More Chopped Liver Or Alleluia, The Great Storm Is Not Over!

Posted on the 23 January 2012 by Notlobmusic @notlobmusic
Since 2007 or 2008 I have been having a running battle with "public" radio WUMB about its concert event policy that censors artist names, a policy some in the artist, producer and and patron communities have dubbed to be "insane" .  It is my own contention that WUMB management has an agenda of supporting and promoting only artists it deems worthy of the "WUMB music mix", going out of its way to censor the names of artists sharing local concert bills. Whose interest does this serve?  The ironic part about this policy is many artists it has censored have gone on to be WUMB favorites. 
Since 2008 I have been asking for a) justification of the policy and b) replacement of its dual ("music" and "community") calendar system with just one. No response has been offered and the labor-intensive dual calendar system remains in effect.
All the background one needs to know can be found in the following two blog articles:

notloB Music: Chopped LiverDec 29, 2008WUMB has an insane policy that serves absolutely nobody in the music community. When an artist or venue or producer submits a calendar listing and... 1. ...if the artist or artists are on their play list, the event is posted to its ...http://notlobmusic.blogspot.com/notloB Music: Alleluia, The Great Storm Is Over!
Mar 04, 2009Former folk radio station (now AAA format playing "WUMB music mix") has partially rescinded its insane calendar artist exclusion policy. First reported yesterday in NEFolknRoots, this has been at least 21 months in coming.http://notlobmusic.blogspot.com/

Notice how the policy on the WUMB website has evolved over time.
As of December 29, 2008:
WUMB Music CalendarBelow, are listings for musicians performing in the greater Boston area, who you can hear on WUMB during our Monday through Friday, 6am-7pm music shows. A link to each venue is included to confirm show times, for additional artists, or for more information.Note that this calendar does not contain listings for artists heard only during our Weekend shows, or on our nationally syndicated programs. You can find those and more listings here on our Community Calendar, which also includes listings for local arts and cultural events.
As it appears today: 
WUMB ON-AIR MUSIC CALENDAR
Below, are listings for musicians, arts and cultural events in the greater Boston area, A link to each venue is included to confirm show times, for additional artists, or for more information.You can find those and more listings hereYou can also find out more about many of the coffeeshouses in the greater Boston area through the Boston Area Coffeehouse Association.To submit your listings, use the "Calendar Submissions" link under the Calendar + Events menu above.
Note the "you can hear on WUMB during our Monday through Friday, 6am-7pm music shows" has changed but the defacto practice has not.

Case in point, on February 17 notloB Folk Concerts is presentingKimberley Fraser, Brian Conway & Mark Simos at Unity Somerville. On or about November 18 the concert listing was submitted via the WUMB events portal and was published as "Mark Simos" (Mark is approved for Monday through Friday airplay, Kimberly and Brian apparently are not). As the result of a couple of email exchanges with WUMB management, and with the involvement of one or more of the artists, the listing was edited to its current form (see below).

So has the WUMB events calendar policy been changed? Are Jay Moburg's words of March 9, 2009: "They just changed the policy last week to include any artist we've ever played into the on air section of the concert listings..." true? Is the currently stated policy "Below, are listings for musicians, arts and cultural events in the greater Boston area" true? Or is this "community service of UMass Boston" continuing to give the music community lip service while keeping its censorship policy intact?

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Copied this morning from http://www.wumb.org/calendar/musiccalendar.php

WUMB ON-AIR MUSIC CALENDARFRIDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2012

Kimberly Fraser, Brian Conway & Mark SimosUnity SomervilleSomerville, MA8:00 pm 
000-000-0000
Venue Web SiteSATURDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2012
Mark SimosBlackstone River TheatreCumberland, RI8:00 pm 
401-725-9272
Venue Web Site



