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Keeping The Music Alive Light years from the high-voltage commercialism of Aerosmith, Justin Timberlake, and 50 Cent beats the healthy heart of a simpler music scen Its musicians don’t arrive in airplanes, to be whisked away to the closest five-star; artists make their own travel arrangements, occasionally bunking overnight at the promoter’s modest Scugog home. Its devotees don’t reserve seats over the internet through an agency, or line up for wristbands; the shows’ promoters set aside tickets at the door on the strength of a phone call without requiring a credit card. Its venues don’t double as sports stadiums; a 100-seat community hall, arranged cabaret-style, provides an intimate atmosphere between performers and audience. “Roots music is definitely a niche market,” said Mogens Galberg, head of the Greenbank Folk Music Society (GFMS). “The artists aren’t motivated by money or trying to become part of the ‘star-making machinery.’ They’re talented, often laid- back people who just want to remain working in the music business for a lifetit “ music” "draws its influences from diverse cultural backgrounds: Celtic, African, Mountain, and Klezmer (a style of eastern European Jewish origin) all expert influence on the genre. Mogens offers a less complicated explanation of its origins. “It’s ‘kitchen’ music,” he said. “The kind you'd make up in your home with a group of friends. But it does contain all those traditional elements, and those formed the beginnings of modern music.” The Greenbank Folk Music Society brings folk acts regularly to the village’s Centennial Community Hall, drawing an audience, according to Mogens, from “Bowmanville to Lake Simcoe, even Toronto.’ The GFMS traces back its beginning sixteen years when Mogens and fel- low organizer George Rizsanyi drove home together after attending similar concerts at Oshawa’s Vital Spark Folk Club. The pair agreed that no such outlet existed in their area, though the demand might. What they knew did exist was a local hall with great acoustics which could serve as a perfect venue for their vision Their energy supplied the remaining ingredient, and a non-profit organi- zation was born. Over time, the Society has prospered, swelling to include a sizable group of dedicated volunteers. ‘ge and I chose the word ‘society’ at first because we thought it sounded wool, But our group’s really become an entity over time. Everyone knows his job and the work gets done well with little discussion.” The current list of organizers includes some with specific, valuable skills. Rene Demers, a graphic artist, creates posters, art, and prints tickets. Don Mitchell, an accountant, keeps the books. But more requirements need to be satisfied in order to make the evenings a success. Brian Logan provides media contact. Tony Burns keeps the group’s website updated. Mario Panici, Dean Mitchell, and Cathy Galberg work on setup, cleanup, and tend the door on show nights, while Jane Demers sells raf- fle tickets inside. That leaves central communication and bookings to Mogens. His choices Please turn to page 10 Mogens Galberg, top, has been operating the Greenbank Folk Music Society concerts for the past 13 years. He is seen below with Stephen Fearing, a recent performer at the group’s monthly concerts. REIN K inte ce) _ SOc IETY