American Roots Revue 2014 Five City Legacy Tour
This summer, Community Celebration of Place brought “American Roots Revue” to five outstate Minnesota communities in partnership with homeless shelters, incarceration facilities, and community and veterans organizations.
The mission of the Five-City Tour was to bring musicians to rural Minnesota communities to put on a high-quality performance featuring folk, jazz, R&B, blues, gospel, traditional ‘First Nation’ music and original works.
Each concert featured a song which was collectively written by members of the host community and Larry Long during a two-hour workshop one day prior to the show.
In Duluth, Larry wrote lyrics with incarcerated women in the St. Louis County Jail. The American Roots Revue performance of their song was filmed at the Rhubarb Festival (in memory of Steve O’Neil) and later shown to the incarcerated women who helped compose it.
Here’s the opening verse to their song, It’s Another Day:
I dream of a future sober and bright
Progressively moving towards the light
Free of shackles and jails, addiction and crime
The rattling keys which measures time
Of another day
American Roots Revue brought together several of Minnesota’s most gifted performers and arts educators:
Smithsonian Folkways Recording artist Larry Long, JD Steele (JD and his family, “The Steeles”, have garnered nearly every major music award that Minnesota has to offer), Billy Peterson (bass player, songwriter, composer, session musician, producer, and oldest musical son of the renowned Peterson family), Tonia Hughes (whose vocal style is colored with melodic acrobatics and elements of Gospel, Blues, Jazz, R&B, Rock and Worship), Cory Wong (who has already proven himself to be a standout guitarist/musician in the Twin Cities), Marc Anderson (World percussionist, ethnomusicologist, teacher, composer, grandfather, and bandleader), and Waubanewquay Dorene Day (Traditional Midewiwin Anishinabe Ojibwe Head Woman Singer.)
In St. Cloud, the host organization was HANDS ACROSS THE WORLD. Their mission is to provide learning experiences to newly arrived immigrants and refugees who do not have the language or living skills to thrive in the community. In a classroom environment, they help both children and parents acquire the tools needed to become integrated citizens of Central Minnesota. HANDS ACROSS THE WORLD has served over 1,800 adults and their children since it’s founding in 2003. They serve immigrants from East and West Africa, Central Africa, Ukraine, South America, Central America, Nepal, Vietnam, India, Middle East, Pakistan, Iraq and Mexico. The concert was held at St. Mary's Cathedral for the entire community.
In Cass Lake, the host organization was the Leech Lake Boys & Girls Club in partnership with the Cass Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. Cass Lake is located within the boundaries of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. The town itself has a population count of 770 people, 67.9% of whom are Native American. Approximately 30% of this population is living in poverty and 7.2% are unemployed. The Reservation itself has a high unemployment rate and a high poverty rate. There are many veterans, especially Native American veterans, living within the Reservation. There are many talented individuals living in the community who are faced with the daily challenges of homelessness, unemployment, poverty, abuse, and crime. The Leech Lake Boys & Girls Club in Cass Lake is in the center of the community. The Club recently merged with the Leech Lake Band’s Youth Division to provide targeted services to a wider area and number of children. Currently the Club has over 700 enrolled members in Cass Lake and there are over 1000 youth in the Cass Lake area.
In Duluth, the host organization was Peace United Church of Christ and Churches United in Ministry (CHUM). CHUM provides food, housing and a drop in center for people in the Duluth community who are in most need. On Wednesday mornings the Peace United Church of Christ provides breakfast for the guests at the Drop In Center. They also help with improvement projects at the family shelter and hosted events and picnics for them. Peace United Church of Christ has worked with the inmates of the St. Louis County Jail for the last 16 years. Most of the women at the St. Louis County Jail are there for drug charges and beginning to seek a different way to live their lives.
In Detroit Lakes the host organization was The Refuge, which works to provide the resources, education, and opportunities that allow people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds to live reconciled, healthy, and abundant lives. The Refuge runs a regional homeless shelter for men serving Becker, Wadena, Hubbard, Mahnomen, and Otter Tail Counties called the Compassion House. The shelter has been designed for transitional living with designated space to meet the emergency shelter needs in our area. Their mission is simply stated "Homeless to Wholeness" where they focus on 7 areas of wholesome growth and development; spiritual, financial, home and family, physical, mental, social, and community.
In Crookston the host organization was the Crookston Chamber & Visitors Bureau in partnership with the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Committee. Crookston is located in rural northwest Minnesota with a population of 8,100 people, and there are many smaller communities in the surrounding area. Crookston is also home to Care and Share, a homeless shelter for people who need a helping hand and whose voices are rarely heard. There are many talented individuals living in the community who are faced with the daily challenges of homelessness, unemployment, poverty, and abuse. This event was held at the Central Down Town Square on August 15, 2014.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
