National Stage
Season Finale
Emerging Artists Showcase with Sam Robbins
May 11 $15 (free for members). Tickets available at the door. Optional dinner tickets can also be purchased at the door.
6:00 PM start time
Sam Robbins is often described as an "old soul singer songwriter." A Nashville based musician whose music evokes classic 70's singer songwriters like James Taylor and Neil Young, Sam adds a modern, upbeat edge to the storyteller troubadour persona. An avid performer, he has gained recognition from extensive touring and as one of the six 2021 winners in the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk competition, one of the largest and most prestigious songwriting competitions in the country.
A multi-instrumentalist from a young age, Sam began learning drums and piano, falling in love with guitar at age 13. He then started writing original music, recording his first CD during his sophomore year of high school, while playing open mics in his hometown of Portsmouth, NH.
Sam is a full time troubadour, playing over 150 shows a year across the country, including the MainStage at the Kerrville Folk Festival, the Dripping Springs Songwriter’s Festival, and as one of the “‘Most Wanted to Return” artists in the 2023 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.
Since moving to Nashville in September 2019 following his graduation from Berklee College of Music, Sam has made a splash in music city - performing at the Bluebird Cafe within a month of moving, and sitting in again at the legendary venue with Liz Longley in February, and was a winner at the Eddie's Attic Songwriter's shootout competition in Atlanta in early March 2020.
In 2018, Sam was able to audition on NBC's The Voice for Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton and Jennifer Hudson as the first artist to perform a Jim Croce song on the show.
Sam considers himself a student of songwriting, constantly searching and learning about why songs have the impact they do. A 2019 graduate of Berklee College of Music's songwriting department, he has hosted many songwriting workshops and masterclasses, including at the Harvard Music Department and the Boys & Girls Club of Boston. In his performances and workshops, Sam explores the magic behind the craft of songwriting, and tries to help others express themselves through the unique and powerful medium of songwriting.
Sam's second album, Bigger Than in Between, was released in August 2022 to critical acclaim.
Website: https://samrobbinsmusic.com/home
National Stage
Livingston Taylor
opening
April 27th $33-36
Livingston Taylor picked up his first guitar at the age of 13, which began a more than 50-year career that has encompassed performance, songwriting, and teaching. Born in Boston and raised in North Carolina, Livingston is the fourth child in a very musical family that includes Alex, James, Kate, and Hugh. Livingston Taylor’s career has encompassed performance, songwriting, and teaching. Described as "equal parts Mark Twain, college professor, and musical icon, Livingston maintains a performance schedule of more than a hundred shows a year, delighting audiences with his charm and vast repertoire of his 22 albums and popular classics. Livingston has written top-40 hits recorded by his brother James Taylor and has appeared with Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, and Jimmy Buffet. He is equally at home with a range of musical genres - folk, pop, gospel, jazz - and from upbeat storytelling and touching ballads to full orchestra performances. In addition to his performance schedule, Livingston has been a full professor at Berklee College of Music for 30 years, passing on the extensive knowledge gained from his long career on the road to the next generation of musicians. Liv is an airplane-flying, motorcycle-riding, singing storyteller, delighting audiences with his charm for over 50 years.
From top 40 hits “Carolina Day,” “Get out of Bed,” “I Will Be in Love with You” and “I’ll Come Running,” to “I Can Dream of You” and “Boatman,”( the last two recorded by his brother James), Livingston’s creative output has continued unabated. His musical knowledge has inspired a varied repertoire, and he is equally at home with a range of musical genres—folk, pop, gospel, jazz. You can also find Livingston performing with a full symphony orchestra.
