The May-June edition of the PFS newsletter, Local Lore, is just out. Members, if you have opted for the paper version, you should have received yours within the last week. 

This issue focuses on Maritime Music - not just the familiar Sea Shanties, but also surprises, like the important role of women in maritime music. And, lots of other stuff, including a report on our first really big online event, Singtime 2021 (Spoiler alert: it was pretty great!), a description of the PFS Endowment Fund, and an article about how online events have helped keep people connected during the COVID pandemic. Thanks to all the contributors: Kate Larsen, Brian Warner, Tom Lewis, Alison Lucas, Mike Matheson, Brian Vollar, Helen Gilbert, David Ingerson, Paul Rippey and Barry Gorden.

As always, thanks to the Local Lore team that skillfully and lovingly put it all together: Editor and Designer Kim McLaughlin, Proofreader Ruth Bolliger, and Logistician and Mail Wizard Jeanette Warner.

But that ain't all, folks!

We love Local Lore and the sad fact is, it's been hard to find, squirreled away in a remote corner of this website. We have made it easier to tap into all that folk music goodness by creating a new Local Lore page. You can check it out now: It's the first item in the Resources Menu. You'll find the last two and a half years of issues there, all easily downloadable. Enjoy reading them - hours of pleasure and edification are waiting for you!

Local Lore is one of the benefits of PFS membership. Members can have a paper copy if they want, and if they don't need paper they can download it as a PDF from this site under the Resources Menu. You can also pick up a copy at most PFS events, even if you aren't a member. But we're not having any in-person events for a while, so if you would like a paper copy of Local Lore, just look up in the menu bar for Join PFS. In addition to Local Lore, you get reduced prices on events, access to members-only parts of the website, and the pleasure of supporting the music you love! Now is a great time to join - we even have a special rate for people who are stressed during the COVID times. Check it out, and thanks!

Singtime Frolics 2021 

Our first online Singtime just ended on Sunday, March 28. It was pretty great. 

382 people registered (and it looks like just about all came) from 9 countries and 26 US States. We had 49 scheduled events including four concerts and dozens of workshops and song circles. What was great was the way it was crowd-sourced: people came to share their music with other people. Three days of sharing music creates a strong sense of community, and it felt like a family by Sunday night. 

We'll write more about this on the site and in Local Lore, after we get a good month's sleep. The Singtime Page is still active - whether you were there or not, you might like to see the schedule. 

THANKS to all the volunteers and workshop leaders, and people who came to sing. You made Singtime a success. 

Racial Equity Statement from PFS

Portland FolkMusic Society celebrates all musical traditions whose foundations flow from communities and cultures of color.

We recognize that we are an overwhelmingly white organization. We hope to become a more inclusive and diverse organization by taking the following steps: 

1. We ask that if any member or volunteer detects racism or biases in our structures, processes, publicity or activities, they will speak up and bring this to the attention of PFS. 
2. We will include more artists of color in our performances. 
3. We will reach out to our local communities of color for inclusion. 
4. We will report annually to our membership how we are doing on these goals. 

We invite comments and engagement from PFS members. We look forward to the essential, ongoing work of listening, learning, and changing that is ahead of us.