history

Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society - A History

Blueberry Bluegrass Festival, Stony Plain, AB August 1997:

Howard: We should do something like this in Red Deer.

Donald: Yup.

Blueberry Bluegrass Festival, Stony Plain, AB August 1998:

Howard: We should do something like this in Red Deer.

Donald: Yup.

Blueberry Bluegrass Festival, Stony Plain, AB August 1999:

Howard: We should do something like this in Red Deer.

Donald: Yup.

Blueberry Bluegrass Festival, Stony Plain, AB August 2000:

Howard: Either we get something started in Red Deer or we stop talking about it.

Donald: Yup.

The above excerpts of scintillating conversations form the foundation from which the Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society was established.

In August 2000, after kicking the idea around for several years, Howard Wurban and Donald Teplyske set the wheels in motion. Howard called around and found someone who would let us use a meeting room for free. A small notice was placed in the Red Deer Advocate newspaper. It read:

Plans are afoot for the formation of a non-profit bluegrass music society in Central Alberta. An initial meeting is set for Sept. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Court House, 4836 Ross St., Red Deer. Depending on the turnout, a board of directors will be elected and plans will begin for an October concert. For more information…

And away we went.

Twenty people showed up at that initial meeting. After introductions were made, an open discussion ensued. It quickly became apparent that the people around the table were interested in pursuing the idea of a bluegrass society.

Plans were made for the filing of society papers and the new society was christened, at the suggestion of Beverly and Rod Soonias, as the Waskasoo Bluegrass Society. Several individuals purchased memberships in the Society for $10 each. The Founders of the Society were:

Howard Wurban; Donald Teplyske; Karen Jackson: Jack Paget; Philomena Paget; Billy Rhicard; Ruth Seibel; Terry Snyder; Rodney Soonias; Beverly Soonias; Garry Taylor; Ray Baird; Bob Corkum; Murray Larson; Rick Moore; and Suzanne Moore.

Howard Wurban was elected president. Donald Teplyske was elected vice-president and treasurer. Karen Jackson was elected secretary. Garry Taylor, Bob Corkum, and Terry Snyder volunteered for the Board. It was decided that the Society would host its first jam on October 4.

The Board of Directors lost no time in holding their first meeting on September 13. At this time, Rod Soonias was named to the Board. It was decided that members would rent a table at the next few Farmer’s Markets in Red Deer to help promote the Society. A mission statement for the Society was established: “To encourage, promote, and showcase bluegrass music in Central Alberta.” It was further decided that we hold our first concert November 4.

Several Board members manned the Farmer’s Market booth, amid inclement, freezing and blowing weather three Saturdays and attracted a great deal of interest from passersby. An added bonus was the coverage the Society received from the local media; both Red Deer Life and the Red Deer Express produced feature stories on the formation of the Society.

The first jam went ahead on October 5 after the Elks donated their hall in downtown Red Deer. A passel of folks showed up at this event and the jam was very successful. Among the people who showed up were some bluegrass pickers from Edmonton who drove down to help set the pace. Additional memberships were sold, as were tickets to the first Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society concert. (‘Music’ was added to the Society’s name to avoid confusion that we were an organization of sod producers.)

Initially, the Edmonton-based bluegrass band Critical Grass agreed to appear at our first fundraising event. Their generousity was greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, due to an illness within Critical Grass, they had to bow out of the show. Another Edmonton-based band, Lonesome And Then Some stepped in and, on a promise of gas money and pizza, agreed to headline our first concert and lead our second jam.

The weather had been beautiful for the last several days and the morning of November 4 dawned brightly. And then the icy northern winds blew. And blew. By three o’clock, organizers were worried no one would show. Nonetheless, the cluttered stage was cleared. The band arrived after braving Highway 2. Murray Larson set up the sound system. Lonesome And Then Some did their sound check.

And we waited. Would anyone arrive?

They did. Through sleet and wind, ice, and snow, bluegrass fans came.

As a letter to the editors of the Red Deer Express and Red Deer Advocate stated:

On the first night that the icy northern winds blew through Central Alberta, the warm sound of Lonesome And Then Some considerably warmed the atmosphere at the Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society’s first ever concert.

Edmonton’s Lonesome And Then Some was the perfect band to headline the Society’s inaugural concert November 4 in Red Deer. This five-piece band performed two terrific sets of well-crafted standards, cleverly chosen contemporary covers, and a handful of originals for an enthusiastic audience numbering very close to 100.

The Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society wishes to thank all who showed their faith in alternative music choices by purchasing tickets and attending this event. Also, sincere thanks to Lonesome And Then Some for so generously giving of their time to help us start our endeavour successfully…

Society members who are also musicians very much enjoyed the acoustic jam that followed the concert. Many other audience members stayed to enjoy this chance to hear friends playing with the talented musicians from Lonesome And Then Some.

