(Unfortunely this Gathering got canceled)Pan Pagan Gathering, Seal Rock, OR, October 24-26

I will be running a workshop at this mini Pagan gathering.

Americana, a American Bardic Tradition?

This workshop will be on the rich storytelling root music of this land that has blended together to become known as Americana. We will trace Americana back to the Scots-Irish who brought their music to the Appalachian Mountains, the music of the slaves and the other immigrants who shared their music. We will look at Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass that was born out of the Kentucky Mountains. We will travel the musical mountains to look at the works of Doc Watson, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, right up to the Grateful Dead. We will look at the explosive revival of mountain music and storytelling after Jerry Garcia's death and the Festie movement. We will look closely at the storytelling & myth making tradition (American Folklore) that has evolved and how it relates to todays Pagan community and how we can solidify it into a American Bardic tradition, rich with it's own history. We will also look a little at the rich modern Pagan Folk music coming out of the British Isles and what we can learn from it. Bring your stories, instruments, notebooks and pens. We don't have to try to sound like Irish, Scottish or Welsh music to be Bards. We have our own rich storytelling music. We have Americana.

Bio:
Joseph "Gypsy" Villalobos has been a practicing Pagan for 28 years and a practicing Druid for 25 (member of ADF last 8) of them. 5 years prior to converting to Paganism, Joseph heard and fell in love with the great Bards of Jethro Tull. A year after finding the Goddess he went to his first Grateful Dead show, and his love of storytelling, myth making music begun, with over 10 years of being on tour following the Dead. Joseph managed the band Woven for a short period in the late 90's and later was a local Promoter in Portland, OR. His best friend and guitarist of Twisted Whistle (formerly of Woven/Folkrum), Matthew "Guitar Matt" Franzen, 12 years ago turned him onto Bluegrass. This began Joseph journey into the roots of American music. Joseph currently resides in Portland, OR where he is going to school to become a Master Herbalist. When not working at music festivals, he can be found at a Twisted Whistle show or out in the woods or on the river learning to play his Mandolin or wildcrafting herbs.

It is a sad day for me. Don't have much desire to do anything but spending the day in deep meditation and prayer to Airmid. At 8am this morning, the man who had the greatest influence on my life for the past 20+ years stepped across the veil to join the Kindred. Though I know Isaac constantly reminded us that even Archdruids are fallible, I still can't help but feel otherwise. I took it for granted that he would always be with us. The last time I spoke to him, he was excited about moving to Ashland, OR and I was excited that he was. That I would get to sit beside him often and pick his brain for eternity. I can't begin to explain the wave of pain at his lost hitting the Pagan community right now, even though we knew it was coming.

It was not long ago we almost lost another of our great Elders, Oberon Zell. The Gods have seen fit to spare the community such a blow. And lets not forget his beloved, Morning Glory, who I feel took Doreen Valiente's place as our communities great matriarch (I feel she shares that title with Selena Fox) when Doreen past. She has been struggling with her own health.

Kids, I can't stress it enough. I know you're all so fiercely independent and bawk at deferring to Elders. It goes against your generation rebellious nature. But please learn all you can before anymore of the Elders pass from this realm. It's time to put aside the play acting as a Pagan and using it as a prop or fashion. It's time to reach for excellence.

I now join hands spiritually with my generation as we mourn the passing of one of the teachers who played such a major role in our generation's spiritual growth.