailand or Japan. There were also a handful of performance art/dance acts.

The Hollands! performed a rollicking set on a Wednesday night just as the sun was setting. We shared six songs and invited our friends Ro and Aya to join us on Morning Star, our last song. The crowd was enchanting as they danced, sang and encouraged us with their smiles. It was most certainly one of our favorite performance interactions. Besides our official performance, we also spent quite a bit of the festival jamming old bluegrass and folk tunes with other muso’s. Jeffrey really stood out at the festival with his mad violin skills! He was even invited to play a haunting set during the fire spinning show. It was fire and violin, quite the beautiful combination.

On a side note: We stayed at Koko Home. (There was camping at the festival but the cost to buy all the gear was about the same as staying at Koko’s, so we opted for comfort). We rented out the family room for four people, with a queen and bunks for about $1000TBT a night (That’s about $30USD) The room was clean and air-conditioned, which was refreshing as some of the days it got up to 98f. We also rented one moped from Koko and used it to shuttle back and forth. Koko and his family were amazing hosts. Koko spoke English well and invited all the guest, including us, to a home cooked meal and jam one of the nights. His wife made Khao Soi, which is a soup-like dish made with a mix of deep-fried crispy egg noodles and boiled egg noodles, pickled mustard greens, shallots, lime, ground chilies fried in oil, and meat in a curry-like sauce containing coconut milk. It is our new favorite and we will be looking for it on every Thia menu we can find it on!

PS. If you are keen to go to Shambhala in Your Heart and want more information on logistics,  Joanna’s “Blond Travels” blog was very helpful.

And be sure to like the festival’s facebook page.

The Making of One

From the Archives… Celebrating TEN YEARS!

"Jana Holland was given a rich heritage of song and spirit. Every Saturday afternoon for the first 15 years of her life, she would join her Grandmother at the local nursing home in Muskegon, Michigan, to sing hymns of old. As a teen, she was introduced to the world of performance, and recording by touring with Judy Price, her mother, mentor and gifted vocalist. 

Through these experiences Jana developed a deep desire to connect with others through song and began to write after having her daughter in 1996. In her writings she shares her life journey, offering an emotional, intellectual and spiritual response to deeply moving issues." ~CD Baby

In 2007 Mama Holland sat down with her guitar and recorded five heart songs. Run, Empathy, Keeper of Your Dreams, Sweet Little Baby and Windows. 

All of the songs were deeply personal and chronicle her journey out of the pit, foot set upon a new rock and a new song put in her mouth.

The name *One* came after an encounter she had at the zoo in Madison, WI. While there as a chaperon on a school trip, Jana had an interaction with a stranger. A woman and her son had been trailing behind the group all day and finally approached Jana at the end of the afternoon. The woman said that she had a divine message and wanted to know if Jana was keen to hear. She answered, “sure.” The woman told her that she was going to have a baby. Bursting into laughter, Jana responded, that the physical possibility for this prophecy was quite impossible. However, the woman continued on, stating that it wasn’t a physical baby but the birth of something that Jana had longed for, something creative. This resonated with Jana as she had a deep desire to record her heart songs but no idea how to do it. She left the encounter encouraged and excited for what might come regarding her dream. She though the name *One* was appropriate because it would hopefully be the first of many new creative babies.

A few months later, while sharing her dream to record, a fellow musician and sound engineer named Danny Lueck made a generous offer to help. He had access to all the necessary recording equipment and the expertise to guide her through. And so, the recording began.

Thinking back to the lady who had encouraged Jana, she smiled and from that moment on everything about the process was related to that of having a baby, from the CD art work, to making jokes about Danny being her doctor and the ladies in the office, her nurses. Even the process to produce a final product was laborious. Everything was done by hand from the burning of the disks to creating the hand-made packaging. Her mother and cousin were there by her side and even threw her a little shower to celebrate.

All up they hand crafted one hundred of the EP *One* and the songs were archived on CD Baby and put on to Youtube, Spotify, Apple Music, Etc…

 *One* is now TEN Yrs Old!

CLICK HERE to celebrate with us! Have a listen to Jana’s Experimental Folk / Lyrical / Healing & Easy Listening tunes. Let them wash over you and encourage you!

 

Tune My Heart To Sing Thy Grace

Grace doesn’t deny the existence of sin. Grace provides the remedy.

Come Thou Fount, one of the most famous hymns out there today. Set to the American Folk tune, Nettleton, it has been covered by David Crowder, Jars of Clay, Michael Card, Phil Wickham, Chris Tomlin and a million other worship bands. Even some of our favorite folkies like Sufjan Stevens and Mumford and Sons have covered the song.

I’ve always loved this hymn, but if I’m honest, I really have no idea what most of the lyrics mean. You know, with all the founts, fettering and Ebenezers, constraining and interposing… So, I thought I’d look up the history and come to find out the song was written by Robert Robinson in 1757 and is autobiographical in nature. Robinson writes the song as a confession of a proneness to wander away from the Lord. It is a song about repentance and redemption!

Those who have recorded Robinson’s story tell it this way. In his youth, Robert Robinson was apprenticed to a barber in London and was quite the party boy. One day he heard a sermon by a preacher named George Whitefield.  There was fire spewing from Whitefields lips as he spoke on the stern words of John the Baptist to the Jewish leaders of his day. “Brood of vipers!” He shouted, “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matt. 3:7). Anyway, during the sermon, the Spirit of God took hold of the wayward young man and he put his faith in Christ.

Associated with the Wesleys for a time, Robinson served as a pastor in several churches. He wrote a number of works on theology, and two hymns that we know of, ‘Mighty God, While Angels Bless Thee,’ and ‘Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.’ However, in his later years he drifted away from God rambling and stumbling back into his old pit.

