President’s Letter
Folknotes 4/2/26
Hello Everyone,
This Sunday we have two of our regular first Sunday programs, our regular song circle, and our Easter Sunday open mic.
Don’t miss the fun. If you can, join us this Sunday. You’ll be happy you did.
Here's what's going on:
Sad News: Shirley Findsen, September 6, 1935-March 22, 2026
Leo Coffeehouse, 3:00-9:00 PM, Sunday, April 5, 2026
Looking Ahead: Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM, Sunday, April 12, 2026
Reference Information/QCB Membership (Below my sign off)
Sad News: Shirley Findsen
September 6, 1935-March 22, 2026
Last Sunday at Leo, I learned that one of our regular Leo Coffeehouse friends, Shirley Findsen, passed away the previous Sunday. In recent years, Shirley could regularly be found at Leo enjoying the music with Lori Findsen, her daughter, and Tony Montgomery.
When I was searching for Shirley’s obituary on Google, the first thing I found were photos of her oil paintings. Lori told me that her mother was an artist who painted for many years.
We extend our deepest sympathies to Lori and Tony, and to all Shirley’s other family members and friends. She will be missed.
You can find Shirley’s obituary at the link here. Also search Google for her name to see photos of some of her paintings.
Leo Coffeehouse 5:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, April 5, 2026
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. The incredible Al Wauligman will lead us on the piano.
4:15 PM: Back to Basics Workshop
Not just for beginners, this is a song circle for learning and discussing one or two easy songs. Basic information is centered on beginner friendly chord shapes, strums and tempo, some ultra light music theory and a guitar hack or two. Newcomers and experienced players, or anyone who wants to refine technique (and maybe give advice) are welcome. Alana Johnson and Bob Schrock will be the moderators. We meet in the “Green Room” (conference room) on the first floor. This is gonna be fun y’all!
5:00 PM: Song Circle/Jam-Downstairs
Anyone can bring songs to lead while others provide backup and harmony.
6:00 PM:Sign Up For Easter Sunday Open Mic
Priority given in order to those who are new to performing at a Leo open mic, followed by those who have not performed at our previous two open mics, followed by anyone else who wishes to play, subject to availability of slots.
6:30 PM:Easter Sunday Open Mic
Open mic evenings offer opportunities for both experienced performers and those new to playing in front of an audience. Usually, there is a full sound system. We typically have 15 slots of 8 minutes each (two songs maximum). Acts are typically one to three performers with vocals and instruments.
Looking Ahead: Leo Coffeehouse
5:00-9:00 PM, Sunday, April 12, 2026
5:00 PM: Songwriters Collaborative–Share your songs with other songwriters for encouragement and friendly critiques.
5:00 PM: Motown Singalong to some of the great songs from 60s Motown: Supremes, Four Tops, Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke. A stripped down, acoustic version.
5:00 PM: Song Circle/Jam
Anyone can bring songs to lead while others provide backup and harmony.
Performances:
1st Set: Kaitlin Morrison
A former regular at the Leo around 2015-2018, Kaitlin then became a mom, and has been back in the last couple of years, where she enjoys the Guitar Roundtable. Find her on Youtube.
2nd Set: The Jill And Bobby Band
Jill Denton and Bobby Fisher first joined forces in the progressive bluegrass band, the Smyth Brothers, followed by the much loved country rock band, Coyote. Theirs is a chemistry that creates a unique energy in their music and a confidence that only comes from years of playing together; Jill’s powerful and beautiful voice along with Bobby’s dynamic guitar skills and vocal harmonies. Special guest artist Steve Hayes will play congas.
3rd Set: Farmer & The Crow
The Farmer and the Crow blend old-time roots with heartfelt harmonies, bringing traditional favorites and original songs to life with warmth, authenticity, and a touch of humor. Dale Farmer and Ma Crow first worked together on the film, The Mountain Minor. After much fun musically, promoting the film on various TV and radio news outlets, they formed The Farmer and the Crow. They were later joined by Wendy Muncy, whose harmonies and upright bass add depth and drive to the group’s sound. Together, they draw on deep Appalachian influences while keeping their performances lively, personal, and engaging. For this performance, they’rejoined by special guest Justine Cefalu on fiddle, whose playing adds drive, texture, and a rich traditional edge to the band’s sound.
That’s all for this Folknotes, I hope to see you soon.
Neil Harrell
President, Queen City Balladeers/Leo Coffeehouse
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.
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.