FOCUSED: Creative Youth in the Empire State premieres in Albany.

Commissioner of Education Dr. John B. King, Jr., NYSSSA Executive Director Sara Fittizzi, and producer Paul Larson at the FOCUSED:  Creative Youth in the Empire State screening in Albany.

Sara Fittizzi and students featured in FOCUSED address the audience before the show.

Songs to Keep makes its big screen debut!

Singer Dan Berggren, producer Paul Larson, and Special Collections 
Librarian Debra Kimok with Festival Co-Organizer Melissa Hart

Festival Co-Organizer Melissa Hart and "Songs to Keep:
Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector" producer Paul Larson 

Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector screened at the Strand Theatre as part of the Lake Champlain International Film Festival. Singer Dan Berggren, producer Paul Larson, and Special Collections Librarian Debra Kimok answered questions from the audience after the screening. Berggren also performed a song from the collection of Marjorie Lansing Porter, the subject of the documentary.

The Mountain Lake PBS documentary was preceded by the short film "Lucid" about a local band.  The complete program was titled "Local Voices I."

Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector was awarded 2nd place in the "People's Choice" category at the Festival.    The first place prize went to Runway from Germany.

From Mark Friedman, Keeseville, New York: 

Hi, Paul -

It was wonderful viewing your documentary on a large screen at the Strand.  The sweep and immensity of the Adirondack  landscape came across vividly.  And this exquisite scenery is the stage upon which the folk music indigenous to our area was created.  Your interview with Pete Seeger reminded me of how many regional seeds of musical influences this icon of folk liberally took and spread world-wide.

While Adirondack ballads comprise only one part of Americana folk music,  they nonetheless represent an important piece of our collective culture.  Kudos for your insightful, story-telling detail of how Marjorie Lansing Porter was the central archivist - the keeper of the flame - of such a treasured piece of Americana.

From Glenn Estus, Essex, New York:  Recently I attended the first Lake Champlain International Film Festival at the newly renovated Strand Theatre in Plattsburgh, N.Y.  I was pleased to be invited to see Mountain Lake Public Broadcasting’s recent documentary Songs to Keep, about local historian Majorie Lansing Porter’s endeavor to save seldom heard folk songs from the Adirondacks of New York State.

I had seen the documentary on Public Television earlier in the year, but on a “small” screen television, i.e. 32 inches.  Looking forward to seeing the documentary on the newly installed large screen and projected by a new digital system, I was not disappointed.  The new projection system allowed the viewer to be immerse in the program from the very beginning. The opening scenes with aerial views of the Adirondacks were so lifelike that I for a moment I thought I was actually in the plane.   

The Strand’s new sound system coupled with the HD projection enhanced the on-screen performances of long lost Adirondack folk tunes.  If you couldn’t see a the performance live, the next best thing was the screening.

After Songs to Keep’s showing, the producer Paul Larson was invited to take questions from the audience of about 30 people.  He introduced Debra Kimok, the librarian at the Special Collections at Plattsburgh State where the Porter archives are stored and also Dan Berggren, one of the folk singers highlighted in the documentary.  Larson noted that his interview with the late noted folksinger Pete Seeger was the last interview that Seeger had given.

Over all, a very enjoyable time at the newly renovated Strand Theatre.

From Cathy Cook, posting on the Lake Champlain International Film Festival facebook page:  "Local Voices I" was awesome! Really enjoyed the past and present connection with local music with the short film featuring Lucid: "Ground on Up" and the wonderful Adirondack folk music feature film "Songs to Keep". Wonderful film festival!

See SONGS TO KEEP on the BIG SCREEN this week, and across the country!

Marjorie Lansing Porter's grandchildren, Michael McNamara, Sean Rosemeyer and Charles McNamara offer insight into their grandmother's life in Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector.

The story of an Adirondack woman’s life will get the chance to inspire the rest of the country, thanks to the distribution of a local documentary by a national television service. Local viewers may also wish to see the program for the first time on a large movie screen, when it makes it cinematic debut at a film festival this week.

The Emmy Award-winning Mountain Lake PBS documentary Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector has been selected by American Public Television for national distribution this month.  Programming directors at public television stations in more than 90 cities including New York City, Burbank, and Phoenix have expressed interest in showing the folk music program to their viewers.  Stations in Portland, Oregon and Denver, Colorado have already scheduled the program to air before the end of the year. 

Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector relates the tale of Adirondack historian Marjorie Lansing Porter, who recorded traditional folk songs in the Adirondack Mountains in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, from the last generation that remembered them, thus preserving them for the future.  The documentary is one component of a larger project spearheaded by Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY). 

 “It was always a goal to get this show out to as wide an audience as possible,” Paul Larson, documentary producer, said. “A story about preserving history told through the performances  of 

talented musicians and illustrated with the stunning vistas of the Adirondacks strikes a universal chord. I am so happy we can share this story now with people in other states.” 