As they left the warm confines of the hall, everyone had smiles on their faces, giving promise to future concerts.

101 tickets were sold for that concert and, while not everyone was able to attend, the money raised from the event gave us the financial wherewithal to attempt more events. By the end of the night, we were 44 members strong.

Things progressed quickly.

The first edition of the Society newsletter was published (with the clever name Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society Newsletter!) and sent to members. Positive press coverage in local newspapers continued. Sponsors of the Society were found- Parkland Mall, the Music Station, A&B Sound, Acoustic Guitar Store, and Hard Bodies Gym.

Karen Jackson resigned from the Board and was replaced by Ray Baird. Jams continued to occur monthly, eventually moving to the Clearview Meadows Community Centre. It was decided that future concerts would be held at Festival Hall. Jerusalem Ridge was booked for a February concert attended by over 250 people and John Reischman and the Jaybirds appeared in April for about 170 people. The Jaybirds offered our members our first set of instrumentation workshops.

Our jams came to follow an established pattern that proved successful. Various members- including, but not limited to, Dale Baden, Brain Beairsto, Rick Moore, Tom Thievan, Dean Owen, and Larry Seutter- took leadership roles to lead the jams.

By the time the third newsletter was published it had a real name, That High Lonesome Sound. Candy Hawley came to serve on the Board beginning in March and Joy Taylor joined in May. David Ward’s production of O Brother…A Concert (featuring Bill Lupushinsky and Craig Korth of Jerusalem Ridge, Lonesome And then Some, Julie Kerr, Maria Dunn, Dawn Anderson, Steve Pineo, and the Cousins) was presented at the Memorial Centre and attracted close to 300 people. An informal summer jam was held at the Clear Springs Campground near Caroline the second weekend of August. The next week, Vancouver band Slowdrag (with the Northern Bluegrass Band opening) appeared at Festival Hall with over 100 people in attendance. By the end of the first season, the Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society had 107 members.

One initiative of the WBMS was to encourage bluegrass music organizations from around Alberta to come together to share information and work in concert to promote bluegrass music. On June 30, 2001, representatives of the Northern Circle Bluegrass Music Society (Edmonton), Foothills Bluegrass Music Society (Calgary), Bow Valley Bluegrass Society (Canmore), the Shady Grove Bluegrass Festival, and the Blueberry Bluegrass Festival gathered in Red Deer to form the Alberta Bluegrass Societies group. This loose amalgam of clubs strives to work in unison to attract top-level bluegrass talent to Alberta, and to share information of successes and challenges. The group meets two to three times a year.

The second season of the Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society began with Founders Certificates being presented by Rob McCoy to all Society Founders at the annual general meeting, September 6, 2001. Ray Baird chose not to seek re-election while all other Board members stayed on. Suzanne Moore was elected as a Director. The Bob Corkum Memorial Library, comprised of bluegrass compact discs and magazines, was established in memory of WBMS Founder and Director Bob Corkum who passed away in May.

Concerts held during the second season were very successful. With Festival Hall unavailable, St. Luke’s Anglican Church was the setting for the return of Lonesome And Then Some. Joining Lonesome And Then Some was a new trio, Down To The Wood. The church was packed to capacity (and then some) and the show was very successful. In February, our first American-based act, the Lynn Morris Band came to Festival Hall and performed a stunning show for 250 audience members. Their performance set new standards for bluegrass music in Red Deer. This show was only possible because the WBMS was able to work with our friends in Edmonton and Calgary to present the band. The Lonesome Brothers- David Ward and Rob Baker- opened the evening with a brief set. The final concert of the second season was extremely successful as Down To The Wood made a stunning return for a full concert. The trio was again well received and was afforded two encores by the audience of 150.

Jams continued to be very successful with a ‘slow jam’ developing which allowed our members to hone their skills. Interest in bluegrass music continued to spread through Central Alberta. A monthly Innisfail jam started, first at a local coffee house before moving to the Church of the Nazarene. Membership was 135 members for 2001-2002. House jams continued to develop as did ‘house’ bands. Finally, www.waskasoobluegrass.com came online in April 2002. In August, the second annual Waskasoo JamFest was held in Bashaw. This free, three-day event featured a band scramble, jamming, an open stage, and really, really bad weather! However, the event was deemed a success as hundreds of people attended.

