Hartford was a writer and guest on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and appeared on the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. In his later career, he performed in the Coen brothers hit movie“ O Brother, Where Art Thou” and in the“ Down from the Mountain” concert the movie inspired. He also provided narration and music for Ken Burns’ s Civil War TV series.
Hartford was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in the late 1980s but continued to write and perform. Even as his condition worsened, he recorded several albums of fiddle music and coauthored a biography of blind fiddler Ed Haley. He died in 2001 at the age of 63.
John Bowyer, whose American Roots duo The Hammer and the Hatchet will be featured in two performances at this year’ s festival, said Hartford, and the upcoming musical gathering in his honor, are unique in their acceptance of musical exploration.“ You can take an old traditional song and really get far out, and nobody’ s going to get mad. It’ s made me realize that what I was writing in my room by myself is acceptable, and that’ s really important as a musician.”
Bowyer has been performing with his guitar and mandolin for 25 years and has hungrily attended each year’ s John Hartford Memorial Festival, where after the stages close, the music simply moves to the campfires. He said listening to and playing music all day, every day during the festival with musicians from as far as Brazil has“ made my music, wow, so much better.”
Burkhart credits part of the festival’ s unique experience to the crowd’ s varied composition.
While the festival entices an older generation of musicians who frequently share stories of watching John Hartford live on TV with Glen Campbell, its family-friendly atmosphere also draws musicloving families with young children. This year, organizers will help entertain the festival’ s youngest attendees with in a tent next to the main stage that will feature face painting, crafts, and more.
“ We’ re just trying to make it great for everybody who comes,” Burkhart said.“ I hear people say all the time it’ s their favorite time of the year, and that’ s what we love to hear.”
Tickets at the gate, if not sold out in advance, will cost $ 50 to 60 for a single-day pass and $ 135 for a four-day ticket. Camping rates are additional. A cash-bar will be available, and attendees 21 years and older also may bring their own alcoholic beverages.
For more information, < johnhartfordmemfest. com >. For tickets, 800-838-3006. •
Pat Fiddle.
SCIENCE continued from 50 him for befriending me, taking me under his wing and helping me get through some of the tough material.“ You’ re never finished learning the science,” he said.“ Learn it, then be out in front of them,” he added. Did he somehow know I’ d later be an educator of the natural sciences? As an afterthought, he said,“ Oh, yeah, and what I did for you, do the same for someone else.”
At the park and over the many years I worked as the naturalist / resource specialist, incorporating science into our decision-making process. How to handle natural resource-related challenges was( is) imperative. Deer harvest numbers and age classes, herbivory, fire behavior and ecology, herbicide treatments, soil types, etc. all utilize the latest science and technology to help managers address critical questions. As a biologist friend said,“ It may not be an exact science— all the variables nature throws at us— but it comes pretty close”.
Supporting science by those who use science is why two upcoming public marches will be held in Washington, D. C. At the time of this writing, my DNR colleagues and I plan to attend the climate rally on April 29. A rally to support science will also be held there on Earth Day a week earlier, April 22. Now more than ever, we see how science determines and adds to the vital information we need to live compatibly on this blue marble floating through space.•
May / June 2017 • Our Brown County 63