Performer Sue Grimm Hanley, who sings surrounded by tall pine trees in the show, agrees that 

combining Adirondack nature with Adirondack music captures the essence of hundred-year old folk 

songs. 

“We are so far removed from the time when people sang while they worked, while they hiked, while 

they celebrated holidays and milestones in their lives,” Hanley said.  “The program is a bridge to connect 

the various people who love this place with the history of past Adirondackers, and life in these 

mountains.” 

Songs to Keep will appear on television sets across the country this year, as well as on the large movie screen at the Strand Theatre in Plattsburgh, New York.  On Saturday, November 15, the program will screen at the inaugural “Lake Champlain International Film Festival.”   

"In addition to bringing in films from around the world, part of the mission of the festival is to showcase some of the amazing work being done right here in the North Country. Songs to Keep shines a light on the importance of preserving our cultural heritage and is a perfect example of the types of quality programming we're excited to offer," said Melissa Hart, festival co-organizer.  

“We’re very proud of this collaboration with Mountain Lake PBS, and pleased that it is garnering so much attention locally and nationally,” Jill Breit, Executive Director of TAUNY, said. “As well as telling a great story, Songs to Keep is visually beautiful. Seeing it on the big screen will be a delight.”   

Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector won an Emmy award for “Outstanding Documentary"at the Boston/New England Regional Emmy Awards Gala in May 2014. 

The documentary was just one part of a multiplatform project aiming to increase awareness of and access to the Marjorie L. Porter Collection of North Country Folklore. TAUNY partnered with Mountain Lake PBS, SUNY Plattsburgh, and The Adirondack History Center Museum on the initiative which also included an album of new recordings from the Porter Collection, a traveling exhibit about Porter, and a concert series in the Adirondack Park. 

The Lake Champlain International Film Festival presents Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector at the Strand Theatre in Plattsburgh on Saturday, November 15 at 4:30pm.  

To learn more about the film festival:  http://lcifilmfest.org/

Producer Paul Larson says he had a wider audience for the program in mind even before production began on it.   For that reason he says he aggressively pursued interviews with folk legend Pete Seeger and a musical performance from Michael and Kevin Bacon, the Bacon Brothers, for the show.
- See more at: http://mountainlake.org/about/press-releases/adirondack-documentary-gets-national-distribution/#sthash.D2vtAo5L.dpuf

The Emmy Award-winning Mountain Lake PBS documentary Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector has been selected by American Public Television for national distribution this month.  Programming directors at public television stations in more than 90 cities including New York City, Burbank, and Phoenix have expressed interest in showing the folk music program to their viewers.  Stations in Portland, Oregon and Denver, Colorado have already scheduled the program to air before the end of the year. - See more at: http://mountainlake.org/about/press-releases/adirondack-documentary-gets-national-distribution/#sthash.D2vtAo5L.dpuf

The Emmy Award-winning Mountain Lake PBS documentary Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector has been selected by American Public Television for national distribution this month.  Programming directors at public television stations in more than 90 cities including New York City, Burbank, and Phoenix have expressed interest in showing the folk music program to their viewers.  Stations in Portland, Oregon and Denver, Colorado have already scheduled the program to air before the end of the year.
Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector relates the tale of Adirondack historian Marjorie Lansing Porter, who recorded traditional folk songs in the Adirondack Mountains in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, from the last generation that remembered them, thus preserving them for the future.  The documentary is one component of a larger project spearheaded by Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY).
Producer Paul Larson says he had a wider audience for the program in mind even before production began on it.   For that reason he says he aggressively pursued interviews with folk legend Pete Seeger and a musical performance from Michael and Kevin Bacon, the Bacon Brothers, for the show.
“Programmers at American Public Television told me it was the narrative of a woman who preserved a regional legacy and the stories behind these tunes that had a wider appeal beyond our immediate region.  The inclusion of celebrity musicians who are positively affected by Porter’s work also caught their attention,” Larson said.
Larson says the possibility of national exposure guided many of his decisions while making the show.
“I used to joke with the videographer Paul Frederick before we’d set up a shot,” Larson added.  “I’d say, ‘Is this going to be good enough for a national production?’ Of course I am thrilled with his videography and that of Daniel McCullum, who both showcase the Adirondack region so beautifully in this program. The vistas we display while the performers sing is a breathtaking way to show off our region and our music to the rest of the country.”
- See more at: http://mountainlake.org/about/press-releases/adirondack-documentary-gets-national-distribution/#sthash.D2vtAo5L.dpuf