Robert Cottrill, newspaper columnist, radio host, and long-time contributor to the Cyber Hymnal tells the rest of the story:

"Although Robinson was in broken fellowship with the Lord, that one day, the author was traveling in a stage coach. His only companion was a young woman unknown to him. In the providence of God, and not realizing who it was she spoke with, the woman quoted Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, saying what an encouragement it had been to her. And try as he might, Robinson could not get her to change the subject.

Finally, he said, with tears in his eyes, “Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who composed that hymn, many years ago. And I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I then had!” Gently, she replied, “Sir, the ‘streams of mercy’ are still flowing.”

He was deeply touched by that. As a result of the encounter he repented. His fellowship with the Lord was restored through the ministry of his own hymn, and a Christian’s willing witness."

The last stanza is often left out. It is my favorite:

O that Day when freed from sinning,
I shall see thy lovely Face;
Clothed then in blood-washed Linen
How I’ll sing thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransom’d Soul away;
Send thine Angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless Day.

May we continue to sing songs of repentance (sincere regret or remorse) and redemption (absolution) and may we find our comrade, Robert Robinson’s journey back to Jesus an encouragement of God’s faithfulness to us.

And, may we hold fast to the reminder that the author of Hebrews exhorts.

"Therefore, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also get rid of every weight and entangling sin. Let us run with endurance the race set before us, focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame; and He has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and lose heart.”
Hebrews 12:1-3 TLV

By the way,
Fount means; a source of a desirable quality or commodity.
Fetter is a chain or manacle used to restrain a prisoner, typically placed around the ankles.
And Eben-Ezer is from a reference from the book of Samuel and means stone of help

Sing it with me…

Five Years of Merrymaking

The Hollands! We are obviously more than just a band, we are a family. However, as we celebrate our five year anniversary of full-time travel, we thought it would be fun to take a look at all of the merrymaking our little family has made. 

Our children, Graciana and Banjo were 14 and 10 when we hit the road full-time but began performing with us well before. I can’t even imagine how many total shows they have already played at their young age, but the list below showcases approximately 90 shows a year since 2011, and displays the hard work of touring through the whole of the US, Canada, Australia, and SE Asia. Even more than that, every single one of these performances we had the honor of teaching and leading our favorite song “Old Man’s Town.”    

If you haven’t heard “Old Man’s Town” have a listen here. Video was recorded in 2014 at the Habanero Collective in Phoenix, AZ

The song was written in 2010 and originally appeared on our album Ashes to Beauty. However, the song quickly became our families heart song and appeared again as a more rollicking version on our 2013 release, Over Land and Leas. We are currently laying down tracks for a new project and the hope is to add another version of the song to that album.

“Old Man’s Town” is based on the Banjo Patterson Poem, ‘The Road to Old Man’s Town.’

The fields of youth are filled with flowers, 
The wine of youth is strong: 
What need have we to count the hours? 
The summer days are long. 
But soon we find to our dismay 
That we are drifting down 
The barren slopes that fall away 
Towards the foothills grim and grey 
That lead to Old Man's Town. 

And marching with us on the track 
Full many friends we find: 
We see them looking sadly back 
For those who've dropped behind 

But God forfend a fate so dread -- 
Alone to travel down 
The dreary road we all must tread, 
With faltering steps and whitening head, 
The road to Old Man's Town!

We had been doing an Australian folklore workshop and found the verse in one of Banjo Patterson’s books of poetry. The poem really struck a cord at the time as I had been working in nursing homes doing music therapy and was really taken by how important community was in our understanding of meaning and quality of life. At the same time, Craig and I were journeying thought a reconciliation process in our marriage and the poem just really hit home. The song showcases a sing along chorus that encourages our audience to see the value in each other, to push through the storms of relationship, to find the beauty in community, believing the ancient words, ‘that when one falls, we all fall and when one is honored, we are all honored.’ 

Sing my woes, sing my joys
Sing my friends, now don't be coy
Sing my sad and pretty song
Sing oh sing, oh sing along

We have lead this song at festivals and in more intimate gatherings to handfuls of kinfolk all willing to bellow out the chorus with us. Whether a large or small group, hearing others heartfelt voices in one accord has brought more joy than anything else on this musical journey.

Of course, we’ve had a few cherished moments that stand out including leading the song in our hometown venue, Kavarna, which we performed at the night before we left in the bus. We were covered in sweat from packing and getting the bus ready, and rushed over to Kavarna, set up the stage and together with all of our kinfolk we sang with bittersweet voices as the last note rang out.

Another of our favorites was in Chuck Parson’s basement in St. Louis MO. The crowd of kinfolk packed in and stood about two feet from us in a simi-circle. They danced and danced and sang their hearts out. Another would be at the last ever Cornerstone Festival in 2012 where 1000 or more kinfolk sang along, while our friends and former members of Seeds and Ballydowse joined us on stage. Then there was that time in Jesse and Janae’s backyard in Austin TX, under all of the twinkle lights and another time at the Fox Valley House in Appleton, WI when all the counselors from Camp Tekawitha came up on stage and sang with us. Speaking of Camp Tek, some of our fondest memories are of our Wednesday night sing-alongs. And, even that summer when we couldn’t make it, the campers still sang the song and our friend Eric sent us the video.

Teaching the song to our first French speaking crowd in Vann and Chantels barn in Quebec, CA was a blast and prepared us to teach it to all of our kinfolk in SE Asia. In fact, on of our favorite memories was leading the song in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma). We were playing on our hosts front porch, which opened to the busy street and many gathered around. We asked for a translator and a beautiful young woman stepped forward. She translated the lyrics and those standing there began to sing along with gusto. Then there were all the folk festivals in Australia, boy do folkies down under like to sing! And our kinfolk in Glenrowan, such a fun, rowdy bunch. Whew! Honestly, the list could go on and on!! 

