PSG - the pickin' & singin' gatherin'
PSG
Hills are Alive ... by Gail G.

The 

Pick'n & Sing'n

Gather'n		 link to: GottaGetGon
Folk Music
Festival
GottaGetGon
Memorial Day Weekend
Annually
You are invited to join one of the oldest participatory folk music organizations in New York State.

PSG -- a gathering of folks in the New York State Capital District, dedicated to the appreciation and enjoyment of folks and folk music.   The Pick'n' and Sing'n' Gather'n', Inc. (PSG) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to playing, singing, and sharing of folk and traditional music as a group and family activity.

We have produced the GottaGetGon festival every year since 1970. You are invited (You don't have to be a member of PSG.)


Site Directory

click below for many photos:
Last Gasp 2007
Photos by howie &
Video by Eileen
 GottaGetGon 2007
photo gallery
 GottaGetGon 2006
many photos
 An a-cappella Sing
Feb 2007


gasp_howard_connie 2007 gallery ggg06 Peter, Betsy sing at Greg's









Cathy Clarke Silver benefit PSG night at Caffe Lena Jan '04 GottaGetGon 2005
and some old pix
Jackie Alper
is gone

Cathy Clarke Silver Bob Bev Bob GGG
Jackie (Gibson) Alper
Here's a small memorial expressed with her buttons.
and links to other comments



Membership

Anyone can be a PSG member - there is no audition. Benefits include good comradeship and good music, as well as the monthly newsletter (see below), the biennial directory of members, and eligibility to attend the Last Gasp (see below). Send a check for $15. (payable to the PSG) to The Pickin' and Singin' Gatherin'

c/o Bruce Pomeroy
2137 Pangburn Road
Duanesburg, NY 12056

Members of the PSG also organize other activities, such as the GottaGetGon Folk Festival, the Last Gasp Folk Festival, a monthly newsletter of events and articles of interest to the folk community, and even the occasional house concert or dance.
  for other info: contact the PSG President (Betsy Fry) 518/674-8646 or past PSG President  (Vicki Kelsey)


Here is a membership form (pdf) if you like such a thing.  You will note the humor.

Gatherin' Meetings

These "gather'n's"(picking & singing) are for the entire family. There is good company, plenty of singing, playing, and listening to various types of traditional and contemporary folk music. It is an opportunity to share your songs, learn new ones, and enjoy the company of others who enjoy a wide range of folk music.

Meetings (mostly sing-arounds for all levels of experience, there is a room for instrumentalists) are 1 to 4PM, on the 2nd Sunday of the month (October thru May).  New folks are always welcome.

Location (changed November 2004)
Starting November 2004  we will meet at the OldSongs building:
37 South Main St. Voorheesville, NY  Check the oldsongs website for directions and a map


see: OldSongs -- 37 South Main St. Voorheesville, NY
 
Directions to 37 South Main Street in Vorheesville- Click here for a map:
Site of the  PSG sing-arounds (and most future Old Songs concerts).
From south end of I-87 Northway:
Turn Right (west) and go appx. 3 miles to Rt. 155 There will be a CVS on the left and a
Japanese restaurant on the right. Turn left onto 155 and follow to end, appx. 4 miles.
Bear right through the traffic circle onto Rt 85A west. Follow it under the railroad overpass and continue to the first street on the right. There's a park on the corner. Turn right onto Main St. and go one block to the Stewart's store. The Old Songs building is across the street to your left.
Park at the carpet store or the hardware store. There are 15 handicapped slots behind the Old Songs building.

There is good company, plenty of singing, playing, and listening to various types of traditional and contemporary folk music. It is an opportunity to share your songs, learn new ones, and enjoy the company of others who enjoy a wide range of folk music.

Betsy Fry is the President as of Nov. 2004,   Vicki Kelsey is immediate past President of PSG.