The Emmy Award-winning Mountain Lake PBS documentary Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector has been selected by American Public Television for national distribution this month.  Programming directors at public television stations in more than 90 cities including New York City, Burbank, and Phoenix have expressed interest in showing the folk music program to their viewers.  Stations in Portland, Oregon and Denver, Colorado have already scheduled the program to air before the end of the year.
Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector relates the tale of Adirondack historian Marjorie Lansing Porter, who recorded traditional folk songs in the Adirondack Mountains in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, from the last generation that remembered them, thus preserving them for the future.  The documentary is one component of a larger project spearheaded by Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY).
Producer Paul Larson says he had a wider audience for the program in mind even before production began on it.   For that reason he says he aggressively pursued interviews with folk legend Pete Seeger and a musical performance from Michael and Kevin Bacon, the Bacon Brothers, for the show.
“Programmers at American Public Television told me it was the narrative of a woman who preserved a regional legacy and the stories behind these tunes that had a wider appeal beyond our immediate region.  The inclusion of celebrity musicians who are positively affected by Porter’s work also caught their attention,” Larson said.
Larson says the possibility of national exposure guided many of his decisions while making the show.
“I used to joke with the videographer Paul Frederick before we’d set up a shot,” Larson added.  “I’d say, ‘Is this going to be good enough for a national production?’ Of course I am thrilled with his videography and that of Daniel McCullum, who both showcase the Adirondack region so beautifully in this program. The vistas we display while the performers sing is a breathtaking way to show off our region and our music to the rest of the country.”
Performer Sue Grimm Hanley, who sings surrounded by tall pine trees in the show, agrees that combining Adirondack nature with Adirondack music captures the essence of hundred-year old folk songs.
“We are so far removed from the time when people sang while they worked, while they hiked, while they celebrated holidays and milestones in their lives,” Hanley said.  “The program is a bridge to connect the various people who love this place with the history of past Adirondackers, and life in these mountains.”
Songs to Keep will appear on television sets across the country this year, as well as on the large movie screen at the Strand Theatre in Plattsburgh, New York.  On Saturday, November 15, the program will screen at the inaugural “Lake Champlain International Film Festival.”
"In addition to bringing in films from around the world, part of the mission of the festival is to showcase some of the amazing work being done right here in the North Country. Songs to Keep shines a light on the

- See more at: http://mountainlake.org/about/press-releases/adirondack-documentary-gets-national-distribution/#sthash.D2vtAo5L.dpufThe story of an Adirondack woman’s life will get the chance to inspire the rest of the country, thanks to the distribution of a local documentary by a national television service. Local viewers may also wish to see the program for the first time on a large movie screen, when it makes it cinematic debut at a film festival this month.

The Emmy Award-winning Mountain Lake PBS documentary Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector has been selected by American Public Television for national distribution this month.  Programming directors at public television stations in more than 90 cities including New York City, Burbank, and Phoenix have expressed interest in showing the folk music program to their viewers.  Stations in Portland, Oregon and Denver, Colorado have already scheduled the program to air before the end of the year.
Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector relates the tale of Adirondack historian Marjorie Lansing Porter, who recorded traditional folk songs in the Adirondack Mountains in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, from the last generation that remembered them, thus preserving them for the future.  The documentary is one component of a larger project spearheaded by Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY).
Producer Paul Larson says he had a wider audience for the program in mind even before production began on it.   For that reason he says he aggressively pursued interviews with folk legend Pete Seeger and a musical performance from Michael and Kevin Bacon, the Bacon Brothers, for the show.
“Programmers at American Public Television told me it was the narrative of a woman who preserved a regional legacy and the stories behind these tunes that had a wider appeal beyond our immediate region.  The inclusion of celebrity musicians who are positively affected by Porter’s work also caught their attention,” Larson said.
Larson says the possibility of national exposure guided many of his decisions while making the show.
“I used to joke with the videographer Paul Frederick before we’d set up a shot,” Larson added.  “I’d say, ‘Is this going to be good enough for a national production?’ Of course I am thrilled with his videography and that of Daniel McCullum, who both showcase the Adirondack region so beautifully in this program. The vistas we display while the performers sing is a breathtaking way to show off our region and our music to the rest of the country.”
Performer Sue Grimm Hanley, who sings surrounded by tall pine trees in the show, agrees that combining Adirondack nature with Adirondack music captures the essence of hundred-year old folk songs.
“We are so far removed from the time when people sang while they worked, while they hiked, while they celebrated holidays and milestones in their lives,” Hanley said.  “The program is a bridge to connect the various people who love this place with the history of past Adirondackers, and life in these mountains.”
Songs to Keep will appear on television sets across the country this year, as well as on the large movie screen at the Strand Theatre in Plattsburgh, New York.  On Saturday, November 15, the program will screen at the inaugural “Lake Champlain International Film Festival.”
"In addition to bringing in films from around the world, part of the mission of the festival is to showcase some of the amazing work being done right here in the North Country. Songs to Keep shines a light on the
- See more at: http://mountainlake.org/about/press-releases/adirondack-documentary-gets-national-distribution/#sthash.D2vtAo5L.dpuf