I started this musical journey in 1998 not knowing where it would lead me, if I would even last in this industry. Col. Bruce warned me after I informed him of my intentions to start a camping festival and become an independent promoter, and I paraphrase him here, “Don’t do it. You’re too nice a guy. It’s a cut-throat business.” Well, I did it, all the while remaining a nice guy about it and forging through the cut-throat b.s., of which he is correct that there is a lot of it that goes around. Many magical and musical moments have occurred between 1998 and the present, more than I can describe now, but the list of artists that I have been able to work with and develop relationships with on both a business and a personal level is a fine one.
After seven 
HarvestFests (the last one we canceled in 2005 due to extreme hurricanes, Katrina & Rita, in the region), 18 editions of TDawg’s Back Porch Hootenanny, two Keel Family Functions, and one Cherokee Farms FiddleFest, I will be producing my 19th and final Back Porch Hootenanny the first weekend in April at Cherokee Farms in LaFayette, GA, and it will also be my final camping event for the foreseeable and indefinite future.
I say this with extreme excitement for what is around the corner, as I begin a new path, a new chapter in my life working for the newly formed Frank Hamilton Folk School. Bringing the spirit of Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music to Atlanta, I am extremely honored to be a part of the whole, led by legendary folk musician Frank Hamilton, co-founder of the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago in 1957 and a part of the copyright for the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome”. One of my principal duties will include producing a series of concerts in the name of the Frank Hamilton Folk School, and you will still see the accustomed quality that TDawg Presents concerts have maintained for the last 17 1/2 years, but with the purpose of supporting the non-profit FHFS. I also plan to dive into fundraising and grant-writing for the school.
Like the Old Town School, Frank Hamilton Folk School brings a classroom technique based upon
traditional oral and folk teaching methods: listening, watching, trial and error, and playing by ear. Where other music schools teach sight reading and performance, the Old Town School “method” of retaining its emphasis on participation and development of aural skills is tried and true, more of a communal approach to the music. You really don’t need to know how to play an instrument in order to get going!
I’m looking forward to making a difference in our local communities, with plans to ultimately speak with public school systems, private schools, and local governments in order to bring this style of teaching and social interaction to children and adults alike. Also expect Hootenannies to revive in a more traditional sense. While I won’t be producing camping events, look for more opportunities in an urban setting in the future, both indoors and outdoors and most of which will impact the folk school directly and the community as a result! Stay tuned for details! For complete information about the Frank Hamilton Folk School, please visit the website at http://frankhamiltonfolkschool.org.
I’ll end this post on this thought – Come and support the Holiday Hootenanny (which will continue!) and the final spring edition of TDawg’s Back Porch Hootenanny, and let’s celebrate our love of music and what lies in store for the future. TDawg Presents isn’t over, just turning the page and starting a new chapter that will bring many more great memories and experiences! HOOOOOOTENANNY!!!
