Grounds for Music: The Tribes Gather on Common Ground—A Celebration of the Creative Community
Legendary Volunteer Tribe member Rose B. has heART on her mind and a smile on her face.
C3A’s 6th annual Grounds for Music tripped the light fantastic last Saturday, attracting tribe members from all over the region to Wagontown to enjoy great live music, a gorgeous day, people-watching, food and ice cream, lush views, nifty vendors and each other. Greg and I work for months to put the event together, so the day of whizzes by in lightyear time. This year we had help from the network of young musicians and fans who staged the serendipitous SpringScape here in April. They added an extra dimension: new music, new visitors, new volunteers, new tribes. Plus theatrical makeup artist Suefoo added delicious face paintings to add peace paint and adorn the crowd even more.
I say tribes because it was a wonderful mash-up of looks, ages, and approaches to music that really meshed. There were the legendary C3A volunteers who have been w/ us from the beginning: Andrew R., Rose—now bringing her younger sis Tabitha into the fold—Andrew M. and City Babe. Another legendary volunteer was now missing from our lives; Steve Keck had left us this past April, and in his memory we decided to stage a hula hoop contest with the collected crowd donations going to Gaudenzia Inc. addictions treatment centers. Steve’s Mom Sherry said a few words and then an all-ages assortment of hip shakin’ ensued. It was just so fun and colorful and Greg and I knew Steve was lookin’ on with great pleasure. Unfortunately I was never too good at hulas and that has not changed. Look for pictures coming later.
Other tribes: Besides the rainbow-hued Hula hoop tribe, there were GfM’s usual suspects—old friends; new friends and business associates; Wagontown neighbors curious about all the fuss who finally stop in; the 20- and 30-something SpringScape /West Chester buds who’ve all known each other from h.s. or college in the area sporting tribe tie-dye colors and clothing that took me back to my college days. Loved it. Then the tribe of musicians of many talented stripes and generations. I dug that the boomer players liked the SpringScape talent and vice versa. Multi-gen groove mashup! Parents of performers and volunteers were their own much-appreciated tribe too.
Acts were showcased on a new stage built for the event, with a huge canopy sporting the largest tarp we’d ever see—seemed big enuf for Citizens Bank park and engulfed our backyard when it was laid out before it was levitated onto the labryinth of PVC pipe and guidewires. SpringScaper Howie executed his vision w/ great effort and it really looked impressive. We didn’t have the budget for a big stage or canopy, and esp. seeing that the weather would cooperate, but he wanted it big. It took 3 days of grueling work on Howie and a few (too few) others parts , and at one point Greg and I found ourselves being extra stage hands —handing up tools and and holding up pipes in the pouring rain late Thursday night when we shoulda been in bed. But somehow w/ grizzly duct tape and prayers it held.
SpringScape/GfM ‘11 partner and hula instructor Emma getting her groove on.
To ensure volunteers to help cleanup and dismantle the jigsaw puzzle stage, we invited people to camp out around the property Sat. night with the promise of breakfast the next morning. Getting to bed pretty late, much too early I blearily answer a call from chief chef and SpringScape/GfM’11 partner Emily that the cleanup natives were restless and wanted grub. Much to our surprise, the whole property was already cleaned up except for the stage area and outdoor tents and chairs. Within an hour after eating, it was all dismantled and stored away for the next stab at insanity. Miraculous!! It truly was a celebration of the creative community of Chester County and beyond. A true alignment of the (real) stars of this country.
