BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//The Focal Point - ECPv6.18.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:The Focal Point
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://thefocalpoint.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Focal Point
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Chicago
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:CDT
DTSTART:20250309T080000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:CST
DTSTART:20251102T070000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:CDT
DTSTART:20260308T080000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:CST
DTSTART:20261101T070000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:CDT
DTSTART:20270314T080000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:CST
DTSTART:20271107T070000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:UTC
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:UTC
DTSTART:20250101T000000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261023T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261023T200000
DTSTAMP:20260820T212659Z
CREATED:20260820T205535Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260820T212659Z
UID:5478-1792785600-1792785600@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:Erin Bode with Tara Santiago and Steve Schenkel
DESCRIPTION:In the years since Erin Bode began her professional recording career\, she has garnered much critical praise for her pure voice\, perfect pitch\, and impressive phrasing and style. It is this talent\, coupled with her reluctance to accept classification as a purely jazz vocalist that has led to reviews hailing her as “someone you won’t forget” and comparing her sound to the likes of Eva Cassidy\, Norah Jones\, and Karrin Allyson.\n \nA Minnesota native\, Bode was first introduced to music by her father\, a Lutheran minister\, who emphasized music in daily life and encouraged her to join the church choir. She studied music as well as foreign languages at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities and graduated from Webster University in St. Louis. It is at Webster where Erin studied vocal jazz with Christine Hitt who helped to launch her career as a vocalist.\n \nShortly after graduating college in 2001\, Bode produced her first record\, Requests. The album was successful in gaining Bode local attention and secured her a recording contract with St. Louis jazz label Maxjazz. Bode has also gained exposure through appearances on various programs including CBS’s Second Cup Café\, Fox News’ Fox and Friends\, and Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion.\n \nTo date\, Bode and her band have released eight albums and toured the United States\, as well overseas to Italy\, Japan\, and South Africa. The Erin Bode Group creates music forged from the Americana of its members’ Midwestern roots\, infused with jazz grooves and made magic by Bode’s bell-like voice. Sophisticated arrangements and attention to phrasing\, both vocal and instrumental\, further distinguish the band’s fresh sound.\n \nWhile Bode got her start singing standard jazz\, her recent projects have been decidedly more pop-based. 2008’s Little Garden and 2010’s Photograph feature all original material by Bode\, and showcase her love of poetry with songs that are rich in harmonic and timbral texture.\n \nBode’s latest release\, Here and Now is a collection of songs by the master songwriters of the Great American Songbook\, replete with clever melodies and witty lyrics. Erin collaborated with producer and bassist Viktor Krauss\, guitarists Matt Munisteri and Todd Lombardo\, cellist Tara Santiago and Grammy Award winning vocalist\, Suzanne Cox. With this treasured collection of songs from writers like Irving Berlin and Frank Loesser\, Rickie Lee Jones and Gerry Rafferty\, Bode and her fellow musicians impart each story through simple yet sophisticated arrangements of each piece.
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/erin-bode-with-tara-santiago-and-steve-schenkel/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/bode1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261024T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261024T200000
DTSTAMP:20260811T023310Z
CREATED:20260811T022631Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260811T023310Z
UID:5469-1792872000-1792872000@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:Buffalo Rose
DESCRIPTION:Buffalo Rose has continually filled the house every time they’ve performed at Focal Point\, starting with their first show west of the Mississippi in February of 2022.  They are a singularly spectacular six-piece band from Pittsburgh\, PA. Overflowing with the bold and unfettered joy of their inimitable blend of “Theatre Kid Americana\,” a Buffalo Rose show is a celebration of creative wonder; a sparkling sonic delight. Their live show is where their energy fully shines\, and songwriting is their lodestar. The band’s recorded catalog is full of vibrantly emotive and methodically arranged songs\, sure to thrill the mind and charm the heart.
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/buffalo-rose/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/buff-rose.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261028T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261028T190000
DTSTAMP:20260829T063856Z
CREATED:20260829T063856Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260829T063856Z
UID:5494-1793214000-1793214000@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:October Songbird Concert
DESCRIPTION:Songbird Concerts is a St. Louis-based concert series with singer-songwriters performing their material in a stripped-down\, intimate\, in-the-round performance space\, a format unique in STL. Come enjoy singer/songwriters Tim McAvin\, Lo Stone\, Paul Burch (Nashville\, TN) and Vanessa Lively (Austin\, TX).
