President’s Letter
Folknotes 5/21/26
Hello Everyone,
We are down to the last two Leo Coffeehouses for our normal schedule: this Sunday with scheduled performers, and next Sunday, our potluck/open mic. But don’t despair, we plan to be open on Sundays throughout the summer for Rise Up Singing, song circles, and open mics.
If you can, join us. You’ll be happy you did.
Here's what's going on:
Board Members/Elections (For Those Who Missed It Last Week)
Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM, Sunday, May 24, 2026
Looking Ahead: Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM, Sunday, May 31, 2026
Looking Further Ahead: Summer Schedule
Reference Information/QCB Membership (Below my sign off)
Board Members/Elections
All of our current QCB board members have committed to continuing as board members in 2026/27. We have a great team and I believe most QCB members would agree that QCB/Leo Coffeehouse is running strong.
We have not held elections for a number of years, mainly because elections generally indicate that more than one person is running for a position. The board members we have are the ones who have volunteered, or who have been recruited by other board members, for their positions, and they are the backbone of the many volunteers that make QCB/Leo Coffeehouse run.
That said, any QCB member is eligible to volunteer and run for one of the board positions. With this in mind, we are planning to hold an election this year sometime in June to reaffirm our current board members. If anyone would like to run for any of these positions, let me know.
Our election will be run via the internet. QCB members who paid for the 2025/26 season will receive an email with a link for the website to vote. I will provide more information on this in future Folknotes.
The current QCB Board Members/Positions are as follows:
• Neil Harrell, President
• Janice Alvarado, Vice President
• Sharon Riegler, Secretary
• John Mann, Treasurer
• Ed Riegler, Historian/Librarian,
• Kelli Domke, Outreach Coordinator
• Dick Males, Support Team Representative
Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, May 24, 2026
5:00 PM: Woody Guthrie Songbook led by Mark Dvorak
Woody Guthrie was America’s great folk ballad maker. His best songs, This Land Is Your Land and countless others - endure as living documents of the times in which he lived, and are still resonant in today’s world. This workshop session is for singers, instrumentalists and listeners. Chicago’s
Mark Dvorak has followed in the footsteps of Woody Guthrie as a musician, song writer, educator and community builder. He served as an integral member of the faculty at the venerable Old Town School of Folk Music for 31 years. He is currently the resident artist with Music & Potlucks, a non-profit organization committed to supporting our neighbors in need.
5:00 PM: Song Circle/Jam-Downstairs
Anyone can bring songs to lead while others provide backup and harmony.
Performances 6:40 - 9:00 PM:
1st Set: Cheryl McKinney And Creech’s Caravan
We travel to different places and times in music, celebrating some of the varied cultures of our vast world. Cheryl will be joined by Chris Bieri, Cynthia Barry McCarthy, David Johnson, Larry Sparrow and Richard Males.
2nd Set: Rupert Wates
Rupert Wates is a London-born, award-winning songwriter who signed an exclusive publishing deal with Eaton Music in the 1990s and has been writing full-time ever since. Since relocating to the U.S. in 2006, he has released eleven acclaimed full-length albums, earning airplay across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Israel, and Australia. His work has inspired over 50 songwriting awards and more than twenty cover recordings by other artists, including two full tribute albums recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles. Performing an average of 120 shows a year across North America and Europe, Wates continues to captivate audiences with his haunting, melodic brand of acoustic art-folk.
3rd Set: Mark Dvorak
Chicago’s “official troubadour”, Mark has performed in Finland, Canada, Ireland and almost all of the US. He has won awards for children’s music, journalism and was honored with the FARM Lantern Bearer Award from Folk Alliance International.
Looking Ahead:
Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, May 24, 2026
Year End Potluck And Mic-Less Open Mic
5:00-6:30 PM: Potluck
Bring a dish to share. Plates, utensils and cups will be provided. After the meal, please help with washing dishes and cleanup so everyone can enjoy the music and fellowship. We will provide serving utensils. If you bring your own, be responsible for collecting them as well as your serving dishes.
6:00 PM:Sign Up For All Evening 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.
6:30-9:00 PM:All Evening 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.
6:30-9:00 PM: Song Circle Upstairs
For those who would rather sing in a song circle.
Looking Further Ahead: Summer Schedule
Summer Schedule
We plan to open Leo Coffeehouse at Zion United Church of Christ every Sunday this summer: June, July, and August, from 3:00-9:00 PM on 1st Sundays, and from 5:00-9:00 PM on all other Sundays.
Double check the schedule and the QCB Members Facebook page in case, for some reason, we can’t open. The schedule will always be updated as soon as changes are decided. I will also send out a Folknotes with any changes to the schedule.
Rise Up Singings: June 7, July 5, August 2
On 1st Sundays, the Leo will open early at 3:00 PM for Rise Up Singing.
Song Circles: June 7, 14, 28, July 5, 12, 26, August 2, 9, 23, 30
Except for 3rd Sunday open mics, we will have song circles downstairs and up.
Summer Open Mics: June 21, July 19, August 16
On the 3rd Sundays we will have a song circle and an open mic, very likely with the sound system set up. With all the summer activities, it’s possible we will not have the sound system set up. I’ll let you know if that happens.
The sign up sheet will go out at 6:00 PM and performers will start playing at 6:30 PM.
As normal, upstairs rooms will be available for those who would like to sing in a song circle.
That’s all for this Folknotes, I hope to see you soon.
Neil Harrell
President, Queen City Balladeers/Leo Coffeehouse
QCB/Leo Coffeehouse Membership
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.
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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.