I reckon, even if touring comes to a close, even if we never make another album, our family will keep singing this song, with whomever, and where ever the Spirit allows. 

And so, here’s a peak at our nearly 500 shows over the past five years. Have a gander, maybe you were at a few?

2016

Oct 2 Red Poles Mclaren Vale SA
Sept 30 Metro Mt. Gambier SA
Sept 29 Sianni's House Party Warrnambool VIC 
Sept 17 Rhys and Esthers Wedding Yackandandah VIC
Sept 11 Camperdown Rest Memorial Park NSW
Sept 10 The Factory Kirrawee, NSW
Sept 3 Kihilla, Lawson, NSW
Sept 1 House Concert Glebe, NSW
Aug 25 Lazy Bones Lounge Marrickville, NSW
Aug 14 Live-n-Lounge Macarther NSW
Aug 6 Hidden Valley Farm Ourimbah NSW
June 24 Selah Farm Mullumbimby NSW
June 10 SeeChange Community Jannalli, NSW
May 14 House Concert Gundaroo, NSW
May 13 Folk Session St Barnabas, Canberra, ACT
May 8 River City Albury, NSW
May 3 House Concert Glenrowan, VIC
April 29 Old Church on the Hill Bendigo VIC
Feb 20 Bonnie Doon Folk Festival Bonnie Doon VIC
Feb 12 Albert Park Folk Club Melbourne VIC
Feb 9 House Concert Glenrowan VIC
Feb 8 Euroa High School Euroa VIC
Feb 6 St. Leonards Winery VIC
Feb 5 Cocoa Collective Albury NSW
Jan 31 Zac's Place Harden NSW
Jan 29 Smith Alternative Canberra ACT
Jan 22 Humph Hall Sydney NSW

Jan 16 KCC Singapore 
Jan 10 Muditar Yangon Myanmar
Jan 2 Art in Chai Pai Thailand 

2015
Dec 23 Tamar Center Pattaya Thailand
Dec 11-13 Alongsiders Phnom Penh Cambodia
Dec 2 Red Apple School Phan Thiet Vietnam
Nov 28 Haven Bar Vung Tau Vietnam

AUSTRALIA TOUR
Nov 5-8 Bendigo Blues and Roots Festival Bendigo VIC
Oct 29 Barb's Kew House Concert Melbourne VIC
Oct 25 Concert in the Park Wodonga VIC
Oct 24 Court House Concert Series Yackandanda VIC
Oct 21 Nethercote Music Factory Nethercote NSW
Oct16-18 Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival NSW 
Oct 11 Illawara Folk Club Kiama NSW
Oct 10 Northern Beaches Music Festival Collaroy NSW
Oct 9 Kimandi House Concerts Port Maquarie NSW
Oct 4 Tintenbar Upfront Tintenbar NSW
Oct 3 The A&I Hall Bangalo NSW
Oct 1 Treehouse on Belongil Byron Bay NSW
Sept 25-27 Wallaby Creek Music Festival Rossville QLD

Sept 12 Mountain Vista Music Albuquerque NM
Sept 7 Golden Grace House Concert Golden CO
Sept 3 Kearney Public Library Kearney NE
Sept 2 5150 House Concert Des Moines IA
Aug 30 Phoenix Band Shell Delavan WI
Aug 27 Harbor Park Egg Harbor WI
Aug 23 GBCC Green Bay WI
Aug 21 Waukegon Library Waukegon IL
Aug 13 House Concert Milwaukee WI
Aug 10 Hackley Library Muskegon MI
Aug 9 C3 Grandhaven MI
Aug 7 Concert In The Park East Jordan MI
Aug 6 Courthouse Concerts Charlotte MI
July 18 Delorey Barn Severin De Beauce QC, CA 
July 14 Music on the Green Calais ME
July 9 Old Town Library Old Town ME
July 5 Community House Hamilton MA
July 3 Dover Free Library Dover VT
June 28 Grace and Truth Chapel Boston MA
June 26 Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center Middletown CT
June 23 Roots Cafe Brooklyn NY
June 20 Caffe Vivaldi Greenwich Village NY
June 17 Allentown Library Allentown PA
June 12 Harrisburg Improv Theatre Harrisburg PA
June 1 Music on the Steps Fredericksburg VA
May 30 Dante's Bar Frostburg MD
May 25 Savage River Farm Lonaconing MD
May 17 Chatham County Community Church Chaple Hill, NC
May 16 Hayes House Concerts Pittsboro NC
May 10 Feed and Seed Fletcher NC
May 9 Crooked Door Marion NC
April 19 Satellite Bar Bluegrass Jam Wilmington NC 
April 9 Dukes Wilmington NC
April 4 One Life Camp Winnabow NC
March 30 NTMH Sanford FL
March 28 Spring Beach Fest Melbourne FL
March 8 The Beach Church Pensacola FL
March 4 Music Camp Gulf Breeze FL
Feb 13 Island Folk Concerts South Padre Island TX
Feb 4 Zeplins Creative Gathering Austin TX
Jan 6 Fort Stockton Library Fort Stockton TX
Jan 4 Monterey Court Tuscon AZ 