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/october-songbird-concert-2/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Songbird-Concerts-Fall-2026-October.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261030T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261030T200000
DTSTAMP:20260901T020929Z
CREATED:20260901T020929Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T020929Z
UID:5502-1793390400-1793390400@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:Jim Malcolm
DESCRIPTION:Fundraising concert in support of Focal Point\, sponsored by Scottish Partnership for Arts and Education. The Focal Point listening room is always a favorite stop on Jim’s tours.
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/jim-malcolm/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/JimWallColour-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261106T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261106T200000
DTSTAMP:20261001T210039Z
CREATED:20260920T232341Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T210039Z
UID:5543-1793995200-1793995200@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:Mila Maring & John Reimbold and Friends: Songs from the Kitchen Table
DESCRIPTION:Mila and John offer a colorful blend of songs styled in Folk\, Bluegrass and Americana\, with Mila on guitar\, banjo\, accordion and bass and John on guitar and mandolin. They play as a duo\, as well as with a cast of talented friends\, as the Kitchen Table Crew. Joining them tonight are\, from the Crew\, Mark Stoffel on mandolin\, fiddle & guitar and Mary Stoffel on bass. \nA native of Carbondale\, Illinois\, Mila grew up in a family rich in music and art. She and her late husband\, Kelley Sims\, with the band The Rural Kings\, crafted two well-received albums. Dandelions (2012) and Level Best (2016) feature Mila’s songwriting\, including her haunting Echoes of Children as well as Level Best and A Dollar for Your Memories\, which earned her a spot in the prestigious New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 2017. \nJohn Reimbold grew up in the 1960’s\, writing poetry and annoying his siblings with incessant whistling. During his college years he resurrected his mother’s 1920’s mandolin\, started playing guitar and writing songs. Over the years\, he played and sang at weddings\, around campfires and in a rock and roll band with friends in attics and basements. Amen explores his Catholic childhood in Chicago with a sing-a-long chorus while the rumba\, Half the Way to China\, talks about tough times that leave a mark on us. \nJohn and Mila met in 2019\, while John cared for his wife Shirley during her late stages of dementia and Mila was on a parallel path with Kelley. Hold for a While and Crying Can’t Change Anything\, from their EP\, Without Question (2023) reflect the challenges of traveling dementia journeys with loved ones. Pirates of the Shawnee explores the mind of a young boy born into poverty in the 1800’s. It was released as part of the acclaimed project We Are for Egypt (2022) that celebrates the history and culture of Southern Illinois. Currently in the process of recording a new original album anticipated to be released in 2027\, Mila and John welcome you to imagine hanging out in their kitchen to experience songs from their hearts and souls.
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/mila-maring-john-reimbold-and-friends/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Mila-John-promo-pic.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261107T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261107T123000
DTSTAMP:20260928T192122Z
CREATED:20260928T192122Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260928T192122Z
UID:5558-1794049200-1794054600@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:Uilleann Piping Workshop with Torrin Ryan
DESCRIPTION:Torrin Ryan has been playing the uilleann pipes\, simple system flute\, and tin whistle since he was nine years old. Before turning twenty\, he had already won five Senior All-Ireland Fleadh medals and over two dozen regional first-place titles. His playing is heavily rooted in the archival recordings of piping masters like Leo Rowsome\, Willie Clancy\, and Séamus Ennis\, while continuing to draw inspiration from today’s generation of pipers. This approach is the foundation of his debut solo album\, Uilleann Piping from the ‘Boros. \nBased in Massachusetts\, Torrin is an active performer and educator. He has toured nationally with various stage productions and has appeared on PBS’s Bluegrass Underground and Brian O’Donovan’s A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn. He spent over a decade teaching at the Boston CCÉ Music School and is a regular instructor at the Northeast Uilleann Pipers Tionól. Recognizing his role as a tradition-bearer\, the Southern New England Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program awarded him grants in 2018 and 2019 to pass the history and art of Irish traditional music down to a new generation.
