Telling Stories Through Song at Oldtone Music Festival

Listening to music in a sunlit farm field might feel effortless, but bringing back the Oldtone Roots Music Festival — a cherished cultural event in Hillsdale — after its COVID hiatus was no simple feat. It required the dedication of local craftspeople and, perhaps, a touch of magic.

Over four days, from Sept. 5 to Sept. 8, more than 25 bands from around the country came to Cool Whisper Farm to celebrate music, culture and a way of life that in the case of the Cajun culture, is increasingly endangered.

The whole glorious range of American roots music was on display, from Cajun to swing to brass bands to bluegrass and folk. It all rang out to an audience of 1,200 festival goers, a few dogs and six curious Scottish Highland steers.

“This is a comeback year for the festival,” said Vivian Walsh of Pine Plains, who serves as the festival’s accountant. “It’s going great.”

Key to the festival’s longevity has been a remarkable collaboration between the organizers and Lisa and Matt Schober, who farm the land. In 1992, when they heard that Oldtone had lost its home, the Schobers reached out to Jim Wright of Ancramdale and the other organizers and invited them to hold the festival on their hilltop with its spectacular 360-degree views of fields and forests. It’s been there ever since.

When the festival first came here, the organizers had trouble erecting the stage, so Matt Schober maneuvered it onto wooden planks and hauled it up the hilltop with his tractor.

It had been dry in recent weeks, so without being asked, the Schober family laid down wood chips around the performance venues to keep the dust down for festival goers.

“Lisa and Matt have been amazing,” said Kevin Walsh, Vivian’s husband and a Pine Plains Town Board member. “It’s really been a team effort.”

That the festival even survived so long is a testament to community, friendship and a lot of work. “Right after COVID was a really hard time for us,” said Wright. “We couldn’t manage the show.” The festival floundered for a year, but then a remarkable thing happened. Neighbors and friends from surrounding towns, including Ancramdale, Pine Plains and Stanfordville, came forward to rescue the festival. A board was created and the festival has applied for nonprofit status.

This year the organizers made improvements, including centralizing the vendor area, which offered vintage clothes, mid-century curios, childrens’ toys and a wide variety of food.

“A sense of community is key to our success,” said Kevin Walsh, whose title is festival electrician. “When there is a crisis, there’s always a neighbor here with the tool that you need. There’s always someone there to help.”

“The solution is simple. People who love music love people who love music.”

On Saturday, a heavy rainstorm gave proof to that point. Performers and festival goers convened under the dance tent and kept the music going. After the rain stopped, a double rainbow appeared.

Asked what distinguishes Oldtone from other roots music festivals, Wright said, “The advantage of a relatively small festival is easy access to the musicians, low ticket prices and a whole lot of picking parties. This friendliness is something genuine that the big festivals have lost.”

Oldtone may be small but there’s plenty of attention to detail. The performers’ tents featured free water coolers for the audience. For children, there was a badminton court with a 2-foot high net and plenty of shared toys. For adults there was beer from the Roe-Jan Brewery.

As every year, the festival featured a large dance tent with an alternating roster of bands serving up live music for every traditional dance style.

There was also a workshop tent that attracted serious musicians asking serious questions. “When you play Cajun you need to tune your fiddle down to drop C to match the accordion,” advised Jourdan Thibodaux, a fiddler from Lafayette, Louisiana.

The festival’s slogan is Preservation through Participation. “These festivals play an important role in preserving music like Cajun music that’s seriously threatened,” said Wright.

While performers came from Louisiana (Thibodaux), Montana (Kiki Cavazos) and Canada (members of the Foghorn String Band), local bands, including Slinky Armadillo and the Neon Moons, were on hand to show off their Hudson Valley chops.

Most of the people putting on the show were from around Pine Plains, including Jamie Gerber, who ran the swank beer and cocktails trailer; Anthony Bonneville, who was the soundman; and Trevor Roush, who seemed to be everywhere.

“There are a lot more local musicians than you’d think,” said Wright. “I’d estimate there are about 30 pickers in the Pine Plains area alone. These folks come to the festival, hear the music, and eventually pick up an instrument.” Many hone their talents at Pine Plains’ Back Bar Beer Garden. Watch a picking session, and it isn’t long before a young man or woman shyly sits down and joins the jam.

Kevin Walsh and his wife began helping out at festivals in 1992 after attending Winterhawk in Ancramdale (an early bluegrass festival that was renamed Gray Fox and moved to Ulster County in 2007, when the farm hosting it was sold). “We were walking around the venue with our one-year-old and I said to my wife, ‘We are going to keep coming here for the rest of our lives.’”

“I don’t remember you saying that,” said Vivian Walsh.

“For me the most fun is when I make my final electric connection and the people start rolling in,” said Kevin Walsh. “This place is so dear to my heart. I’ve been part of something bigger than myself.”

And then, there’s the music. It’s infectious. By the time the Foghorn String Band launched into its second song (“LINK2”), the stage side preschoolers were dancing. Mostly they ran into each other and bounced. This inspired grandparents and parents to jump from their lawn chairs and kick up their own dust.

After dark, the camp lights came on, and the magic began. Dozens of people from around the country picked up their instruments and celebrated their love for traditional music under starlight. “These spontaneous picking parties are the most genuine part of this,” said Kevin Walsh. “That’s when you understand it’s a community.”

“The best part for me is, after all the work we put into it, to see a hillside full of people picking and grinning and having a great time,” said Vivian Walsh, who plays the upright bass. “That makes it all worthwhile.”

For more on the local roots music scene, visit the Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association.