THE GETAWAY

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ABOUT THE GETAWAY

The Getaway is an amazing weekend-long party of folks who love to sing, play and listen to folk music. We come together in a lovely riverside retreat to join together in making music, sharing what we bring and learning from friends old and new. There will be workshops, sing-arounds, sign-up concerts, music and conversations at all hours. Participation is encouraged at any level comfortable to you in a supportive and welcoming environment. Old and new songs and tunes, recitations and stories, along with information on historical contexts and insights, have filled the Getaway, along with conversation and laughter, for more than half a century. Come be a part of the fun!

Please help us out by spreading the word! We are a community with a shared belief in the power and importance of preserving the living traditions of music and we know that each generation must rely on the next to continue and enhance this heritage. We hope that we can — with your help — reach out to a broader crowd of multi-generational peers in the folk tradition who may not know of the Getaway. Folks of all ages and orientations are most welcome to join us!

Our guests this year include Michael and Carrie Kline, Brian Dolphin and Elizabeth LaPrelle and Sandy LaPrelle, Pete the Spy, George Stephens and Kathy Westra Stephens, and Bob and Jeanne Zentz.

Our covid protocols last year were very successful. There were no cases reported during or immediately following the weekend. For now, we intend to follow the same protocol: test some time during the week before the Getaway, test upon arrival at the camp, and test Saturday afternoon before dinner. We will be assessing the situation and finalizing details closer to the event.

See last year’s Getaway schedule of events here. The upcoming Getaway is likely to be similar, and last year’s events may stimulate you to think of workshops or sessions you’d like to have in 2025.

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Questions about the Getaway contact Getawaychair@fsgw.org

Our 2025 Guests

 Sandy LaPrelle, Elizabeth LaPrelle, and Brian Dolphin

Elizabeth LaPrelle is a world-renowned ballad singer from rural Virginia. Her husband Brian Dolphin is a songwriter, producer, and ethnomusicologist who has studied folk music all over the world. Sandy LaPrelle (Elizabeth's Mom) brings her family's musical heritage and a fine voice to round out this excellent trio.

Bob Zentz has been a notable figure in the folk world for decades, both as a multi-instrumentalist himself and as the proprietor of Ramblin' Conrad's -- a well-known source for all things folkie in the Norfolk, Virginia area.  Jeanne, a scholar, fine singer, and ukulele player, has joined him in recent years to make a wonderful duo.

 Jeanne and Bob Zentz 

Carrie and Michael Kline

Michael Kline and Carrie Nobel met in western Massachusetts and soon discovered a shared love of social activism, folklife documentation and old-time singing. Michael was staff folklorist for the Pioneer Valley Folklore Society (PVFS) conducting field research in a rapidly changing Connecticut River Valley. Carrie was an organizer and events planner for the Institute for Community Economics helping to create affordable housing nationwide through community land trusts. They used to live among West Virginia mountains, and know a whole lot about Appalachian folklore, too.

Pete the Spy was a constant presence at FSGW events throughout the 70”s. If folks were singing, Pete was there, onstage or hanging out, leading or adding his voice to everything, from sea chanties to English country songs. At late night singing, in camp cabins, living rooms and kitchens, at folk festivals, and, every year, at the Getaway, Pete was there, adding his voice, and his intelligence and wit, to the mix .Always welcoming, frequently part of craziness and fun, Pete the Spy both helped form, and embodied, the spirit of FSGW in those early years. We are delighted to welcome him back! His real name can only be revealed on a need-to-know basis, if you’ll swear to secrecy.

Pete the Spy

George Stephens and Kathy Westra Stephens

George Stephens and Kathy Westra Stephens perform a large repertoire of songs from traditional sources, as well as from contemporary songwriters whose music reflects the folksong traditions of North America, Australia, and Great Britain. Now living in Owls Head, Maine, after many years in the D.C. area, Kathy’s career as an environmental and conservation writer, and George’s long career as a scientist with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have also inspired the duo to sing songs that express an appreciation for the wild places that provide refuge from our busy lives, and the urgent need to conserve our lands, waters and natural resources for future generations.

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