2014
Dec 29 House Concert Phoenix AZ
Dec 21 Foothills Albuquerque NM
Dec 20 Burton House Concert Albuquerque NM
Dec 13 Jones Wedding Lafayette LA
Nov 24 MLF Thanksgiving Feast for the Homeless Austin TX
Nov 21 House Concert Round Rock TX
Nov 19 Vespers Service ARCH Austin TX
Oct 24 New World Deli Austin TX
Oct 4 St. Francis Celebration New Braunfels TX
Sept 25-28 SWRFA, Southwest Regional Folk Alliance Conference Austin TX
Sept 14 Sweetwater Bar Austin TX
Sept 6 Listening Session Lafayette LA
Aug 28 Caney High School Caney KS
Aug 26 Coffeyville Community College Coffeyville KS
Aug 19 House Concert Lexington KY
Aug 15 Waukegon Public Library Waukegon IL
Aug 13 Benefit Concert Milwaukee WI
Aug 9 Seaquist Orchards Door County WI
Aug 1 Gordon Lodge Bailey's Harbor WI
July 26 Packerland Concert on the Ledge De Pere WI
July 19 Fox River House Appleton WI
July 13 GBCC Green Bay WI
June 12-16 Steel Bridge Songfest Sturgeon Bay WI
June 9-11 Construction Zone Writers Camp Sturgeon Bay WI
June 8 Phoenix Band Shell Delavan WI
June 7 UUFD Dubuque IA
June 6 Anderson Barn Concert Mt. Vernon IA
June 6 Burlington Library Concert Series Burlington IA
June 1 Ox Cart Farm Bowling Green KY
May 16 Newell House Concert Austin TX
May 10 Under the Canopy Concert Series Dripping Springs TX
May 3 Two Rocks and a Hub Cap Santa Fe NM
April 27 Foothills Albuquerque NM
April 19 Front Porch Concerts Phoenix AZ
April 13 Prescott Public Library Prescott AZ

AUSTRALIA TOUR 
April 1 The Old Church on the Hill Bendigo VIC
March 30 Theatre Royal Brickyard Concert Series Castlemaine VIC
March 29 Kelly's Bar Olinda VIC
March 28 Ranges Concert Series Upway VIC
March 25 House Concert Glenrowan VIC
March 21-23 Yackendanda Folk Festival VIC
March 15 Fiddlehead Yinnar VIC
March 14 Surrender Conference Belgrave VIC
March 13 A Quiet Place Concert Series Castlemaine VIC
March 8 House Concert King Lake VIC
March 1 Gibson House Concert Eden NSW
Feb 26 Old Kirk House Yamba NSW
Feb 25 New Earth Tribe, Cloverdale House, Byron Bay NSW
Feb 22 Troubadour Folk Club Woy Woy NSW
Feb 16 Norwa Folk Club NSW
Feb 15 Illawarra Folk Club Wollongong NSW
Feb 14 Humph Hall Allambie Heights NSW
Feb 8 Daniels Wedding VIC 
Jan 16-19 Illawarra Folk Festival NSW 

2013 
Dec 19 Old Town Library Fort Collins CO
Dec 17 Cowgirl Bar Santa Fe NM
Dec 15 Foothill Church Albuquerque NM
Dec 14 Main Library Albuquerque NM
Dec 12 Erna Fergusson Library Albuquerque NM
Dec 10 Desert Trails Tucson AZ
Dec 7 La Cocina Tucson AZ
Dec 6 Monterey Court Tucson AZ
Nov 8 Habinero Collective Glendale AZ
Nov 3 Kineo Phoenix AZ
Nov 1 Eight Day Coffee Phoenix AZ
Oct 21 House Concert Carlsbad CA
Oct 13 Gathering by the Bay Monterey CA
Oct 6 New Hope Oakland CA
Oct 5 Queen Bean Modesto CA
Sept 25 CSL Concert Roseburg OR
Sept 21 Kenyon Hall Seattle WA
Sept 19 The Green Frog Bellingham WA
Sept 8 Vast Sisters, OR
Sept 6 House Concert Boise, ID
Aug 31 The Branch Park City UT
Aug 30 Miner Park Park City, UT
Aug 25 Avogadro's Number Fort Collins CO
Aug 25 Fort Collins Covenant Fort Collins CO
Aug 23 House Concert Golden CO
Aug 21 Hillside Garden Concert Series Colorado Springs CO
Aug 20 Secret Garden Colorado Springs CO
Aug 18 P.C.C.R.S Parker CO
Aug 17 Music on the Mesa Castle Rock CO
Aug 16 Hays Public Library Hays KS
Aug 14 Fremont Library Mundelein IL
Aug 4 Black Soil Firehouse Lansing MI
Aug 3 Cornbread and Jazz Elkhart IN
Aug 2 The Avenue Lansing MI
July 28 Sun Dog Farm Concert Series Maple Plain MN
July 25 Concert in the Park Long Prairie MN
July 24 Fon du Lac Live Fon du Lac Wi
July 23 Knights on the Fox De Pere WI
July 21 GBCC Green Bay WI
July 20 Fox River House Appleton WI
July 15-19 Camp Tekawitha Shawano WI
July 14 Top Deck Gordon Lodge Bailey's Harbor WI
July 13 Blackhawk Folk Festival Mt. Morris WI
July 12 Town Hall Concert in the Park Bailey's Harbor WI
July 10 Lake Park Wonderful Wednesday Milwaukee WI
July 8 Ephraim Town Park Ephraim WI
July 6 Galena Performing Arts Festival Galena IL
July 3 Sister Bay Concert in the Park Sister Bay WI
June 27 Jackson Square Concert in the Park Green Bay WI
June 25 Hayner Public Library Alton WI
June 22 Bishop Hill Summer Festival Bishop Hill IL
June 16 Summer Concert Series Antioc Library Antioc IL
June 14 Courtyard Concert Series Waukegon Library Waukegon IL
June 6 Music on the Green West Branch IA
June 2 Park Farm Winery Bankston IA
May 31 Two Way Street Coffeehouse Downers Grove IL
May 26 New Hope Greenwood IN
May 18 Official Showcase SERFA Montreat NC
May 10 Charles and Myrtles Chattanooga TN
April 27 Doss Barn Concert Evansville IN
April 20 Luxemburg High School Luxemburg WI
April 14 Neenah Public Library Neenah WI
April 13 Cup o Joy CD Release Green Bay WI
March 23 House Concert Lafayette LA
March 21 Sound Scape Workshop Austin TX
March 19 House Concert Austin TX
March 13 Opening Bell Listening Room Dallas TX
March 10 United Methodist Lubbock TX
March 9 Dinner and Song Lubbock TX
March 3 Foothills Church Albuquerque NM
March 2 Solid Grounds Albuquerque NM
March 1 Burton House Concert North Foothills, NM
Feb 27 Australian Folklore Workshop ECM Albuquerque NM
Feb 22 Apple Mountain Music Albuquerque NM
Feb 16 Santa Fe Center for Spiritual Living Santa Fe NM
Feb 14 Red Sands Mission School Winslow AZ
Feb 13 Apache Mission School Show Low AZ
Feb 10 Grace Church Show Low AZ
Feb 8 Bookman's Flagstaff AZ
Feb 7 Cornville Mission Cornville AZ
Feb 3 Center for Spirituality Salt Lake City, UT
Feb 2 Folk Songs for Climate Justice Concert Murry UT
Feb 2 Sound Scape Workshop Salt Lake City UT
Jan 26 Artistree Arts Conference Phoenix AZ
Jan 20 Kineo Phoenix AZ
Jan 19 Multicultural Festival Chandler AZ
Jan 18 Quartzsite Bus Rally Quartzsite AZ
Jan 16 Wine and Song Firefly Bistro South Pasadena CA
Jan 13 New Hope Oakland CA
Jan 11 House Concert Oakland CA
Jan 6 Center for Spiritual Living Roseburg OR
Jan 5 Axe and Fiddle Cottage Grove OR 