For over three decades, Livingston taught at the Berklee College of Music where he created a course on Stage Performance.Former students include Charlie Puth, Liz Longely, John Mayer, Molly Tuttle,Gavin McGraw, Susan Tedesci, Matt Cusson, Grace Kelly, Clay Cook, and Betty Who. Livingston now takes his course “ on the road” and teaches at a variety of colleges and institutions,including the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, NASA’s Goddard Space Center, and Tulane Law School among others. His book, Stage Performance, based on his course and 50+ years (5,000+ hours) of real and practical on stage time has become the go to book for those interested in elevating their presentation and performance standards from good to downright to professional.
"Livingston Taylor: Life is Good,” a documentary feature film directed by Tracy Anarella was released in 2018 at national and international film festivals, garnering awards, nominations, and accolades, including The Van Gogh Award for Feature Documentary at the Amsterdam International Film Festival. The film is currently available to the public on Amazon. Click here to watch the trailer.
Also in 2019, American Public television filmed and released “Livingston Taylor Live from Sellersville Theater: Songs and Stories" which broadcast across PBS stations nationally and featured Matt Cusson and Chelsea Berry, both former students and touring musicians.
Website: https://livingstontaylor.com/
Guest Curator Series
Curator: Dave Kaspar
The Jam/Jazz Fusion of The Count Blastula Trio
April 20th $16-19
The final show of the Spring 2024 season of #JazzByTheLake showcases The Jam/ Jazz Fusion of The Count Blastula Trio. For this special 420 presentation, the group will be joined by renown saxophonist Mike Dubaniewicz.
The CBT is lead by guitarist/bassist/ vocalist Adam Fisher. Adam started live performances on piano at age 7. He earned a degree in classical guitar. He currently performs with Count Blastula, the CBT, as well as the bassist for Soul Risen, and guitarist for area favorites Grupo Pagan.
Keyboardist Dan Pugh is a second generation CNY Jazz performer. He is a sought after musician and plays with Longwood Jazz Project, Taj, his own Trio, and recently founded Lvl 100 as a bassist.
Drummer Dave Schlossberg got his start in the NYC music scene. He has worked with such notables as Gregg Allman, Peter Levin, and the Blind Boys of Alabama. Dave currently holds the kit for both the CBT and Count Blastula.
Special guest saxophonist Mike Dubaniewicz was the bandleader for Maynard Ferguson's Big Band for seven years. He currently performs with many area groups including The Central New York Jazz Orchestra, and his own group Trio Explosivo.
This is presented by The Ontario Center for the Performing Arts Guest Curator Program, made possible in part by The New York Council on the Arts.
Guest Curator Series
Curator: Ann Buchau
Music, Movement & Mindfulness
April 19th Door $20, Advance $15, Students $10
7:00 start time (doors open at 6:30, 8:30 refreshments)
Experience an evening of live music, movement and mindfulness in a special curated event at the Oswego Music Hall! Whether you come for the music, the movement or the relaxation, this unique and memorable event is sure to provide a deep unique experience for all who attend. The music is a collaborative performance, lush with beautiful harmonies and improvisations utilizing traditional and non-traditional instruments performed by Annie Sumi, Travis Knapp, and James Bird.
What to expect: “We hope to inspire and connect people beyond the yoga studio or the traditional music venue with this unique event,” says Ann Buchau, yoga instructor and curator for this event. The Music Hall will exchange their typical cabaret seating for yoga mats to create an informal and intimate connection with the musicians. Chairs will be set up around the perimeter of the room for those not inclined to sit comfortably on the ground. Participants are encouraged to wear loose or comfortable clothing and bring their own mat and props if they have them, (some mats and props will be available). The event will start with some gentle movements led by Ann Buchau of Citya Studios to help stretch, open, prepare the body and clear the mind so that you can fully experience the music. You will then be guided to settle into your choice of a supported restorative pose or a comfortable seated position as you allow the body to integrate the movement into stillness and the music into mindfulness. This musical trio offers an ethereal yet earthy sound, perfect for journeying inward as you allow the sound vibrations to permeate into the tissue and subtle energy body. The result will leave you feeling relaxed, loved and feeling connected to something bigger than yourself. Afterwards enjoy some tea and cookies as you connect and share your experience with this music loving, mindful community.
