Bernice Lewis in Concert October 17 !

Pompanuck Farm proudly presents Bernice Lewis on Saturday, October 17th at 7 PM. You are also welcomed to join us in a Songwriters Circle from 5pm-6:30 PM. Prior to the show, there will be a discussion about song structure and the writing process and share songs. If you'd like to have a critique, please bring 5 copies of your song lyrics.

Please call 518.677.5552 for reservations. Concert admission is $12 or $18 for attending both the Songwriters Circle and Concert. Desserts, coffee and tea will be available for purchase.

About Bernice:

"For me, it's about the songs, each different, each a well thought out message, each a labor of love," says Bernice Lewis. Her newest CD, She Undoes, (2006) was Recorded in Nashville and produced by Grammy Award winner Charlie Chadwick (Suzi Bogguss, John Carter Cash, Kathy Mattea). It features a duet with fellow singer songwriter Cliff Eberhardt and a jazzy a cappella version of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You," in addition to a collection of originals.

With three decades of performing festivals, concert halls, coffeehouses, colleges, and house concerts, along with a half dozen acclaimed CDs, Bernice Lewis has built a solid national fan base. She is also a published poet, a producer, and an educator extraordinaire. Lewis -- who studied vocal improvisation with Bobby McFerrin, guitar technique with Alex DeGrassi and Guy van Duser, and songwriting with Roseanne Cash and Cris Williamson -- has been a featured performer on NPR's Mountain Stage program, as well as at the Kennedy Center. In 1987, she was a finalist in the prestigious New Folk Songwriting Contest at the Kerrville (Texas) Folk Festival, where she continues to be a main stage favorite. Her ballad, "Bridges That Hold," was included in Peter, Paul and Mary's Lifelines video (PBS). She was featured in Yoga Journal for her work with sound and yoga, and has shared the stage with many renowned artists, including Dar Williams, Dixie Chicks, Patty Griffin, Pete Seegar, Ellis Paul, Rory Block, Livingston Taylor, Odetta, Christine Lavin, Marty Sexton, Patty Larkin, Catie Curtis... it's a long list.

Bernice currently teaches Songwriting at Williams College and Colorado College, as well as at schools and retreat centers. She has also been an Artist in Residence and workshop presenter at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, Kripalu Center for Yoga in Lenox, MA, and Esalen Institute in Big Sur. In 2008, she was awarded an Artist in Residence position by the National Park Service.

Bernice is also becoming widely known for her History Alive presentation, a multi-media discussion of her family's emigration from Nazi Germany, specifically designed for Junior and Senior High School classrooms. Her song, "Ways to Survive," won an award from the American Zionist Movement in 1996. Her writings and recordings will be archived in the Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX. In 2008. Bernice signed with the TV and film division of Shadow Mountain Music in Nashville. She has had a thirty-year daily yoga practice, loves good coffee, and her religion is the Grand Canyon.

Raves about Bernice:

"Bernice is a voice full of light and hope. She is one of the keepers of the flame of Real Songwriting."
- Rosanne Cash

"Bernice's life is filled with beautiful, deep things, and she writes beautifully and deeply about them. 'Good Kind of Love to Be In' is wonderful; spoke right to my heart! Great, jazzy cover of 'A Case of You.' Musically and vocally, she has new wings with the genres she's been exploring."
- Dar Williams

"An enlightening presence..."
- Steve Morse, Boston Globe

"It is impossible not to have a good time listening to Lewis sing."
- Scott Alarik, Boston Globe

"Bernice Lewis may well be the frosting on the cake!"
- Rod Kennedy, Director, Kerrville Folk Festival

"Lewis' lake-clear voice and satisfying mix of heartfelt and humorous compositions make her worth hearing. Again and again."
- David Steinberg, Albuquerque Journal

"When someone asks me who's the best I've heard, her name always heads the list."
- Eddie Russell, Outlaw Radio/Country Eastern Music

"Her talent at reaching the audience is undeniable."
- Sarah Song, The Williams Record, Williamstown, MA

Songwriters Showcase November 9th

Pompanuck Farm Presents Songwriters Showcase November 9th

(White Creek, NY) Pompanuck Farm is presenting a songwriters showcase on Sunday, November 9th at 6:30 pm. The event will highlight four accomplished songwriters from the surrounding region. The artists will share original material with the audience and then discuss their songwriting process in an open forum setting. Audience members and the songwriters are encouraged to participate in a lively, in-depth conversation about the creative process of forming original music.

The featured songwriters will be:

Scott Carrino: Scott spent his early years listening to and singing along with the radio and "playing" percussion on whatever surface that he had nearby. Scott started writing songs the moment he picked up a guitar at age seventeen. Often, in those early days when he attempted to learn a favorite song, a heartfelt song of his own would emerge. He has surrendered to the process and knows that songs will come through him when he is open and able to hear them. Scott continues to play percussion any chance he can and was a founding member of "Conundrum" a local percussion ensemble made up of drumming friends and their drums and a very popular local jam band in the 1990's.

Eric Geoffery: When Eric’s parents realized that he was playing Beethoven by ear at an early age, they decided to stop paying for piano lessons. In a way this was probably quite ironic in that it helped plant some pretty deep seeds of musical rebellion and self expression that to this day are continuing to unfold in his musical and creative discoveries. Eric’s intense curiosity and playful approach to music combined with his passion for the well-being of the planet has resulted in a unique style and an impressive body of work. Currently at play developing a series of earth oriented meditational evolutions through sound and the spoken word, Eric continues his path down the road less trodden.

Deena Chappell Smith: Born into a family of musicians, Deena Chappell Smith has been performing professionally since the age of fourteen. Her vast musical background includes performances in Bluegrass, Rock and Roll, Folk, Swing and Jazz. Deena was also the co-creator of the popular “Musical Chairs” children’s program where she has led countless children of all ages and backgrounds through the songwriting and recording process. However, her career as a singer/songwriter is just beginning. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at Goddard College where she is creating a body of music that reflects her understanding of and experience with the ‘voices’ of archetypal theory. www.deenachappell.com

Tony Lee Thomas: A student of voice from age 4, his vocal endeavors has included classical technique, various choral ensembles, even barbershop and doo-wop quartets. Tony began guitar at seven years old with acoustic folk under Alice Spatz and was soon learning American Appalachian traditionals and the music of popular artists from the '60s. After having developed his own songs with bands like Reed St. and recently Harvest Mountain, Tony discovered that he had compiled a strong bank of original music. This has resulted in the release of "Supernova" in 2006 and "In Love and War" this summer. Among countless nominations and awards, Tony was Nominated "Poet of the Year" by the International Society of Poets 2007. Tony’s innovative songwriting and radiant charisma has earned him many fans on a national level. www.myspace.com/tonyleethomas
There will be an $8 charge for audience members. Desserts, coffee and tea will be available for purchase. Please contact Scott Carrino or Deena Chappell Smith if you'd like to sign up as a performer for future Exchanges.
Please visit www.pompanuckfarm.blogspot.com for more information and other events, as well as, directions to Pompanuck Farm 494 Chestnut Hill Road Cambridge, NY 12816 518.677.5552
This program is sponsored by Pompanuck Farm Institute, a not‑for‑profit educational retreat center dedicated to sustainable community and individual potential through the visual, musical, movement, environmental, and healing arts.

Join us for the 6th Songwriter Exchange Concert

With Stephen Alcorn, Wendy Bordwell and Deena Chappell