I hope you have been able to tune in to the KFF2020 Virtual Sampler shows the past two Saturday nights. In case you did not get the chance, here is a link:
It has been so much fun, and I saw some of you as we roamed around the virtual campfires after the shows.
Before we talk further about the very, very special program we have for the 3
rd
and final weekend, I want to call your attention to the fact that all of these artists’ lives have been so deeply impacted by the virus. Some have actually been stricken by the virus, and of course, as you know we lost John Prine. But the pandemic has also taken away the livelihood of these artists as venues have been closed and shows and festivals have been cancelled. Many have utilized their creativity to find alternative (virtual) ways to get their music out and try to carry on as troubadours, albeit with meager and uncertain financial compensation. And yet, when I reached out, they stepped up one more time for the Kerrville Folk Festival and this family. Like you, I am so gratified by the response of our artists as we have asked them once again to share with us some of the magic that they create.
Please, please
make an effort to respond to their generosity, not only through your continued support of the Festival, but by finding ways to provide financial support to these artists that we love. Go to their websites and their Facebook pages, find and support their virtual shows, and contribute what you can where you can.
So, to all of the artists who have appeared on these first two weekends – in the Virtual Sampler shows – and to all who are hosting and participating in Campfires,
I send you my love and my sincere thanks
. And to all of you have tuned in either by YouTube or Facebook, thank you. And if you have been able to send a donation to support the Festival,
bless you
! Friends and family all, what we have come to know and share here is so much bigger than any of us, and it literally changes our lives for the better. But you know that. That’s why you are here, and that is why you are reading this letter.
Right now, here in Kerrville, we're getting another thunderstorm, and all I can say is... thank you.
Love,
Mary
