By Bruce Hayden
Dale Barcellos is a friend who asked a question on his Facebook page last week: “Is it Possible to be a visionary with no plan at all?” I wrote a reply which I haven’t as yet posted regarding one of the things that my wife Cindy and I began which came about due to a vision I had had many years previously.
Vision of what can be has always been a part of my muse. Inspiration for a vision can come from anywhere or anyone. Is the vision just a fantasy? Can you make it real and if so, how? A critique is the beginning of a plan that works in my mind for some time.
An example of this was the creation of a music camp. It began at The Folk Alliance Conference in Portland in 1995 and it was the first time I would mention that the best way to bring people to the music was through a music camp. I was hoping that others would be inspired to create a music camp as I didn’t feel qualified.
In 2005 Patrice Webb mentioned to me that we should start a music camp. Our background was more in music presentation, festivals and radio. Patrice insisted that we could do this. Ten years earlier the seed planted was now our goal. Cindy and I would begin planning. I didn’t want it to be anything like other camps, but I just wasn’t sure what that would be.
If it were not for Cindy this vision would never have come to fruition. She prefers to be in the background, behind the curtain so to speak. I would be the one who would be the face that was seen.
I hoped I could recruit one person who could make the camp special. I wasn’t sure Joe Craven would agree to become our head instructor. I met with Joe for lunch and pitched the insane idea for a music camp even though I had no idea what I was doing. As the meeting progressed, I thought I was going to fail in my hope to bring Joe in as a part of a vision I had not yet completely formed. As the meeting was ending Joe asked where I was coming from. “I am a music evangelist,” I said. Joe replied, “I am too.” Joe would come on board with little but a vision.
The American River Acoustic Music Camp became a reality. The purpose was to validate, encourage and promote the creative music abilities of all people with informally learned American Roots Music.
With several volunteers, we would run for five years in the camp. Joe and Pamella Craven would take it over and rename it River Tunes.