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/uilleann-piping-workshop-with-torrin-ryan/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Uilleann-Piping-Day.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261107T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261107T150000
DTSTAMP:20260928T192602Z
CREATED:20260901T022305Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260928T192602Z
UID:5506-1794063600-1794063600@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:International Uilleann Piping Day Celebration with Nicolas Brown and Torrin Ryan (Matinee)
DESCRIPTION:Join us as we celebrate International Uilleann Piping Day\, an annual global celebration held on the first Saturday of November to promote Ireland’s national bagpipes. This concert will feature two of the finest uilleann pipers in North America\, Nicolas Brown and Torrin Ryan.\n \nNicolas Brown is an acclaimed uilleann piper\, flautist\, and scholar of Irish traditional music\, praised by The Irish Echo as “an excellent piper” and part of a “who’s who of Irish music scholarship.” In the decades since he first picked up a tin whistle at the Fergus Highland Games\, he has not only become a very proficient musician\, but has also developed a vast knowledge of Irish music history\, about the old musicians\, tune histories\, Irish music in America\, and more. Nicolas has released three albums of Irish music: Not So Good As The Flute (2025)\, Good Enough Music For Them Who Love It (2020)\, and All Covered With Moss (2016). He has performed\, taught workshops\, given lectures\, and played at venues and festivals throughout Canada\, the United States\, and Ireland.\n \nTorrin Ryan has been playing the uilleann pipes\, simple system flute\, and tin whistle since he was nine years old. Before turning twenty\, he had already won five Senior All-Ireland Fleadh medals and over two dozen regional first-place titles. His playing is heavily rooted in the archival recordings of piping masters like Leo Rowsome\, Willie Clancy\, and Séamus Ennis\, while continuing to draw inspiration from today’s generation of pipers. This approach is the foundation of his debut solo album\, Uilleann Piping from the ‘Boros.\n \nBased in Massachusetts\, Torrin is an active performer and educator. He has toured nationally with various stage productions and has appeared on PBS’s Bluegrass Underground and Brian O’Donovan’s A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn. He spent over a decade teaching at the Boston CCÉ Music School and is a regular instructor at the Northeast Uilleann Pipers Tionól. Recognizing his role as a tradition-bearer\, the Southern New England Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program awarded him grants in 2018 and 2019 to pass the history and art of Irish traditional music down to a new generation.\n \nLaunched by Na Píobairí Uilleann\, International Uilleann Piping Day features worldwide recitals\, workshops\, and sessions. In addition to the concert at 3pm\, Nicolas and Torrin will be on hand for an uilleann pipe petting zoo\, for anyone who would like to try the uilleann pipes\, starting at 2pm\, and Torrin will be providing an uilleann piping workshop for anyone who already owns a set at 11am..
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/international-uilleann-piping-day-celebration-matinee/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Nicolas-Brown-Torrin-Ryan.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261107T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261107T200000
DTSTAMP:20260929T211653Z
CREATED:20260910T011224Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260929T211653Z
UID:5533-1794081600-1794081600@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:Mark Dvorak and Ben Bedford
DESCRIPTION:Mark Dvorak\n \nWhen folk singer songwriter Mark Dvorak began his career in music he knew right away he’d be in it for the long haul.  Thirty-five years later Mark is still writing\, recording and on the road performing.\n \n“At this stage of the game\,” said the singer from his home outside Chicago\, Illinois\, “I feel like I’m doing my best work.”\n \nThe Chicago Tribune has called him “masterful\,” and the Fox Valley Folk Festival describes him as “a living archive of song and style.” In 2012 WFMT 98.7 FM named him “Chicago’s official troubadour.”\n \nMark has given concerts in almost all of the United States and has made visits to Canada\, Ireland and Finland. To date he has released twenty albums of traditional\, Americana and original song including 2020s Let Love Go On and 2024s Live & Alone.