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notloB Folk Concert's listing. Source
Kimberly Fraser, Brian Conway & Mark SimosFriday, February 17, 2012Doors 7:30, Concert 8:00Unity6 William Street Davis SquareSomervilleKimberly Fraserhttp://www.kimberleyfraser.com/Kimberley Fraser was born on Cape Breton Island, and nurtured within its rich musical heritage. She first began to impress audiences at the age of three with her step-dancing talents. Soon after that she took up both the fiddle and the piano. Though still in her 20s, Kimberley’s already has a distinguished career. She has traveled the world, from Victoria to Afghanistan, performing at venues such as The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. bringing Cape Breton music with her wherever she goes. Dan MacDonald of the Cape Breton Post says about Fraser’s versatility, “She has matured to become one of the stellar players of the Cape Breton fiddle tradition, equally at home at a house party, playing for a square dance or on stage for a concert in Bras d'Or or Boston, Scotsville or Scotland.” Kimberley has shared the stage with the finest acts in Celtic music, such as Alasdair Fraser, Martin Hayes and Lunasa. Kimberley is also in demand for her piano skills, accompanying musicians at home and abroad.
Kimberley holds a degree in Violin performance from Berklee College of Music and in Celtic Studies from St Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. Education is important to her, reflected in Kimberley’s dedication to teaching Cape Breton music both at home and abroad. A master at the trio of fiddling, step dancing and piano, Kimberley is a much sought after teacher for all three. Her reputation as a teacher has brought her to conduct workshops at many camps and festivals, including Alasdair Fraser’s Valley of the Moon Fiddle Camp, the Swannanoa Gathering in Asheville, North Carolina, and The American Festival of Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Washington to name a few. Kimberley also has experience giving workshops to string orchestras demonstrating how traditional music can be arranged for classical ensembles.
In 2006, Kimberley released her second studio album, Falling on New Ground, a winner of the East Coast Music Award for best Roots/Traditional Album of the Year. This self-produced album reflects on her experiences and growth as a musician since the release of her first studio album Heart Behind the Bow in 2000. Falling on New Ground demonstrates Kimberley’s many talents and versatility.  
Brian Conway http://www.brianconway.com/New York born fiddler Brian Conway is a leading exponent of the highly ornamented Sligo fiddling style made famous by the late Michael Coleman. The winner of two All- Ireland junior titles in 1973 and 1974 and the All-Ireland senior championship of 1986, Brian's early studies were with his father Jim of Plumbridge County Tyrone and with Limerick born fiddler/teacher Martin Mulvihill. However, it was the legendary fiddler and composer Martin Wynne who taught him the real secrets of the County Sligo style. Later, Brian met and befriended the great Andy McGann of New York a direct student of Michael Coleman, who further shaped his precision and skill on the instrument.In 1979, Brian recorded a duet album, The Apple In Winter (Green Linnet) with fellow New York fiddler Tony Demarco. He released his debut solo CD, First through the Gate, on the Smithsonian-Folkways label in July 2002. This CD was voted the prestigious Album of the Year by the Irish Echo. Brian is also featured on the CD, My Love is in America, recorded at the Boston College Irish Fiddle Festival, and on the documentary "Shore to Shore" which highlights traditional Irish music in New York. He is considered one of the musical rocks of the New York area.Brian remains faithful to the rich tradition handed down to him. The distinctness of his tone, the lift of his playing, and the deft ornamentation he brings to the tunes have placed him among the finest Irish fiddlers of any style, Sligo or otherwise. He has performed all over North America from San Francisco to New York and places in between such as Chicago, Milwaukee and Colorado. His talents have also been enthusiastically received throughout Ireland and the rest of Europe. His current CD, First through the Gate, exemplifies the versatility that characterizes his concert performances and festival appearances. He is also a noted instructor who has mentored many fine fiddle players, including several who have gone on to win All-Ireland championships.In 2007, Brian released a CD titled A Tribute to Andy McGann on the prestigious Irish Label Cló Iar-Chonnachta. This CD pairs up Irish Music legends Joe Burke and Felix Dolan along with Brian in a CD which has received glowing accolades since it's release in the summer of 2007. Brian followed this CD with a much anticipated new Solo CD titled "Consider the Source" in deference to the rich environment from which Brian learned his music. This CD was released in 2008 on the Cló Iar-Chonnachta Label. This CD features guest appearances by music greats Niamh Parsons, Dan Milner, Billy McComiskey, Joannie Madden, Felix Dolan, and Brendan Dolan. Earle Hitchner of the Irish Echo described this CD as "Easily one of the best releases this year".
Mark Simoshttp://www.devachan.com/The musical imagination of Mark Simos weaves a lifetime love of many traditions into innovative musical forms. As songwriter and composer, fiddler, ‘tunesmith,’ and guitar and piano accompanist, Mark draws on long apprenticeship in a wide variety of genres—Irish, Southern old-time, New England, Quebeçois, bluegrass, and Klezmer among others—creating a musical language grounded in traditional forms, yet uniquely his own.
"... a musician's musician, versed in many musical idioms and excelling at all of them. He is one of the few musicians I know equally at home in the often incompatible roles of traditionalist and innovator." —Mick Moloney
Suggested donation $15/12 advance reservation $10 students.Doors 7:30, Concert 8:00Reservations - notlobreservations at gmail dot comMore info - https://sites.google.com/site/notlobmusic/Join the mailing list - http://groups.google.com/group/notlobmusic
The Blackstone River Theater's concert listing. Source

Saturday, February 18, 8 PM, $15.00
KIMBERLEY FRASER and BRIAN CONWAY with MARK SIMOS

Kimberley Fraser was born on Cape Breton Island and nurtured within its rich musical heritage. She first began to impress audiences at the age of three with her step-dancing talents. Soon after that she took up both the fiddle and the piano. Like many in Cape Breton, music is not new to Kimberley's family... she proudly owns the fiddle of her great great grandfather, spanning the musical tradition within her family over a hundred years. Though still in her early twenties, Kimberley's career is already a distinguished one having played with Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster, Alasdair Fraser, Lunasa and Martin Hayes. A master at the trio of fiddling, step dancing and piano, Kimberley is a much sought after teacher for all three and has been a long-time instructor at the renowned Gaelic College in Cape Breton. Fraser is continuing her music education by attending the acclaimed Berklee College of Music in Boston. Her CD "Falling on New Ground" won the 2008 East Coast Music Award for best "Roots/Tradtional Album of the Year." New York-born fiddler Brian Conway is a leading exponent of the highly ornamented Sligo fiddling style made famous by the late Michael Coleman. The winner of two All-Ireland junior titles in 1973-1974 and the All-Ireland senior championship of 1986, Brian learned from legendary fiddler Martin Wynne and later befriended the great Andy McGann, a direct student of Michael Coleman, who further shaped his precision and skill on the instrument. He released his debut solo CD, "First through the Gate," on the Smithsonian-Folkways label in 2002. This CD was voted the prestigious Album of the Year by the Irish Echo. Brian remains faithful to the rich tradition handed down to him. The distinctness of his tone, the lift of his playing, and the deft ornamentation he brings to the tunes have placed him among the finest Irish fiddlers of any style, Sligo or otherwise. The musical imagination of guitarist Mark Simos weaves a lifetime love of many traditions into innovative musical forms. As songwriter and composer, fiddler, and accompanist, Mark draws on a wide variety of genres-Irish, Southern old-time, New England, Quebeçois, bluegrass, and Klezmer among others-creating a musical language grounded in traditional forms, yet uniquely his own. Don't miss an amazing evening with two of the top fiddle players performing today!