Sisters songwriter will kick off folk fest

The Sisters Folk Festival brings musicians to Sisters from all over North America - from New England and Texas and Tennessee, even from Canada.

And the festival also taps into what has become a broad and deep talent pool right here at home to bring local musicians to the attention of a wider audience.

That's how Dennis McGregor was tapped to be the kick-off act for the festival, taking the stage at 6 p.m. Friday night. Backing him will be several other Sisters area musicians who recently recorded with McGregor.

"I consider that quite an honor," McGregor said. "I think the committee just had a discussion and said 'Let's have some local boys open it up.'"

The local boy has already been on the main stage of the festival - as the winner of the Sisters Folk Festival Songwriting Contest (now the Dave Carter Memorial songwriting Contest) in 2003.

McGregor is also teaching at the Americana Song Academy alongside such masters as Steve Gillette (who penned "Darcy Farrow") and Darrell Scott (see related story, page 18).

McGregor credits the "song camp," which has been running for the past five years, with jump-starting his songwriting career.

It just motivated me," he said. "It made me want to do a little more."

A little more includes a pair of solo CD releases, the most recent of which hit stores last week.

"Front Porch to the Moon" was recorded live in a studio in Santa Cruz, California. McGregor made connections in the area through Sisters Folk Festival performer Keith Greeninger and has performed there in recent years.

"Some local buddies of mine - Brent Alan, Scott Harris, Sean Alan, Patrick Pearsall and Scott Hersch - we all traveled down there together," he said.

Recording live was a departure for McGregor, who has cut several CDs, all using more traditional, multi-tracking techniques that piece together individual instruments and vocals.

He said that in multi-tracking "you lose a little of that live feeling."

He enjoyed the immediacy of live recording.

"It's way different," he said. "The first day, within eight hours, we recorded all 13 songs, the basic tracks. You feel totally connected (to the other musicians) - like you're at home playing."

McGregor is quick to note that he didn't have to go to California to record.

"We have great facilities here, both in Sisters and in Bend, and I intend recording here again," he said. "It was just fun to go somewhere and do something different."

McGregor said he enjoys the recording process and finds it helps him to keep evolving as a songwriter. When a recording is made, he feels he can move on and write new songs.

"The funny thing about a song is, if you don't record it, it doesn't exist unless you're singing it at that moment," he said.

Now, 13 songs have a life of their own and McGregor is set to write more - with the inspiration of the song camp and the festival to goad him along.

"Front Porch to the Moon" is available at Paulina Springs Books and will be available at the main stage venue on the Village Green during the Sisters Folk Festival.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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