\n \nDvorak has won awards for children’s music\, journalism and was honored in 2013 wit the FARM Lantern Bearer Award from Folk Alliance International. In 2008 he received the Woodstock Folk Festival Lifetime Achievement Award.\n \n“Very few in the United States embody the folk music tradition more than Mark Dvorak. Anyone who has interacted with him is transported to the core of what this music is ultimately about: Community.”\n– Mark Guarino\, author “Country & Midwestern”\n \nBen Bedford\n \nBen Bedford is a singer-songwriter\, composer\, and visual artist.\n \nIn July of 2010\, Bedford was named one of the “50 most significant Folk singer-songwriters of the past 50 years” by Rich Warren of WFMT-Chicago. The list also included Bob Dylan\, Townes Van Zandt\, Anais Mitchell\, Joni Mitchell\, and Danny Schmidt. In May of 2018\, Bedford was named one of the six Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk winners at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. He has toured extensively over the past 15 years in North America and western Europe. In January of 2023\, he released his sixth studio album\, Valley Of Stars\, engineered and mixed by David Sinko (Yo-Yo Ma\, Punch Brothers\, Edgar Meyer) and featuring Ethan Jodziewicz (Aoife O’Donovan\, Maya de Vitry\, Milk Carton Kids) on bass\, Chas Williams (Nanci Griffith) on second guitar\, and Kari Floyd on harmony vocals.\n \nIn 2026\, Bedford and his partner Vanessa Lively released Mirroring The Wildness\, Lively’s 6th studio album\, upon which Bedford wrote or co-wrote nearly half the songs and played guitar and sang on most of the tracks.With his visual art\, Ben works in pen and ink and watercolor. Bedford is a member of Perspectives Art Gallery in Petersburg\, Illinois.\n \n“Ben Bedford isn’t gunning for poet laureate of Illinois but if ever there was an equivalent honor for a singer-songwriter he’d have to be in the running. ”\n— Roy Kasten\, Riverfront Times St. Louis\, Missouri
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/mark-dvorak-and-ben-bedford/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Mark-Dvorak-Ben-Bedford.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20261108T140000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20261108T140000
DTSTAMP:20260921T000733Z
CREATED:20260921T000733Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T000733Z
UID:5548-1794146400-1794146400@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:The Delmar Ramblers
DESCRIPTION:Gary Hunt (guitar\, vocals) is a versatile musician of note having been in many country and bluegrass bands in the St. Louis area down through the years.  He is a songwriter that plays the strings and sings. \nThayne Bradford (mandolin\, fiddle\, guitar\, vocals) has been playing multiple genres of roots music in the St. Louis area for over 50 years. He has performed and recorded with many well-known and respected groups both locally and nationally. Currently he is playing with the Delmar Ramblers. \nChris Brashear (fiddle\, mandolin\, guitar) is a fine singer and songwriter with a wide vocal range and a clear\, distinctive voice. He has played and recorded with numerous bands across the country and recently appeared at Focal Point with guitarist and singer-songwriter Peter McLaughlin. His recent move to St. Louis is a welcome addition to the roots music scene. \n Vince Corkery (upright bass\, vocals) has been playing around the St Louis area for many years in country\, bluegrass\, cajun rock-a-billy and other bands in roots category\, and he says the “Delmar Ramblers may be the most fertile…”
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/the-delmar-ramblers/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Delmar-Ramblers_POSTER_1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261113T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261113T190000
DTSTAMP:20260901T032827Z
CREATED:20260901T032827Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T032827Z
UID:5509-1794596400-1794596400@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:Eileen Gannon and Robert Ryan
DESCRIPTION:Eileen\, a St. Louis native\, is one of the top Irish harp players in the world. Robert Ryan is a traditional Irish fiddler from London\, who grew up immersed in the thriving Irish musical community of that city. Eileen and Robert are both born to Irish immigrant parents\, and in childhood they learned their music within the immigrant community of the Irish diaspora. In 2021\, they released their duo album “Down The Rocky Road” and this concert marks the release of their companion book of transcriptions for melody and accompaniment instruments.