2012  
Dec 30 McMenamins Bend OR
Dec 30 Antioch Bend OR
Dec 24 Christmas Eve Service Bend OR
Dec 23 VAST Sister OR
Dec 20 Operation Elf Box Celebrate Salem OR
Dec 19 Operation Elf Box Celebrate Bend OR
Dec 15 Morford House Concert Bend OR
Dec 7 First Friday Art Walk Bend OR
Dec 1 High Note Cafe Boise ID
Nov 30 Cypress House Concert Salt Lake City UT
Nov 28 Folk School Workshop Salt Lake City UT
Nov 25 ECC Fort Collins, CO
Nov 24 Avogadro's Number Fort Collins, CO
Nov 18 1st Pres Colorado Springs CO
Nov 14 Swallow Hill Denver CO
Nov 11-13 Timberline School Winter Park CO
Nov 9 The Urban Farm Denver CO
Oct 22-25 Sedan High School Sedan KS
Oct 21 Epiphany Episcopal Church Sedan KS
Oct 15-19 Coffeyville Humanities Program Coffeyville KS
Oct 13 Town & Country House Concert St. Louis MO
Oct 11-14 Folk Alliance Midwest Conference St. Louis MO
Oct 7 Snus Hill Winery Madrid IA
Oct 6 Progressive Voice Concert Series Des Moines IA
Oct 5 Zekes Ames Ia
Oct 4 Barn Concert Mt. Vernon IA
Sept 26-30 CCDA Reconcile Conference Minneapolis, MN
Sept 23  GBCC Green Bay WI
Sept 21 Venture Theater De Pere WI
Sept 16 First Methodist Church Sturgeon Bay WI
Sept 15 Appleton Farmers Market Appleton WI
Sept 14 Brummel Haus Concert Green Bay WI
Sept 13 Soul Rebel House Concert Appleton WI
Sept 8 O'Morey House Concert Elkhart IN
Sept 7 Magnolia House Concerts Grand Rapids MI
Sept 6 The DAAC Grand Rapids MI
Aug 30 Zeppelin's Music Hall Lansing MI
Aug 23-24 Back to The Roots Chelsea MI
Aug 16 Brewed Awakenings Grand Rapids MN
Aug 16 Green Scene Farmers Market Walker MN
Aug 13 Baudette Train Depot Concert Series Baudette MN
Aug 12 Concert in the Park Bemidji MN
Aug 10 Legends and Logging Festival Park Rapids MN
Aug 9 Glacial Ridge Winery Spicer MN
Aug 8 The Local Blend St. Joseph MN
Aug 6 Camp Tekawitha Shawano, WI
Aug 4  "Un-Regatta" Banquet Menominee Park Oshkosh WI
July 29 SBCC Sturgeon Bay WI
July 28 Picnic in The Park Beaver Dam Park, Green Bay WI
July 27 The Fox River House Appleton WI
July 25 Terry Naturally Farmers Market, Green Bay WI
July 24 Concert in the Park Red Smith Park, Green Bay WI
July 22 Gordon Lodge Baileys Harbor WI
July 21 Parallel 44 Winery Kewaunee WI
July 20 Fri Private Event Kewaunee WI
July 19 Brilliant Stranger Fish Creek WI
July 18 Lunchtime Live Fon du Lac WI
July 11-15 Lifest Sunnyview Expo Center Oshkosh WI
July 3-8 Cornerstone Music Festival Bushnell Il
June 23-29 Camp Tekawithia Shawano WI
June 22 Gordon Lodge Baileys Harbor WI
June 20 Terry Naturally Farmers Market, Green Bay WI
June 16 Fyr Bal Festival Ephraim WI
June 14 Summer in the Park Jackson Square Green Bay WI
June 10 Steel Bridge Songfest Sturgeon Bay WI
June 3 Green Bay Botanical Gardens Green Bay WI
May 30 Windhover Center for the Arts Fon du Lac WI
May 20 SBCC Sturgeon Bay WI
May 18 Kavarna Green Bay WI
May 11 Cedar Vally House Concerts Cedar Falls IA
May 9 Barn Dance Mt. Vernon IA
May 5 Benefit Concert Shenandoah IA
May 4 inCOMMON Community Development Omaha NE
May 1 El bait Shop Des Moines IA
April 28 Private Event Kansas City MO
April 27 Starr's Cave Nature Center Burlington IA 

