RIVER RENDITIONS: Third annual Earth Note touts tunes at new venue

May 19—The sound of guitars strumming and melodies being sung floated down the Illinois River during the third annual Earth Note on Thursday, May 18.

Besides several of the performers being new to the Earth Note stage, there was a major difference with the musical event this year: the venue. For the past several years, Earth Note has taken place at Hanging Rock's campgrounds, but this year, the event was at Sparrowhawk Camp.

Kathy Tibbits, an Earth Note organizer, said the event was moved to Sparrowhawk because of the construction ongoing at Hanging Rock to stabilize the riverbank.

"We felt like Sparrowhawk was the best match for what we had going, because most of the festivals up on the river don't have the same configuration that we do, where it's all volunteer. Ours is more like a big, huge party for musicians," said Tibbits.

George Geow, sound engineer for Earth Note, has donated his time and skills to the event for over 10 years. Geow said he enjoyed the new venue and the laid-back atmosphere it offered.

"I think [Earth Note] is a great thing. It's not a profitable thing," said Geow. "It's something you just do because it's in your heart, and you have a lot of people who have the same instincts and want the same results. It's camping, meeting new people, working with great musicians, and upcoming players, and I can appreciate that."

Tibbits said Earth Note is the spring version of the annual Blue Note Roundup, which takes place in September and is supposed to be focused on blues, jazz, and bigger bands.

This more modest weekend-long event provided a musical experience that featured a diverse set of musicians. Tibbits said organizers try to keep the performances focused on solo and singer-songwriter performers, but due to the large number of bands that applied to participate, they have started to include bigger bands.

Earth Note featured 22 bands this year, with a mixture of diverse music genres from country to southern rock to jazz. Tibbits said this year, they also decided to add an extra day of Earth Note by kicking off the celebration on Thursday, rather than Friday. It was to run through Sunday.

Vern Atkinson, also known as "Big V" on stage, was the first performer to kick off Earth Note, and he has played at the past three.

He said getting the chance to perform was a great opportunity because he doesn't get to do many gigs. Atkinson said Earth Note has also allowed others to get a chance to listen and meet musicians they might not be familiar with.

Dee Raney, with the Musicians' Kitchen, said this was the first year she was able to run the food portion of the event in an actual kitchen, as it started out in a tent.

The Musicians' Kitchen is where performers and event attendees can go to get free refreshments and food.

Raney said it was taking some time to get used to the new amenities at Sparrowhawk, but the camaraderie and the family-friendly feel the event brings is still the same as the past few years.

"It's always just a groovy thing," said Tibbits.

"People are so nice because they know it's not all about money or anything like that."

You're invited

The public is invited to stop by Sparrowhawk camp, east of Tahlequah on State Highway 10, this weekend.

Musicians play around the campfire throughout the day and into the night.