We borrow...er.....steal...oops.... honor music from many talented artists: Stan Rogers, Heywood Banks, Bill Staines, Battlefield Band, Sally Rogers, The Arrogant Worms, also self-penned and traditional sources.
We love to sing and perform songs and tunes that we love...if it speaks to us, we think it will speak to YOU. Everything from the silliest song you can imagine, to a heart-felt songs that touches the audience deeply. We sing of dead cats, family farms, auctions, dead possums, food, cats and dogs, pigs with wings, driving, bifocals and many other subjects.
Sounds Like
Sounds like Sweetwater - three women having a heck of a good time singing and playing. Folk music by folks. Dulcimers, autoharp, bass, guitar, the occasional concertina or whistle....and three-part harmony. Music that makes you laugh. Music that makes you sing along. Music that brings memories of friends and family. Oh yeah, and music that makes you feel good.
UPDATE: as of March 8, 2008 Sweetwater as a band is no more. We’ve had over 22 years of making music together, and as in all things, times and people change. It appears that it’s time to disband and go our own ways. Our love and sincere thanks go out to all the people we’ve met over all those years....the friends, the supporters, the folks who have booked us, the folks who have helped carry equipment, the people in the audience who got the joke and laughed really hard....the folks who sang along...the folks who came to our dulcimer camp, Shady Grove. As always, our love and supreme thanks goes to our families....to husbands Jim and Mike, who had to hold down the fort when we were gone....and kids Kevin, Mary, Jenny and Chris....whose birthdays and school plays we missed many times due to far away play dates. Someone said: "Well, we never really did much with our music." But we did. We helped bring people out of their lonely lives, into a warm and welcoming group. We gave them a reason to be with other people and enjoy themselves. By teaching them to play the dulcimer, or the whistle or the bodhran, we taught them to play together, to listen to each other. And isn’t that a good thing? We brought them funny songs that they’d never heard, from artists that were unknown to them. We exposed them to artists we respected in hopes that they would discover this great music as well. We made them sing along...and laugh. What more important job could an entertainer have? To ease pain and worry with some silly songs and some close harmony. We’ve shared our hearts with good friends, and shared our talents with strangers who became friends. And in doing so, we have received far more than we ever gave. It was fun while it lasted. Every time you see a flying pig or a kazoo....think of us.
NOTE: though we’re no longer a performing band, our music outlives us! All our cds are still available on CDBABY! Follow this link - http://www.cdbaby.com/sweetwater (add 1,2,3 or 4 at the end for the different titles)
And now, from the history books..........
Sweetwater began in 1985 - it was the harmonies that brought us together - along with celtic and traditional American music. We met at the Dayton Dulcimer Society, got together to share a few harmonies, and things jelled. We’ve been playing music for a long while, and have had a great time! The music has taken us to England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales with a bunch of dulcimer players. That was great. The music has taken us over a good portion of the US - but we tour mostly in Ohio and the midwest. We play dulcimer festivals, folk music festivals, opera houses....... and lots of other places and venues too. We have met and become friends with so many people over the years...great people. They laugh at our funny songs, they appreciate our serious songs, they pass out kazoos for us, they move chairs, they carry our equipment, they offer to help in any way they can. Their shining faces are like gold, and they’re a big part of why we’re still doing this this long. To all these people, and you know who you are, thank you! And to our families, who have put up with us missing anniversaries, birthdays, Father’s Days, school plays....thanks to you guys too! Your love and support lets us do what we love to do. Along with playing music, we also teach - and we find that aspect of the music to be very rewarding. For ten years we hosted our own dulcimer camp - Shady Grove Appalachian Dulcimer Camp. It was a wonderful learning experience for our campers and us as well. Lots of people learned how to play the dulcimer, and some folks learned to share their talents. Some folks learned to sing louder and laugh more. Sometimes we felt that we really changed people’s lives....giving back a bit of what the music has given us. Over the years our lives outside the group have expanded....Shelley performs solo, has an album of her own out (www.shelleystevens.com) has her own publishing company for dulcimer materieals, and teaches dulcimer. Shari has authored a series of math books for high school students, and has founded her own publishing company (www.wolfsoneducationalservices.com/) Cindy is back in on the air on WYSOfm (www.wyso.org) with her celtic folk music program, The Dear Green Place, that airs on Saturday 3-5pm. Sweetwater also sponsors an internet radio station called Sweetwater Folk on Live 365.com. (www.live365.com/stations/sweetwaterfolk) You’ll hear fretted and hammered dulcimer music 24/7/365. Tune in, you’ll like what you hear!
Thanks for accepting my friend request. Your vocal precision is wonderful. I love those harmonies as part of your simple folk sound. Thanks again for being a friend.
Hello there, Thanks for the add, glad to meet you, to be in your circle and to have you in mine. Nice Music. “Friends Shine On Rainy Days” All the best Brendan www.brendanobyrne.com www.myspace.com/greatmaestro www.myspace.com/brendanobyrne A song of tribute, and to the memory Of the late Tommy Makem (a legend Of Irish folk music) can now Be heard on my space It is written in the style of Tommy Makem songs in as much as I Could achieve that. It features The banjo and whistle the instruments Tommy played Come Listen and Enjoy. Brendan www.myspace.com/brendanobyrne
Hi girls I have started a revision of my page where I give a brief description of the style of my MS friends and links to their MS page and website. You are in the first batch. Please check it out and any feedback you care to give would be appreciated. Stay well, Ken.
I really enjoyed spending time with you folks in Oklahoma. Hope I get another chance sometime soon. The singing sounds great. Thanks for the friendship.
Thanks for the Add. I'm still trying to make a living on more than one job. Been very active exhibiting my etchings and other objets d'arte. We're starting to play dances again. Hope we run into each other again.