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/eileen-gannon-and-robert-ryan-2/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/rob-and-eileen-black-and-white-FP.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261114T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261114T200000
DTSTAMP:20260921T011142Z
CREATED:20260921T011142Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T011142Z
UID:5551-1794686400-1794686400@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:Lil Rev and Will Branch - When Dylan Met Guthrie
DESCRIPTION:When Dylan Met Guthrie is a two-man show created by award-winning Wisconsin Artists Lil Rev and Will Branch.\n \nThis heartwarming\, historical narrative tells the fascinating history of America’s two greatest balladeers and the major events that shaped their creative output\, over a span of more than 50 years of American history.\n \nWhen Dylan Met Guthrie weaves together a unique blend of story\, quotes\, poetry and classic Guthrie and Dylan songs\, including many sing-along favorites that the audience will be encouraged to join in on.  Never content to imitate\, Will & Rev possess an enthusiasm for the material that will delight audiences\, with their refreshing renditions of these timeless tunes\, performed on guitar\, banjo\, mountain dulcimer\, mandolin\, ukulele and harmonica.\n \nLil Rev is an award-winning\, Wisconsin-based multi-instrumentalist and folk artist. As a world-renowned ukulele author\, entertainer and instructor\, he has taught over a million people how to play the ukulele through his Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Book series\, North American tours\, on YouTube\, as well as in his lively webinars. Lil Rev is the 1996 National Blues Harmonica Champ and he was voted Best Folksinger in Wisconsin in 2004 by The WAMI board.\n \nWill Branch is a musician with over 35 years of experience. As a solo artist\, he has performed around the US and his original songs have been played on folk radio around the world. As a member of the duo Fox & Branch\, Branch has performed for thousands of children and their families at festivals\, libraries\, and concert series. Fox & Branch’s recordings have won five Parent’s Choice Recommended Awards.\n \n“When Dylan Met Guthrie” is a gem! Rev and Will are consummate performers\, their song selection is perfect\, and their knowledge of these two folk music titans adds great depth to the experience. This was a sold out show; highly recommended! – Phil Warner\, Quam Theater\, Shell Lake\, WI
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/lil-rev-and-will-branch-when-dylan-met-guthrie/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lil-rev.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261120T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261120T200000
DTSTAMP:20261013T004127Z
CREATED:20261013T004127Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261013T004127Z
UID:5572-1795204800-1795204800@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:The Joe Park Quartet: The Great American Songbook
DESCRIPTION:Few bodies of music have shaped the modern ear as deeply as the Great American Songbook. The Joe Park Quartet presents an evening devoted to four composers who turned the popular song into an art form\, and whose work remains the foundation of jazz and American music today.\n \nIrving Berlin helped bring ragtime into the mainstream and set the template for the modern popular song. His work defined Tin Pan Alley\, Broadway and the early Hollywood musical\, and his clear\, singable style became the model for generations of American songwriters.\n \nCole Porter raised the musical theater song to a new level of sophistication. His blend of urbane wit and adventurous harmony shaped Broadway\, cabaret and the jazz standard\, and showed that popular music could be as literate as poetry.\n \nGeorge Gershwin erased the line between popular and classical music. He fused jazz and blues with the concert hall\, created American opera rooted in Black musical traditions\, and wrote harmonies that later became the backbone of bebop. More than anyone\, he defined a distinctly American sound.\n \nDuke Ellington transformed jazz from dance music into serious composition. He shaped the big band and swing eras\, pioneered extended jazz suites and sacred works\, and treated the orchestra as a palette of individual voices. He stands among the most important composers of the twentieth century\, in any genre.\n \nTogether\, these four tell the story of how American song came of age. Join us for an intimate evening of timeless melodies\, reimagined in the spirit of jazz.\n \nJoe Park – Guitar\nHugh Jones – Saxophone\nBob Row – Organ\nDrew Weiss – Drums
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/the-joe-park-quartet-the-great-american-songbook/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/joe-park-.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261121T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261121T200000
DTSTAMP:20260928T174541Z
CREATED:20260928T174541Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260928T174541Z
UID:5554-1795291200-1795291200@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:Nick Gusman Album Release Show
DESCRIPTION:For lovers of story and song there is “Plenty of Room”: Outlaw ballads\, traveling songs\, St. Louis songs\, barroom country blues\, songs of love\, loss\, romance\, and songs of adventure.\n \nThe Double LP will be performed live and in full at the city’s best listening room and will be available for purchase on vinyl at the show. \nNick Gusman is a St. Louis native who has traveled the US to share his true-grit Ameriana sound and has also played on stages throughout Germany\, Netherlands\, Belgium and the UK.
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/nick-gusman-album-release-show/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/gus-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261122T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261122T190000
DTSTAMP:20260910T000036Z
CREATED:20260910T000036Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T000036Z
UID:5527-1795374000-1795374000@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:Jake Blount presented by Focal Point Friends of Old-Time Music
DESCRIPTION:Jake Blount is a performer and scholar of Black folk music based in Providence\, RI. Initially recognized for his skill as a string band musician\, Blount has synthesized his scholarly and artistic pursuits into a diverse performance practice that has taken him to Carnegie Hall\, Newport Folk Festival\, NPR’s Tiny Desk\, and beyond. His albums\, released on Free Dirt Records and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings\, have been featured in best-of lists from NPR\, The New Yorker\, and Rolling Stone. His scholarly publications include “Jail the Zombie: Black Banjoists\, Biopolitics\, and Archives\,” published in Modern American History. He also served as a music consultant for the movie Sinners\, and performed on the soundtrack of Ken Burns’s The American Revolution. Blount holds an A.M. in Musicology and Ethnomusicology from Brown University\, where he is working toward a Ph.D. in the same and a second master’s degree in Anthropology. A new string band record is forthcoming in September 2026.