The third season of the Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society began at our Annual General Meeting in September. At this time, our first Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Isabel Beauchamp, a tireless worker for the Society. Also, the new board was elected for the 2002-03 season. Suzanne Moore chose not to seek re-election while Howard Wurban was acclaimed to his third term as President. Terry Snyder was acclaimed as Vice- President. Gale McCoy and Jenny Helgren were acclaimed as Treasurer and Secretary, respectively. Directors acclaimed were Dale Baden, Scott Barnabé, Isabel Beauchamp (all first term), and Garry Taylor and Donald Teplyske (both third term.)

In short order, Jenny Helgren began organizing Rocky Mountain House jams. Scott Barnabé began investigating grant opportunities, and Isabel set about increasing our membership numbers.

Four concerts were held, all at Festival Hall, during the 2002-2003 season. British Columbia band, Canadian Whitewater attracted an audience of nearly 150 for a tight, traditional bluegrass concert that kicked our season off on the right note. We took a break from concerts until February when Alberta band Restless Lester came to town. About 175 people took in this concert. Restless Lester proved that Alberta bands are every bit as talented and entertaining as the 'big name' acts. In March, Dry Branch Fire Squad blew through Alberta, leaving 220 people open-mouthed at the shear energy expelled by Ron Thomason and his cohorts. Our third concert season was rounded out by Frontline, a talented young band from the Pacific Northwest, who performed mightily for an audience of just under 150. The Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society was pleased that so many people attended our concerts during the winter and early spring months.

The Board of Directors, on behalf of the members of the Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society, would like to express their sincere thanks and gratitude to the City of Red Deer, The Red Deer and District Community Foundation, the Culture Charter Partners, and Culture Development Superintendent Kerry Dawson. In November 2002 the WBMS made application under the City of Red Deer's Fee-For-Service Program. Adjudications were completed at the end of February 2003 and the Society was granted $2,600.00.

The Fee-For-Service Program provides operational funding to organizations that provide unique cultural activities that benefit Red Deer and area residents. The funds are earmarked for activities that will raise the profile of our organization in the community, for example advertising, promotion, newsletters, and mail-outs. We hope that our efforts will result in increased membership, jam participation and concert attendance.

Scott Barnabé was largely responsible for us receiving this much-appreciated grant.

In December 2002, Sue Malcolm made the trip from British Columbia to lead our first slow jam workshop. Just over twenty musicians attended this event, which has had a lasting, positive impact on our jams. At around this same time, we finally gave in, admitted we had outgrown our previous jam home, and made the move across town to the Bower-Kin Hall. And, while this location is not perfect for our needs, it did allow more elbowroom for the jamming circle and the ever-increasing audience.

JamFest 2003 was a great success with over one hundred camping units on site for the weekend. Daily attendance was impressive as was the talent displayed on the stage. Jamming was the order of the weekend as lots of folks took advantage of the nice weather to pick long into the evenings. Many thanks to all who made the weekend such a great time.

As 2002-2003 season drew to a close, we had attained 192 members for the season, a 35% increase over the previous year! Our concerts had been very successful, and jam attendance remained strong. We again were able to support CKUA during their fundraising campaign. Our newsletter continued to be well received, and the website, despite Donald's best efforts to the contrary, has remained up and running. We have continued to meet with the Directors of the other Alberta bluegrass societies. We are looking toward a positive future, with a strong Board guiding the Society toward its fourth season.

Thanks need to be liberally expressed to all the members, volunteers, supporters, and sponsors of the Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society.

The fourth season of the Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society began at our Annual General Meeting in September. At this time, our second Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Donald Teplyske, a founder and involved volunteer with the Society. Our first Lifetime Membership was awarded to Waskasoo Bluegrass founder and outgoing President, Howard Wurban. Howard was presented a Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society Lifetime Membership Vest in recognition of his contributions to the Society during our first three years.

Also, the new board was elected for the 2003-04 season. Donald Teplyske was acclaimed as President. Scott Barnabé was acclaimed as Vice- President. Gale McCoy was acclaimed as Treasurer. Directors acclaimed were Isabel Beauchamp (second term), and Elsa Nielson and Rich Roberts (both first term.)

The Red Deer jam again moved, this time to the Michener Recreation Centre. We held two fall concerts featuring amazing Canadian and American talent. John Reischman & the Jaybirds attracted 199 for their October concerts while a double bill of Alberta acts- Down To The Wood and Tragically Hick- drew a respectable 132. For the DTTW/TH November concert, we contracted Hatch Show Print of Nashville, Tennessee to create an original concert poster. The results were staggering and these large posters, featuring woodblock letters and design of another era, were much admired as collectables.

The first three years of the Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society have been filled with successes and challenges. If the momentum generated in the Society’s first three years can be maintained, the future for bluegrass music in Central Alberta looks very bright.

And Donald still says “Yup,” to all of Howard’s ideas!