President’s Letter
Folknotes 11/05/25
Hello Everyone,
In this Folknotes:
Homestay Host Needed for November 23
Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM, Sunday, November 9, 2025
Looking Ahead: Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM, Sunday, November 16, 2025
QCB/Leo Coffeehouse Membership
Reference Information/Links (Below my sign off)
Homestay Host Needed
for November 23, 2025
We are looking for someone to host Liz Hogg from NYC on the night of November 23. It’s fun to get to know and give back to the performers who make the Leo. See her bio here. Please email Janice to volunteer.
Leo Coffeehouse 5:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, November 9, 2025
5:00 PM Songwriters Collaborative
Come and share your songs with other songwriters for encouragement and friendly critiques.
5:00 PM: Open Circle Jam
Anyone can bring songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.
6:40 - 9:00 PM: Performances
1st Set: Chanterelle Mandolin Ensemble
Hillary and Rick Wagner, Mike Tappan, and John Lavarnway were part of Hillary's large group, the Centerville Mandolin Ensemble. When choosing a name, they kept the excellent logo made by artist Tammy Rigsby! They play a wide variety of music and particularly like the way Renaissance music fits our sound!
2nd Set: Dave Sanders
Dave is a folk singer who plays guitar with a unique finger and capo style. His songs range from 1930 to the 1970s with a couple pieces from the 1600s, each performed with his own unique treatment.
3rd Set: Dale Farmer & Susan Pepper
Dale Farmer is a songwriter, filmmaker, and the creative force behind acclaimed film The Mountain Minor, whose work preserves and celebrates Appalachian culture through both music and story. Susan Pepper is a performer, songwriter and teaching artist who offers classes in traditional song, folklore and music. She delights in helping others with their own musicality and voice through songs that have been handed through generations.
Looking Ahead:
Leo Coffeehouse 5:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, November 16, 2025
5:00 PM: Open Song Circle/Jam
Anyone can bring songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.
5:15 PM: Guitar Roundtable Workshop
Mike Helm leads this forum for players of any skill level to exchange ideas so we can all make better music together. Bring a question, share a tip. Learn a new lick or chord. Gain a new perspective, share your own with us. Enrich your guitar experience.
6:30 PM: All Evening Open Mic
Sign up at 5:30 PM to perform 1 -2 songs. 8 minute limit.
Sound system will be set up.
QCB/Leo Coffeehouse Membership
It’s that time of year again. The start of a new Leo season. Annual QCB membership dues continue to be $20.00 for a family, or for a single person plus a guest. Membership gets you into every Leo Coffeehouse performance for a year. Where else can you get that kind of musical entertainment and camaraderie for that amount of money?
It really helps us out if you pay through the QCB website.
The easiest way to pay your dues for the 2025/26 season is via PayPal right here.
If you prefer to pay by check, click on the link above and print the membership form. Then mail the form and your check to Treasurer: 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 will welcome you to join us either way.
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
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.