The GottaGetGon

is an intimate family-oriented folk festival held at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa (45 minutes northwest of Albany, just off of route 50), over Memorial Day weekend. We invite you to join us for two days of concerts and workshops by excellent performers from around North America. It's open to the public - you don't have to be a member of PSG.  The name GottaGetGon denotes the desire to leave the city and 'get gone' to the country for the first festival of the summer.
(In 2008 the dates are: May 23,24,25, 2008.  Memorial Day is May 26, 2008)

The Last Gasp

is a small, relaxed no-paid-performer, no-schedule folk festival at a wooded camp in Galway, NY (20 minutes west of Saratoga Springs). It is a chance to get away and make music, hike, sing, or hang out with old friends, or make new ones. It is not open to the public - only to PSG members and their guests. Usually there are about 100 people who attend, many of whom attest that it is their favorite folk festival, large or small, because of the welcoming, family atmosphere and good music that happens. More information and directions for members. (many photos from GASP 2002)

The PSG Newsletter

is how members communicate with each other monthly. It brings news of local concerts, coffeehouse listings, traditional dancing, and festivals, workshops, and other news of musical interest. Members are encouraged to submit articles, letters to the membership, want ads, or items of general interest.
E-mail to  Eileen: psg@businessdesignstudio.com   (replaced: Gail G.: geg@taconic.net, in 2007)
The newsletter alone is a good reason to join PSG.  It has info that this web page doesn't have; like one-time events, ...

Workshops & House Concerts

are arranged by members, in their own homes, for the purpose of learning about or sharing a particular area of interest, such as train songs, gospel songs, or English Country Dance tunes.
These are announced in the PSG Newsletter.  (If you don't get the newsletter it's time to start or renew membership.)

     More about GottaGetGon

The PSG's traditional refrain on Memorial Day Weekend is "Gotta Get Gone!" from the city and out to where music and friendship takes over for the weekend. It's a time to lean back, sit around, and be with friends and family, play some music, sing some songs, and listen to some of the best music around, day and night.


The GottaGetGon is an intimate family folk festival, put on by a small handful of volunteers, and designed for folks who believe that music is part of life. It is a place where grownups, teens, and children can be part of the experience of sharing music, time, and friendship. It's a special gather'n' where PSG invites a few select performers to join us for a weekend of fine music.


Many of us camp at the festival site: Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa NY, others commute back and forth, and bring a picnic lunch.

There are workshops and concerts from about 10:00 a. m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday evening there is the biggest family dance you ever saw, and there are a capella sings and campground music Friday and Sunday evenings. It's all under cover so don't worry about rain.

Most PSG members are much more interested in doing, rather than watching, music. Many are excellent musicians, singers, and dancers. We invite performers to come, not only to showcase their own music, but so we can learn new music. That's what many of the small workshops are for - sometimes they're where people can learn by doing; sometimes they're mini-concerts so members can learn the performer's techniques and repertoire.


What you will find that the GottaGetGon is a small, very traditional, folk gathering - no matter what kind of music you like, it's a wonderful experience. We hope you will join the music and folks at GGG.  (You don't have to be a member of PSG to enjoy the GottaGetGon - but you may want to become a member and participate in our other activities.)


Click here for the GottaGetGon schedule

Bill Bracken has a wonderful collection of photos of PSGers at gatherings. Some are published here. We have a lot of fun. Join us.  And Bob Noble just gave us a "roll" of snapshots from the 1999 GottaGetGon.

Folk Jam Sessions

Jam Sessions are arranged by or open to members, in whatever venue seems appropriate. They are more or less open gatherings for the purpose of playing a certain kind of instrumental music (Contra, English, Bluegrass, etc.) in a band-like situation. Tunes to be played are selected by various means -- like a singaround, or by picking from a pre-set repertoire.

We strongly recommend you call ahead the first time you go to a jam that's new to you (area code 518 unless otherwise noted).
 

