Tyson's 'MountainFolk'
To Present Music Here

"Harmonizing the beauty of the music, the mountains and the folk."

This is the "core passion and belief" of MountainFolk, a new non-profit organization which hopes to present at least three concerts in Central Vermont over the next nine months.

MountainFolk's first show was a concert recently in Tunbridge of the Scottish band, Old Blind Dogs.

MountainFolk draws on the extensive presenting background of Founder/Artistic Director, Todd Tyson, who started a similar folkventure (1996) in southeast PA known as the TurtleDove Folk.

MountainFolk, Tyson said, is an outgrowth of the Montpelier-based Live Art, which was run for a few years by Kristina Stykos of Chelsea.

Since 1996, Tyson has pursued an artistic mission of "Peace Through Music" by organizing or collaborating on well over 100 concerts.

Artists he has featured included performers as diverse as John Gorka, Nickel Creek, Hans Theessink, Crooked Still, Johnny Cunningham, Dar Williams, Tom Rush, Nashville Bluegrass Band, Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer, Harry Manx, Old Blind Dogs, Kim Richey, the Holmes Brothers, Patty Larkin, Guy Davis, Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem, Laura Love, Zubot & Dawson, the Phil Ochs Song Night, Ellis Paul, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Tom Paxton, Bela Fleck, Dougie Maclean, Ruthie Foster, Salamander Crossing, the McDades, and Barachois.

"Building community has always been integral to the diffusion of folk music," Tyson said, "and MountainFolk is committed to forging lasting ties with its supporters, members and business underwriters."

MountainFolk's no frills operating philosophy "depends on adventurous listeners, word-of-mouth publicity and a community that is interested in a nurturing, sustainable non-hierarchical way of treading gently on Mother Earth," he said.

Besides the Old Blind Dogs, he said, MountainFolk will definitely present Canadian bluesman Harry Manx on Feb. 10.

MountainFolk is seeking annual memberships at two levels in addition to business support.