Local 1000 AFM

The Traveling Musicians Union

Political Events/Social Causes

Susan Lewis

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As a member of the women’s trio Belles of Hoboken in the early 80s (with Janet Stecher and Marcie Boyd), Susan performed throughout the New York City area and recorded numerous songs for the “Fast Folk” musician’s cooperative monthly musical “magazine.” When she moved to Seattle, Susan was a founding member of the quartet Shays’ Rebellion, along with fellow Local 1000 member John O’Connor (as well as Tim Hall and Janet Stecher). Their ‘songs of social movements past and present’ were shared with audiences across the United States and Canada.  Their album “Daniel Shays’ Highway” was released on Flying Fish Records (FF427) in 1987. 

Susan and Janet teamed up to form the duo Rebel Voices in 1989. They have released 3 albums together: “A Little Look Around”, “Warning: Women at Work”, and “A Piece of the Wall”. They have appeared in concert at coffeehouses, K-12 schoolrooms, colleges, festivals, living rooms, conventions, rallies, picket lines, and union halls across the U.S. and Canada, as well as in England and Portugal. The thousands of hours they’ve spent working together and the love of the material they sing are evident in their confident and inspiring performances. Their performances for organizations and events representing a broad spectrum of political and social causes have gained them enthusiastic fans wherever they go.

Most recently, Susan has begun to delve into musical theatre, as a cast member in the Vashon Repertory Theatre 2021 production of Woody Guthrie’s American Song.  

 

Ken Giles

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Ken Giles teaches violin/viola at D.C. Youth Orchestra Program and in private lessons.  He also sings with the D.C. Labor Chorus.  Longtime peace and civil rights activist, Ken was a member of the topical song group “Bright Morning Star” and played for peace demonstrations, environmental activists, and human rights groups.  Ken teaches his students all kinds of music, including classical, folk, blues, labor songs, and civil rights songs.

David Borough

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David Borough appears with the band, Radio Rail.  Radio Rail has performed at The Elko Cowboy Poetry Gathering, The Songs for the Transcontinental Railroad Concerts, The California State Railroad Museum, The Cold Springs Tavern, and The Old Town Sacramento Gold Rush Days Festival. As well as venues from Cisco’s Creekside in San Luis Obispo, to The Urban Village Farmers Markets in the San Francisco Bay Area…

A fiddle player with the Celtic Rock band, O’Craven, David has appeared at The Northern California Pirate Festival, The Pirates of the Pacific Festival in Brookings Oregon, and the Northern California Renaissance Faire…

David is Singer/Songwriter honored by the South Bay Songwriter’s Association, and the Napa Folk Festival.

David also hosts “The Rising of the Moon” Celtic themed radio program, which airs at 6:00 am Pacific time, on the fourth, and fifth Mondays.   

Recordings:

“I’ve Gone Home/Down on Santa Clara Street”,  45 rpm vinyl. (1981)

“Liberacion de Amor”  Cassette. (1982)

“Viva Nicaragua Libre/Rollin’ Solidarity Down”. 45 rpm vinyl  (1983)”

“BurnsBorough”. Cassette   (1988)

“Radio Rail”. Compact disc.   (1997)

“The O’Daveys Irish Band, Raw”.   Compact disc.   (2008)

Tom Chapin

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“One of the great personalities in contemporary folk music.” – New York Times

In a career that spans five decades, 26 albums and three Grammy awards, Tom Chapin has covered an incredible amount of creative ground. In addition to his work as a recording artist, concert performer, storyteller and activist, he’s acted on Broadway and worked extensively in television, radio and film. 

Chapin maintains two long and productive parallel careers, both as a respected contemporary folk artist and as a pioneer in the field of children’s music. During the height of the Covid shutdowns, Tom and his daughters The Chapin Sisters streamed 200 live concerts under the moniker “Mornings with Papa Tom.” All are archived on YouTube.

Simon and Schuster has released three children’s books based upon his songs: This Pretty Planet, Library Song (The Library Book), and The Backwards Birthday Party. A new CD is almost complete, working title “Listen Close” to be released in Spring 2022.

In addition to his musical and media endeavors, Chapin has long been an advocate for environmental causes, issues of hunger and social justice, and a supporter of music and the arts in public schools.

Eve Goldberg

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Imagine a kitchen party where Mother Maybelle Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, Mississippi John Hurt, Bessie Smith, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and Patsy Cline show up, and you begin to get a sense of what it feels like inside songwriter Eve Goldberg’s head. Eve has performed her trademark mixture of folk, blues, country, bluegrass, old time, and jazz in venues ranging from small house concerts to the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington DC since 1990. 

Eve’s performances are uplifting, intimate and relaxed, and her watercolour voice and solid instrumental style (guitar, ukulele) has become a favourite at festivals, folk clubs, and concert series across Canada and the US. Along the way she’s earned the respect of legendary musicians like Peggy Seeger, Geoff Muldaur, and Penny Lang. She has released three solo albums to widespread acclaim — “Ever Brightening Day,” (1998) “Crossing the Water,” (2003) and “A Kinder Season” (2006). Her instrumental tune “Watermelon Sorbet” was used for years as the opening theme to “Richardson’s Roundup” on CBC Radio One. 

In addition to being a fine performer, Eve is an experienced teacher who excels at passing on her skills and knowledge to others through private lessons, workshops, and classes. She has taught at colleges, music camps, schools, and festivals, and specializes in teaching adults in community settings.

Eve is also one half of the folk/roots duo Gathering Sparks with musical partner Jane Lewis. In a short time, Gathering Sparks has gained a reputation for sparkling harmonies, solid instrumentation (piano, guitar, ukulele, accordion, and banjo), and stellar songwriting. Gathering Sparks was nominated for a 2014 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the year based on their self-titled debut EP and their first full-length album, “All That’s Real,” was released in fall 2019 by Borealis Records.

Beyond performing and teaching, Eve has been involved in numerous community efforts over the years. She was one of the organizers of The Woods Music and Dance Camp for over twenty years, was a founder of Common Thread: Community Chorus of Toronto, helped start ArtsCan Circle, served on the board of the Ontario Council of Folk Festival (now Folk Music Ontario), and was the first office manager at Borealis Records. 

In 2021 Eve was recognized with the Estelle Klein Award for her outstanding contributions to the folk music community in Ontario.

Debra Cowan

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“Stunning” is the word often used to describe Debra Cowan’s vocals. She performs unaccompanied or with guitar, interpreting a wide range of traditional and contemporary songs. She is a full-time performer who bridges the old and new with a refreshing stage presence and has released six recordings, all having earned praise on both sides of the Atlantic. She tours in the United Kingdom and in North America and can often be seen on stage with her good friend, singer and musician John Roberts. Debra is a proud member of American Federation of Musicians Local 1000 and endorses Harvey Leach guitars. 

Kev Corbett

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I am an experienced songwriter, freelance sideman (basses, guitars, drums), instructor, performance coach, and host, working out of Eastern Canada. 20 years and 20 countries’ worth of touring experience, much radio and television experience, multiple national tours as a solo artist. Your songs are safe with me. Your stories may become a song.