  • Call the Traditional Dance Hotline at 518-292-0133 for Capitol District dance schedules.
  • Fiddler's Tour web page: www.timesunion.com/communities/fiddle also lists folk jams. (8/01)

    • Please email Gail:geg@taconic.net(Changed Nov 00) with any additions/changes to this listing. See the PSG newsletter for one-time events.
    Mondays:
    Tuesdays: Wednesdays: Thursdays:
    Fridays:
    Saturdays: Sundays:

    Links to other folk-related web pages

    Caffe Lena: www.caffelena.org You'll find not only the schedule of shows but lots of valuable links.
    Check the Complete Calendar  ("Good folk since 1960")

    The Eighth Step  going on "40 Years & Still Singing!" now at: www.eighthstep.org
    (    Note that the dot-com has changed to dot-org.)
    Concerts are mostly at Proctors.
         contact: Margie Rosenkranz, Director,  office: 27 Midline Road Ballston Lake, NY 12019
     Office Phone & Fax: (518) 399-4242      eighthstep@aol.com

    Old Songs  presenting concerts, dances, classes, and a yearly festival. www.oldsongs.org

    Fixation: Soulful songs, silly and serious
     duo of PSG past presidents Bev Seinberg & Bill Bracken

    Annie and the Hedonists  a jazz,swing, folk band with sultry, blues-tinged singing of Annie Rosen; all PSG members.
         contact: Jonny Rosen

    The Folk Music and Dance Alliance: //www.folk.org

    Fiddlers' Tour  http://www.timesunion.com/communities/fiddle

    Homespun Occasions:  http://www.homespunoccasions.com/

    The Solidarity Singers  - http://solidaritysingers.cjb.net/. (seems to be gone May 2002, Back in new location Jan 6, 2003)
    info: jlombard@nycap.rr.com 1 Feb 2001
    musicians from the Albany, NY area who perform music of labor, civil rights, peace, freedom, and the environment struggle.

    Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen's great web site: www.compassrosemusic.com Full of good info & links

    WAMC:( www.wamc.org/ ) is a public radio station based in Albany with many good folk shows. See Radio Shows.
    other non-commercial radio with folk shows: WRPI: http://www.wrpi.org/ , WSPN, and WMHT http://www.wmht.org/

    Golden Link Folksong Society in Rochester http://www.goldenlink.org, a Participatory Folk Organization. They also have good links.

    New York Pinewoods Folk Music Club     (Folk Music Society of New York, Inc.) http://www.folkmusicny.org/

    The Folk Times is printed and has a web page. It's a bi-monthly dance and music calendar for the capitol region and southern Adirondack mountains of NY. Send $10+  to Addie Murray or Olin Boyle, 969 Co. Rt. 10, Corinth, NY 12822; or call Addie at 696-2221
     (new website for Folk Times  or www.folktimes.com) It has quite useful information but the printed version is much better.

    Jay & Molly's email  office@ashokan.org

    Dance Gypsy web page and monthly calendar of dance-related events within an hour's drive of Vermont. $12./year from
     Web:    http://www.theDanceGypsy.com
      Email:  thedancegypsy@theDanceGypsy.com
    Greg Scragg             2518 Sunset Lake Rd
    (802) 257-4478          Dummerston, VT 05301
    Sat, 10 Mar 2001 14:17:45 -0500

    The Fiddle and Dance News, a bi-monthly dance and music calendar for the Mid-Hudson region and Catskill Mountains of NY. You can subscribe by sending $6. to Fiddle and Dance News, 987 Rt 28 A, West Hurley, NY 12491, or call Jay and Molly at 914-338-2996. Web page: www.jayandmolly.com/friendsfd.html

    Dancing in the Capitol District web page:  http://home.earthlink.net/~bertleft/dance/danceinfo.htm