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/jake-blount-presented-by-focal-point-friends-of-old-time-music/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Jake-Blount-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261205T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261205T160000
DTSTAMP:20261001T210703Z
CREATED:20260901T034512Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T210703Z
UID:5512-1796486400-1796486400@thefocalpoint.org
SUMMARY:Early to Rise: The Ryan McCombe Trio (Matinee)
DESCRIPTION:Born in hotel lobbies after step dancing contests and contra dances in church halls; honed in NYC’s thriving trad music scene\, Early to Rise: the Ryan McCombe Trio is an Irish American celebration for every generation.\n \nLightning fast\, expertly arranged traditional tunes for step dancing\, singalongs from the Irish diaspora\, clapping\, jiving\, and more come from this trio of North America’s finest Irish traditional musicians.\n \nCome for the music\, stay for the community. Bring the whole family\, and don’t forget to pack your dancing shoes.\n \nEarly to Rise is the next evolution of the Ryan McCombe Trio\, led by Champion step dancer & singer Ryan McCombe to support his debut EP\, My Side of the Ocean. The band has toured the East Coast & Midwest\, playing Irish Centers and festivals like GavinStock (NY)\, Connecticut Irish Festival\, Union County (NJ) Irish Fest\, and NY Aeriocht. Featured in the Irish Echo\, on the cover of iIrish News Magazine\, and on radio shows like SiriusXM’s Celtic Crush with Larry Kirwan\, WFUV’s Ceol na nGael\, Gerry Quinn Irish Radio\, and the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast (Best of 2025 List)\, the band continues to grow audiences throughout North America\, and looks to continue to grow new stages in 2026-7.\n \nThe Ryan McCombe Trio maintains relationships with Irish Dancing & Music schools throughout North America\, and routinely invites dancers & musicians of all ages to be a part of their show.\n \nABOUT THE BAND:\n \nRyan McCombe (Vocals/Guitar) is a singer\, guitarist\, and multi-instrumentalist musician from New York City. Raised in Yonkers\, NY\, Ryan absorbed traditional music as a Champion step dancer\, receiving multiple regional\, national\, All Ireland\, and World medals. He is a sought after multi-instrumentalist across the NYC scene\, and has performed in bands including The Narrowbacks\, The Prodigals\, and The Last Minute Murphys. Larry Kirwan of Black47 called Ryan\, “a real triple threat\,” and his 2025 solo album\, My Side of the Ocean\, was called “A Top Shelf Selection” by Irish News Magazine. Ryan is also an adjudicator (ADCRG) for traditional Irish step dancing competitions\, and works in finance by day.\n \nAnna Bosnick (Fiddle/Vocals) is a fiddler and composer with a unique\, genre-blending voice on the fiddle. Born into a musical family in the Pacific Northwest\, Anna is now based in New Jersey\, where she is a regular leader of NYC-based Irish & Scottish sessions\, plays in numerous contradance bands around the NYC and Northern Hudson River area\, and co-runs the first ever Quebecois jam in the NYC session scene with fellow fiddler Bob Armistead. Her 2025 solo album\, Fable\, showcases her unique voice as a composer\, and includes both traditional and contemporary fiddle music across trad genres. Anna teaches both fiddle and ukulele. In addition to her work in the trad scene\, Anna composes and arranges for podcasts\, plays\, short films\, and events.\n \nDan Vaughn (Whistles/Flute) is an Irish whistle and flute player based in Iowa. Dan has been making a name for himself in the trad scene since the early 2000s\, winning Midwest Fleadh titles for both whistle and flute\, and sharing the stage with top bands including Gaelic Storm\, Flook\, and John Williams (Solas). Dan has played whistle\, flute\, and guitar for Iowa-based BNTB since 2022\, including appearances at Iowa and Kansas City Irish Fests. In 2023\, Dan debuted his band\, Sorcha\, a modern traditional music trio blending original arrangements\, virtuosic compositions\, and genre pushing collaborations taking the festival scene by storm Dan has a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from St. Ambrose University.
URL:https://thefocalpoint.org/event/ryan-mccomb-trio-matinee/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thefocalpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Early-to-Rise_Main-Horizontal-Promotional-Photo_without-Text-scaled.jpeg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR