2007年VOA标准英语-Oregon's Sisters Folk Festival Showcases Divers

By Katherine Cole
Washington
25 September 2007

For decades, the small town of Sisters, Oregon, has been a favorite vacation spot for people who enjoy spending time outdoors. Whether it's winter skiing, or hiking, mountain biking or bird watching on those same hills in the warmer months, there is something that appeals to just about everyone. Including people who are looking for something no more strenuous¹ than sitting in the sun, and enjoying the music at the annual Sisters Folk Festival. VOA's Katherine Cole reports on this year's event.

Jimmy LaFave performed songs from his 8 CDs, including the most recent, Cimarron Moon, during the four concerts he performed with his four-piece band during the 12th annual Sisters Folk Festival. That's correct, a "four-piece band." There is more to folk music these days than the outdated² stereotype³ of a long-haired guy strumming an acoustic⁴ guitar and playing the harmonica, or a girl plucking songs on a dulcimer. The lineup of the Sisters Folk Festival does a good job of showcasing the diverse sounds that fall under the "folk music" genre⁵ today.

"Our tag phrase is 'Sisters Folk Festival, blues⁶ to bluegrass,' said Brad Tisdel, artistic⁷ director of the festival, which began as a single afternoon event in 1995. "On Friday night, we had Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman, Jimmy LaFave, The Greencards, and Dan Hicks and The Hot Licks. And right in that, we had some blues. We had some jazz. We had some folk. We had some bluegrass."

This year, Sisters Folk Festival ran for three days, with artists performing on six stages scattered⁸ throughout the town. Sisters is no longer a regional event, known only to residents of the northwestern U.S.

"It's [the festival] getting some notoriety," Tisdel said. "There was just a national radio program out of Boston that did a poll of their listenership, asking what folk festivals they'd like to go to. And the highest ones up there were obviously Kerrville [Texas], and Merlefest [North Carolina] and Strawberry Music Festival [California]. But Sisters Folk Festival was slotted right in with some of those others. So I think it is beginning to get a national reputation. And many of the artists have told us it's going to grow quickly because it's such a little gem⁹."

The Greencards made their first Sisters Folk Festival appearance this year. Singer, songwriter and mandolinist Kym Warner says the natural beauty of the area helps make it stand out among the hundreds of festivals that are held throughout the U.S. summer.

Warner: "It's beautiful up here, mountainy with beautiful fresh air. It's really nice, and it has been a very friendly festival, with really nice people. I've had a really nice time, and really enjoyed it. They [the audiences] are really receptive crowds, and it's been a lot of fun, that's for sure. The whole thing about playing festivals is that you are trying to find some new fans, and this has certainly been good for that."

Cole: "It must be interesting playing here, because they've got such different venues¹⁰ set up. You've got the main tent, where you're playing for over a thousand people, and then little, intimate settings, and even a bar."

Warner: "It's interesting. Like you said, there's a little bakery that you play, and do a little workshop in; and a restaurant with another tent out the back. Multi-venue events are always a lot of fun. Sometimes it's tough to find where you're going to play, you know, when trying to find your way around town. But this is such a nice little town, and actually every thing [each stage] is within walking distance, and that's been nice."

Cole: "Would you like to come back?"

Warner: "Yes, I would. I love it! It's beautiful here. I really like the northwest. I think it's one of the most beautiful parts of the U.S., and it seems like every time we play up here, people are really receptive and are willing to listen to what we've got to say in our music."

While Brad Tisdel was happy to hear Kym Warner's comment about the Sisters Folk Festival audience, he was not surprised by it. It's what Brad has come to expect from his neighbors.

"We value the arts," he said. "We value self-expression, and community building. We've created, I think, just a gem of community involvement. And we continue to try to do what we can. The environment is wonderfully beautiful, as you've seen. It's central Oregon. Special!"

The "Americana Project," an educational program open to all students of the local school district, and designed to demonstrate the cultural significance of American roots music, is another way in which Sisters, Oregon, shows how much it values the arts. The 2007 Sisters Folk Festival featured sets from some current participants and past graduates of the program, including Kerani Mitchell, who performed her original song Alone.

1 strenuous   

adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的

参考例句：

• He made strenuous efforts to improve his reading. 他奋发努力提高阅读能力。
• You may run yourself down in this strenuous week.你可能会在这紧张的一周透支掉自己。

2 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

3 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

4 acoustic   

adj.听觉的，声音的；(乐器)原声的

参考例句：

• The hall has a fine acoustic.这个大厅的传音效果很好。
• Animals use a whole rang of acoustic, visual,and chemical signals in their systems of communication.动物利用各种各样的听觉、视觉和化学信号来进行交流。

5 genre   

n.(文学、艺术等的)类型，体裁，风格

参考例句：

• My favorite music genre is blues.我最喜欢的音乐种类是布鲁斯音乐。
• Superficially,this Shakespeare's work seems to fit into the same genre.从表面上看， 莎士比亚的这个剧本似乎属于同一类型。

6 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

7 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

8 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

9 gem   

n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel

参考例句：

• The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
• The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。

10 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网