President’s Letter
Folknotes 08/29/25
Hello Everyone.
Leo Coffeehouse, Song Circles, 5:15-9:00 PM, Sunday, August 31, 2025
Leader Needed for Rise Up Singing, September 7, 2025
Looking Ahead: Leo Coffeehouse Opening Sunday, 2025/26 Season, 5:15-9:00 PM, Sunday, September 7, 2025
Reference Information/Links (Below my sign off)
Leo Coffeehouse Song Circles
5:15-9:00 PM
Sunday, August 31, 2025
Dick Males will be opening Zion for another night of sharing songs in song circles, upstairs and down. Come join your friends at Leo, bring an instrument to play, and some songs to sing, or just come and listen. Everyone is welcome.
Leader Needed for Rise Up Singing
September 7, 2025
The first Rise Up Singing of the new season will be Sunday, September 7 from 3:00-5:00 PM. Unfortunately, our usual accompanist, Al Wauligman, will not be able to make it. Would someone else like to do that? Al accompanies on piano but you're welcome to use what instrument you would like. There's also plenty of space for more than one accompanist. Please email or text Ray Rechenburg.
Looking Ahead:
Leo Coffeehouse Opening Sunday
2025/26 Season
5:15-9:00 PM
Sunday, September 7, 2025
3:00 PM: 1st Sunday Rise Up Singing
Tell all your friends and bring the kids! Everyone picks songs from Rise Up Singing and Rise Again song books which are available to purchase or to use in the circle.
4:15 PM: Back To Basics
This jam circle isn’t just for beginners, but it is beginner friendly. Think of it as a song circle, but on training wheels. Ideally it’s for anyone figuring out how to lead a song, or who wants to learn how to play breaks.
We will try to keep the information very basic and centered on beginner friendly chord shapes; primarily focusing on learning how to “read hands”.
We encourage newcomers, or anyone who wants to refine technique (and also maybe give advice), to attend.
Please join Alana Johnson, Bob Schrock, and Isaiah Tam, in the “Green Room” (conference room) on the first floor.
5:15 PM: Open Jam
Anyone can bring songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.
6:40 PM-9:00 PM: Performances
1st Set: Cerone Brothers
Three brothers from Milford who have been studying classical music since they were 2, 4 and 5 years old. Rhys plays the piano, Beckett plays classical guitar, and Tennyson plays piano and classical guitar. They have played in a variety of venues in OH, MI, IL, CT and NY including the Nature Center, Caffe Vivace, Longway Planetarium ( MI), One World Observatory (NYC) and Carnegie Hall.
2nd Set: Melissa Deaton
Melissa Deaton is a musical artist, songwriter, painter, jewelry and crafts designer, who has shared the stage with some of the world’s most renowned performers over the years. Her voice has been heard on radio shows broadcast all over the globe. Overcoming countless personal and professional obstacles on the way up, Melissa continues to work hard each and every day to keep her musical journey moving forward. Melissa’s greatest joys are being a mother raising her twin children, writing music, singing and sharing her gift. Facebook: Melissa Deaton Music
3rd Set: Michael Johnathon
Folk singer Michael Johnathon has a long-standing career in the arts as a concert performer, songwriter, playwright, composer of the opera: “Woody: For the People”, and as the host of the live audience broadcast of the WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour. michaeljohnathon.com
That’s all for this Folknotes, I hope to see you soon.
Neil Harrell
President, Queen City Balladeers/Leo Coffeehouse
Reference Information/Links
Facebook:
QCB/Leo Coffeehouse Membership
Annual QCB membership dues: $20.00 for a family, or for a single person plus a guest.
Pay dues online here or bring by a check at Leo. If you’d like to mail a check, send it to John Mann, 6514 Meis Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45224.
To donate more than the $20.00 standard dues, you can do so by check, or here on our website. When you get to the page with the box to relay instructions, just note that you are paying a larger amount for your dues.
For visitors who prefer not to become a member, a donation of $5.00 (cash) per person helps us pay the rent for our non-profit organization. Donations can be slipped in the box at the welcome table outside our performance room, Founders Hall. If you can’t afford that, pay what you can afford, or nothing at all—we welcome you to join us either way.
QCB/Leo Coffeehouse Membership
We are keeping our standard annual QCB membership dues at $20.00 for a family, or for a single person plus a guest. Last year, knowing that the pandemic cut into our contingency funds, as we continued to pay overhead expenses with no income, some members donated larger amounts to QCB. We very much appreciate the support of all QCB members at all levels.
We are exploring setting up our website to allow the payment of different levels of dues support. For now, if you’d like to pay the standard dues, you can pay them online here or by a check at Leo. (We’ve discontinued our P.O. Box, I will have a mailing address in the next newsletter for those who wish to mail their membership dues.)
If you would like to donate more than the $20.00 standard dues, you can do so by check, or through our website. When you get to the page with the box to relay instructions, just note that you are paying a larger amount for your dues.
For visitors who prefer not to become a member, a donation of $5.00 (cash) per person helps us pay the rent for our non-profit organization. Donations can be slipped in the box at the welcome table outside our performance room, Founders Hall. If you can’t afford that, pay what you can afford or nothing at all. We will welcome you to join us either way.