AUSTRALIA TOUR
April 14 Box Forest Wesleyan Concert Series Glenroy, VIC AUST
April 10 Ringwood Folk Music Club Ringwood, VIC AUST
April 8 Hickinbotham Winery Dromana, VIC AUST
April 7 Brunswick Hotel Brunswick VIC AUST
April 6 Wesley Anne Northcote, VIC AUST
April 1 St Stephens Anglican Church Warrandyte VIC AUST
March 24 Private Party Wallan, VIC AUST
March 18 St. Martin's Collingwood, VIC AUST
March 17 The Chandelier Room Moorabbin VIC AUST
March 11-12 Burke and Wills Folk Festival Mia Mia VIC AUST
March 10 Chambers Rosewood Vineyards Rutherglen, VIC AUST
March 2 Solid Grounds Littleton CO
Feb 26 The Grove Chandler AZ
Feb 24 Fiddlers Dream Pheonix AZ
Feb 18 Isley House Concert Vacaville CA
Feb 11 RiverRidge House Concert Series West Linn OR
Feb 10 Skyway Bar & Grill Zigzag OR
Feb 6 The Record Room Portland OR
Feb 4 The Black Dog Snoqualmie WA
Feb 3 SoulFood Books Redmond WA
Jan 29 Sisters High School Auditorium Sisters OR
Jan 13 Green Plow Coffee Redmond OR
Jan 1 New Years Celebration Skyway Bar Zigzag OR

2011
Dec 31 NYE Celebration House Concert Bend, Or
Dec 9 The Beech Party Portland, OR
Nov 26 Sisters Christmas Parade Sisters, OR
Nov 20 J&J House Concert Series Bend, OR
Nov 19 Pike Place Market Seattle, WA
Nov 17 Backyard House Concerts Kirkland, WA
Nov 4 Skyway Bar Zigzag, OR
Oct 28-29 MORE Married Conference Sisters, OR
Oct 26 Ella Street Social Club Portland, OR
Oct 22 Whisky Poets Room Far-West Eugene, OR
Oct 22  Bill and Kate Isles Room Far-West Eugene, OR
Oct 21 River Ridge Room Far-West Eugene, OR
Oct 11 Bon Voyage Party! Kavarna Green Bay, WI
Oct 7&8 MORE Married Conference Manitowoc, WI
Oct 5 Terry Naturally Farmers Market Green Bay, WI
Oct 2 SBCC Sturgeon Bay, WI
Oct 1 Night of Jubilation 1st United Church of Christ Green Bay, WI
Sept 30 Chefusion Green Bay, WI
Sept 18 SBCC Sturgeon Bay, WI
Sept 17 Bus Conversion Fundraiser  Green Bay, WI
Sept 11 Wausau Festival of the Arts Wausau, WI
Sept 10 Parallel 44 Harvest Festival Kewaunee, WI
Sept 7 Windhover Center For The Arts Fon du Lac, WI
Sept 4 Gordon Lodge Bailey's Harbor, WI
Sept 3 Appleton Farmers Market, Appleton, WI
Sept 2 Concert in the Park Two Rivers, WI
Aug 31 Mequon Country Club Mequon, WI
Aug 30 Red Line Tap Chicago, IL
Aug 24 Hoi Polloi  Grand Rapids, MI
Aug 21 House Concert Crystal, MI
Aug 20 Black Soil Church Lansing, MI
Aug 20 Brighton Farmer's Market Brighton, MI
Aug 18 Canterbury House Ann Arbor, MI
Aug 12 Legends and Logging Festival Park Rapids, MN
Aug 11 Terrapin Station Nevis, MN
Aug 11 Green Scene Farmers Market Walker, MN
Aug 6 Three Crows Cafe' Delano, MN
Aug 5 318 Cafe' Excelsior, MN
Aug 4 Glacial Ridge Winery Spicer MN
July 30 Riversong Music Festival Hutchinson, MN
July 29 Private Party St. Joseph, MN
July 28 Sixth Ave Wine and Ale Alexandra, MN
July 25 Ephraim Concert in the Park Ephraim, WI
July 23 Parallel 44 Winery Kewaunee. WI
July 22 Brumder Mansion Milwaukee, WI
July 20 El bait Shop Des Moinse, IA
July 17 Duffy's Lincoln, NE
July 18 & 19 Camp Nebowa Onawa, IA
July 17 City Church Omaha, NE
July 16 Barley Street Tavern Omaha, NE
July 9 Ledge Stone Vineyard Greenleaf, WI
July 8 Cranky Pats Neenah, WI
July 6 Windhover Center for the Arts Fon du Lac, WI
June 29- July 3 Cornerstone Music Festival Bushnell, IL
June 22 Mequon Country Club Mequon, WI
June 18 & 19 Thistledown Faerie Festival Bonduel, WI
June 17 Cup O Joy Green Bay, WI
June 8 Terry Naturally Farmers Market Green Bay, WI
June 5 Green Bay Botanical Gardens Green Bay, WI
May 21 Chives School House Suamico, WI
April 21 Hinterland Green Bay, WI
April 16 Glas Sturgeon Bay, WI
April 9 Boarders Oak Park, IL
April 8 Molly's Cafe' Chicago IL
March 26 318 Restaurant Excelsior, MN
March 25 Red Rooster Aberdeen, SD
March 24 Sturgis Center for the Arts; Writers Workshop Sturgis, SD
March 22 House Concert Spokane, WA
March 20 SCC Sisters, OR
March 19  Harmony House Sisters, OR
March 18 Mississippi Pizza Company Portland OR
March 17 Maes House Concert Portland OR
March 15 Ides of March Folk Festival The Linen Building Boise, ID
March 13 The Laughing Goat Boulder, CO
March 12 Stella's Denver, CO
March 12 Edgewater Coffee Denver, CO
March 11 Da Buzz Coffeehouse North Platte, NE
March 10 Family Fun Night, River of Life Ceder Rapids, IA
March 7 "Reflections" Workshop, Gibralter HS, Fish Creek WI
Feb 25  Parallel 44 Winery Tundra Fest, Kewaunee, WI
Feb 23 Writers Workshop The Appleton Public Library
Feb 13 The Appleton Public Library Concert Appleton, WI
Feb 12 Sweetwater Sea Concert Series Manitowoc, WI
Jan 1- Feb 10 Recording "Ashes To Beauty"

We’ve had a blast reminiscing, remembering your sweet smiles, and gusto as you sang along. Thanks for all you’ve done to keep us folkies going! We couldn’t keep rolling without you!!

All Photos by Kara Counard, Bloom Photography

One Holland Down

We’ve been touring our way down the east coast of Australia, starting up near Cook Town at the Wallaby Creek Music festival, then flying down to Brisbane, buying a van and driving south to Byron Bay.

While there, we got a call from Craig’s Auntie regarding his Granny’s health and had to make some tough decisions. We all wanted to see Granny, but the final plan didn’t allow for all of us to go. Instead, Craig flew from Byron Bay down to Melbourne on a Wednesday and the plan was for him to fly back up to Sydney on the Saturday and meet us at the music festival we were booked in for. The only glitch was that the kids and I would have to pack up and drive the five and a half hours down to Port Macquarie to perform at a the Kimandi House Concerts. And, then rise before the sun to drive the five hours to the Northern Beaches Music festival so as to be on the stage by 1pm. Logistics aside, it also meant that we, (Graciana, Banjo and myself ) would be performing without Craig (our anchor). After sussing out all of the options, this one seemed best and so we decided to go for it.

So, with Craig on his way, the three of us got busy rehearsing our songs, finding new life in them, each taking more ownership and as we worked through our limitations we found new abilities and the songs began to take shape. We were feeling pretty confident until we arrived and found out 65 people were coming to the house concert, and that they were mostly all choir/musicians.

However, our hosts, Marie and Grant welcomed us to their beautiful Port Macquarie home and as we explained our circumstances of a missing member they seemed calm and reassuring. We had a lovely pre-show dinner. However, Craig’s absence was noticeable as we shared story. We were really missing him!

Soon the guests started arriving and we moved to the living room to tune our instruments. Anticipation was high and the three of us were all a bit giddy. The crowd was buzzing and you could feel a sense of excitement in the salty air.

The concert started, then a break, and then another set. It felt as if we were floating on a cloud and then in a blink, the night was over. As a mother, I couldn’t help but take delight in my children’s amazing abilities and professionalism. I was standing in the middle of two stunning performers, both excellent in their craft and for the first time really having to carry the load.

Graciana was sensational and picked up the slack by engaging with the audience, telling stories and speaking eloquently between songs. She lead songs she didn’t normally take the helm on and even shared some of her own writings. And, Banjo was fantastic too! He was able to temper his drumming to fit the room, providing the perfect frame-work for us to dance around. He was considerate and strong, playing just under our voices so as to complement and not over power. Of course, we missed Craig dearly, but it was definitely a rush to have to learn how to depend upon each other and the experience really stretched all of our abilities.

The night turned out awesome! And, the response from our hosts, as well as their friends, was outstanding. What an honor to walk into a situation and be allowed to infuse goodness into an already wonderful community!

We said goodbye to our lovely hosts that night, as an early morning awaited us. In the end, we made it down to the Northern Beaches Music festival just in time to connect with Craig and hop on stage and sing our hearts out. It was in that moment, that we all looked at each other, the four of us, took a deep breath and delighted that we were all back together.

 

 

 

East Coast Spring/Summer Tour

We are excited to announce our East Coast Spring/Summer Tour!

This will be our first time on the East Coast as a family band and we are really looking forward to meeting all you kinfolk! Huge thanks to all of the venues who have graciously offered to partner with us. If you are in any of these areas, please come out and support your local venues and say “Howdy!”

If you see an open date and would like to host a house, barn or back yard concert, please contact Jana at thehollands@thehollands.org

MORE INFO AT www.thehollands.org

Sat May 9, 7pm Crooked Door Coffee House Marion, NC

Sat May 16, 6pm Hayes Farm Pittsboro, NC

Fri May 29, 7pm Savage River Farm Avilton, MD

Sat May 30, 5:30pm Dante’s Bar Frostburg, MD With SOULMOBILE

Sun May 31, 2pm Mountain City Traditional Arts  Frostburg, MD

Mon Jun 1, 7pm Central Rappahannock Region Library Fredericksburg, VA

Wed Jun 17, 6pm Allentown Public Library Allentown, PA

Fri Jun 26, 7pm The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Middletown, CT

Fri Jul 3, 7pm Dover Free Public Library Dover, VT

Sun Jul 5, 5pm Hamilton-Wenham Community House  South Hamilton, MA

Thu Jul 9, 6:30pm Old Town Library  Old Town, ME

Tues Jul 14, 6:30pm Music On The Green Calais ME

 

One of our favorite things on tour is to park in someones drive way and neighbor alongside, so if you see an open date and are in the surrounding area please let us know.

 

The Hart of South Padre

Every town needs a little Hart, Aarin Hartwell that is. We met Aarin at the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (aka SWRFA) in Sept. We noticed her immediately as she literally floated around the conference from room to room with a huge smile and a welcoming spirit. She came to our midnight showcase and danced the whole set. Afterwards we sat with her for a moment and were impressed by her sense of engagement and her excitement for community. She gave us information on The Island Folk Festival in South Padre Island and made note that she’d love to have us come down for it. We were delighted but our assumption was that she was an intern or on staff with the festival, and so we weren’t really sure how concert the offer was. It wasn’t until after the conference that we struck up a conversation online about a possible Hollands concert with her production company Hartwell Talent and Production, that we realized that this little darling was the founder and operator of the whole big festival. And so, we set a date to perform for her Island Folk Concert Series on Feb 13 and she arranged for us to come down a little early to enjoy her hometown.

We arrived with a welcome text, making sure we were all settled in and the next day she popped by to grab Graciana for a day of Kiteboarding and exploring, while the rest of us went to visit the Turtle Rescue and the secluded north shore. Later, we met up for a meal to talk over logistics before our show.

Through the course of our time on the island, Aarin shared her story of growing up in Brownsville, just down the road, surfing South Padre Island (which the locals call SPI) and was committed to SPI as her home. She is involved in city counsel and chamber meetings, and working towards getting her brain child of a festival up and running. Aarin is a self-appointed ambassador of the island and she is most certainly a visionary. If you just sit down with her for five minutes you’ll feel inspired to dream with her, hoping on board and lending a helping hand.

South Padre Island is a barrier island in the U.S. state of Texas. It’s 1.9 miles long and has a population of 2800. South Padre is a beach resort town and every year experiences a large influx of winter Texans, mostly from the mid-west and spring breakers from universities all over the country. The island also attracts a large international population. At its core, its economic focus is on the outsider. So, Aarin’s vision to make it home for folkies all over the country is on par with the ethos of the island. However, her vision goes beyond the tourist to the heart of those 2k plus inhabitants, of whom she knows almost everyone. Her vision is to bring art and music to the island, as well as, give a cultural voice to those local folkies who meet regularly for jams and community gatherings.

Aarin created the Island Folk Concerts to showcase some of the artists that she hopes to bring back for the Festival. We kicked off her spring season at the SPI Birding Center and had about 40 kinfolk in attendance. It was chilly winter night at about 52 degrees but everyone seemed ready for the chill and brought sweaters. We did two solid sets offering our original Folk/Americana sound, including a few new songs that our daughter, Graciana, wrote. She also debut her Nord keyboard on one of the songs. After the show folks were generous in supporting our music by purchasing CD’s and our son, Banjo scored a big profit with his handmade “bottle cap” percussion instruments.

We finished out our last day on the island biking up and down gulf road. We explored the local shops and in the afternoon, Aarin taught us to make a proper sand castle. We had a blast learning the tricks of the sand art trade. That evening we rode our bikes to the bayside to enjoy the sunset. Aarin and Graciana had some fun doing a little modeling shoot for Graci’s blog, Dutchy Gazelle and then we finished off the night with a bbq at Aarin’s and Valentines Fireworks. The next morning we went to a little Baptist church with Aarin, that was chalk full of Winter Texans. We sang a few songs, shook a few hands and heard a bit of classic fire and brimstone. For lunch we stopped by the local farmers market and met Aarin’s dad and fellow musician, Jack Hartwell. He invited us to sit in for a song or two and we couldn’t pass it up. We sang a few songs, got a few veggies for the road, fired up the bus and said goodbye for now.

We enjoyed our week of Hartwell love. If you’re a beach combing, folk music lover and are looking for the next hot ticket, think about adding The Island Folk Festival, Sept 4-6 to your calendar. You’ll be glad you did!

Bus Conversion; Sneak Peak

Today marks our Three Year Anniversary!

In August 2011, we gave away all of our possession and bought a 1984 MCI-9 Motorcoach (bus). Over the course of two months we would begin the conversion process with the help of many friends, neighbors and family. We departed Green Bay, WI in our bus on Oct 13, 2011, with the exterior walls, couch, dinette and master bed in tact. The rest of the bus was a container. We set off for our first stop in Sister, OR where another handful of friends and family helped us build out the kitchen cabinets, framing bedrooms and installing the electrical system. We left Oregon and as we traveled we built out what we could, when we had the resources and time. Over the course of the next three years we installed the plumbing system and finished off the bathroom complete with a shower and hot water. We have traveled over 60,000 miles, through 36 states. We are peace pilgrims, folk revivalists, and merrymakers. And, this is our home today.

PS. Video was filmed on an I-Phone 4 and we realize the quality isn’t ideal but hopefully you get a good glimpse for now. Also, here is the first design floor plan drawn by our friend, Marc Brummel. We adapted it as we built, moving the shower, sink and toilet but the basic design is the same.

Infusing Community

Community. We talk a lot about the subject, calling ourselves Community architects, builders, and encouragers. We take great delight being apart of and watching humanity weave together naturally. We love to see unity and harmony among our fellow-man. Practically though, people ask, how do we do that? There are all sorts of programs out there on building community, from creating small groups (cell groups), joining clubs, to hosting regular gatherings. We appreciate them all, but our favorite way of encouraging the coming together of folks is to offer our musical gifts in a house concert setting. It is here that the host sets the tone of openness by taking a risk and doing something out of the norm. Neighbors and friends from all walks of life gather, enjoy food, drink, conversation and song.

Recently, we were parked with the Heikkila/Hansen families just outside of Austin, TX. They are two beautiful families, linked by a brother and sister relationship, who are united in lifestyle and situated on the same property. They share life with one another on a daily basis. And, although they have a desire to connect with surrounding neighbors, they haven’t known how to go about starting that process.  Our arrival and offer to do a concert in their backyard got their wheels turning. After a little explanation of how the night moves, they felt comfortable and began to put the word out to friends and neighbors. The night brought together kinfolk from all walks of life and the result was an infusion of encouragement and just a little bit stronger bond of understanding and commitment in the neighborhood.

We love twinkle lights, we love playing music together, we love good food and drink but most of all we love seeing people connect and engage. That’s the spice of life for us Hollands! That’s why we call ourselves merrymakers and that is why we do what we do.

If you would like us to come and play in your backyard, we’d be delighted.

 

All of the amazing photos were taken by Van Teodosio.