About the Collaborators:
Annie Sumi is a mixed-race, ethereal-folk artist from Canada. Her music is intimate and expansive, inviting the listener into a familiar otherworld. Inspired by the mirrored relationship between physical and emotional landscapes, Sumi’s music speaks of the human experience through the language of the senses. Website: https://anniesumi.com/home
Travis Knapp was born and raised in central New York, traditional and ancestral homeland of the Haudenosaunee people. Acclaimed versatile and “brilliant musician with a resonant voice,” Knapp offers uplifting song through his mesmerizing clawhammer banjo, piano, and acoustic vibes, as well as other less-conventional instruments. His music is an expression of his deep rooted passion for life, respect for our land and desire to connect it all with community. Website: https://travisknapp.com/about/
James Bird is a facilitator, poet and multi-instrumentalist musician hailing from Shelburne Falls, MA. James aims to invite the magic out of seemingly ordinary moments, using improvisation or one of his many mythic songs, weaving atmospheres that invite us to feel and to remember. Bird is a threshold bard, playing for those journeying through life's many thresholds, including marriage, birth and death. He also teaches "Bardic Embodiment", for those wishing to expand their experience as songwriters and song carriers from the vantage point of the old bards.
Website: https://www.jamesbirdportal.com/about
Ann Buchau is a certified yoga instructor, artist and owner of Citya Studios, living in the Pulaski area creating and inspiring through yoga and art. Buchau integrates various ancient yogic philosophies with a variety of movement practices including gentle, vinyasa, yin, and restorative yoga to help bring balance and harmony to the individual, ultimately, creating a stronger and more loving community through the beautiful transformation of the self. Website: https://www.cityastudios.com/services
National Stage
Big Sky Quartet
April 13th $15-18 (College Students $10)
SUNY Oswego a cappella Group Octavia opens
Well-crafted songs, lush harmonies, and a sound that feels like you’re hanging outside on a warm summer evening. – The Burg Magazine
Big Sky Quartet is an award-winning, original four-piece roots/folk music act based in central Pennsylvania, now in its fifteenth year of music-making and performing throughout the Eastern United States. The band has been recognized for the best harmonies in the region, and recently was awarded Best Trio (2019), Best Folk Band (2021), and the Best Album of the Year in 2021 (Red Fire Rising) by the Central PA Music Awards. All four members come together to bring you music that has been called "beautiful, deep, uplifting, and moving," and "a sound that feels like you're hanging outside on a warm summer evening." And in fact, there's nowhere more the members of Big Sky Quartet would like to be.
Sarah Fiore is the band's lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been writing melody, lyrics, and guitar for the band since its formation in 2008. Named Best Female Artist in 2022 by the Central PA Music Awards, Sarah is known for her prolific stream of stand-out melodies, salt-of-the-earth vocals, and true lyrical artistry. Sarah recently released an original solo album, Appalachia Blues (2023), which showcases Sarah's signature songcraft and production talent. The opening track, Lonesome Sparrow–a bright, folk-pop love song– was selected as a finalist in the 2023 Rocky Mountain Songwriter Contest.
On vocals, accordion, penny whistle, and autoharp, Jason Whetstone brings a depth of musical talent to the group with his professional background in sound engineering and years of experience in theater, singing, and musical collaborations. Brilliant when building harmonies with the group, his ability to play multiple instruments throughout performances is a joy for audiences to experience.
On drums, Kelly McClain is one of the founding members of the group. He brings a unique and powerful energy to the drum kit and lifts the music up to another level with his talents. Entirely self-taught, Kelly brings his passion for music in the styles of blues and roots to the band's folk genre.
On vocals and hand percussion is Jennifer Hara. Her deep love for moving people through music is easily seen and felt on stage with her passionate and powerful voice, and her warm and uplifting energy throughout the performances.
Website: https://bigskyquartet.com/home