    Country Dance and Song Society:  //www.cdss.org

    Hudson Mohawk Traditional Dancers web page was http://www.berkshire.net/~flurry/

    Hi! I just discovered that you have a dance listing on the pickingandsinging.org website. Please update the HMTD website shown there to danceflurry.org.
    Info about the Albany and Saratoga contradances is outdated, and I will notify those coordinators about it. We have another, new contra dance venue in Glens Falls. I don't know how often you update this listing, but we have dances remaining for March 15 and May 17, 2008. You could list them thusly:
     
    Glens Falls NY Contradances
    3rd Sat. in March and May--7:40 basics, 8pm dance at Temple Beth El, 3 Marion Ave. See danceflurry.org. Info 793-2781.  
     
    Thanks--Bill Schwarz, HMTD/Flurry board member. Feb 2008
     
    The DanceFlurry Organization (the dba for Hudson-Mohawk Traditional Dances, Inc.)

    Dance Flury www.danceflurry.org/

    Hudson Valley Folk Guild  has its web site up now, at http://www.hvfg.org/

    Glenn Weiser's Web Site http://www.celticguitarmusic.com/ articles written by Glenn Weiser for Acoustic Guitar and Acoustic Musician, celtic and blues discographies, links galore and reviews.

    HomespunOccasions http://www.homespunoccasions.com/ Wholesome and natural merrymaking for your fete, frolic, festivity or forum - With Paul Rosenberg and friends

    Troy Society for Creative Anachronism:
            http://www.wrpi.edu/dept/union/sca/homepage/shire/html This link seems to have gone stale.
    Try:  Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc.  The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is an international organization dedicated to researching and recreating pre-17th-century European history.

    Gail Griffith & Terry Klein (off the air temporarily, come back in a bit) Gail teaches and calls traditional and historic dances from America, England, Wales, and Canada.  She teaches traditional dancing to people with disabilities. Her site includes a music and dance biography. Daylily is the name of the band that Gail plays in.   They play English, Early American, and Victorian dance tunes (and sing the songs) geg@taconic.net
     

    Capital District (NY) Folk News
    has moved to http://groups.yahoo.com/list/capdist-folknews/
     A moderated list for quick communication among *all* of the Capital District folk/traditional arts groups. I'd like to make this a communications bridge for all the organizations: PSG, Old Songs, Lena's, 8th Step, Hudson-Mohawk Traditional Dances, Inc., Black Crow, and all the other presenting organizations.  (Jake Bryan)
        Group email addresses:

    Post Message capdist-folknews@eGroups.com (may be out of date)
    Subscribe  capdist-folknews-subscribe@eGroups.com
    Unsubscribe capdist-folknews-unsubscribe@eGroups.com
    List owner capdist-folknews-owner@eGroups.com

    Festivals

    www.musi-cal.com a very good/complete Calendar of Concerts.


     update 9feb08, 25jan08, 28dec07, 170ct07, 15sep07, 24aug07,12-jul-07,6-jun-07, 1-may-07,19-apr-07, 26-mar-2007,10-mar-07,10jan07,nov 06, 25jul06, 27mar06, 5-feb06, 21jan06, 28dec05, 14-oct-05, 18jun05,4-mar05, 21-feb-05, 13-dec-04, 30-jul-04, 22-Dec-2003, 27-jun-03, 7-June-03, 4-june-03, 2-Apr-03, 21-jan-03, 15-Jan-03, 8-jan-03, 22--oct-02, 17-Jun-02, 13-feb-02, 07-feb-02, 03-jan-02, 10-aug-01, 8-june-01, 2-june-2001, 14-may-2001, Mar 23, Mar 16, 2001, Nov 27, Nov 12 2000, Apr 1-00,Mar 28-00, Dec 8 99, Aug 9, 1999 June 18, 1999, May 10, 1999 -howie
    & gail geg@taconic.net (she made me do it :-)



     
    Moved to new host: damngoodband.com Feb 3, 2003.  Many thanks to Torey Adler.