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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels July 16, 2004 Sunday music celebration a hit By Amanda Bolsinger Tidings Correspondent Curious onlookers stop and gaze through the large plate glass windows. Regulars are greeted with hugs and smiles before sitting down to enjoy their breakfast while their feet keep time to the music. This is the regular Sunday morning scene at the Key of C coffee shop downtown. Nearly every Sunday morning at nine for the past several years, a conglomeration of musicians and dancers gather to play and dance to folk music from around the world. Some of the musicians are professionals; others are electricians, golfers and doctors. "This Venita Varga dances around the Key of C Coffee House and Bakery on Sunday. Satsuki Doi | Ashland Daily Tidings has grown and traveled by word of mouth," Bob Kaesbey, a regular on the mandola and the balalaika, says. "It goes from one musician and the next, and we all come and play for free. It's fun, we play what we want, and we get bagels." The wide variety of musicians lends itself to an equally wide variety of instruments and types of music that are played. Guitarist Bill Leonhart lists Irish folksongs, American cowboy songs, Japanese waltzes and Russian ballads as just a few examples of the types of music played at the Sunday morning sessions. Many European travelers are drawn to the bustling coffee shop as they wander through downtown. "A person visiting from France or Croatia could walk down the sidewalk and hear us playing things from their countries. They almost always stop and come in for a while," said Phil Colvarde, a guitarist. During the winter months, as many as a dozen musicians crowd into the center of the small caf�, while 20 dancers from the Ashland International Folkdance Group perform in circles around the tables. Onlookers pack into any available space. On a recent Sunday, the summer crowd was a bit more sparse, likely due to the typical demands of vacation and outside activities. Still, a good number made their way into the Key of C. They trickled in slowly, the musicians waiting until there were six of them to start. As they warmed up and tuned instruments, the first dancer arrived, holding a drum that she proudly announced she found at a yard sale. She quickly set down her drum as the music started and she began moving around the room. "You have to move," Venita Varga, the dancer, said. "You can't listen to this music and hold still." Colvarde agreed. "This music is meant for singing and dancing." Two guitarists, a violinist, a percussionist and Kaesbey on the balalaika played a Welsh waltz while Varga grabbed another dancer by the hand and they danced a waltz. Patrons enjoying a morning bagel scooted chairs in to make room. The song ended, another dancer wandered in, a second violinist joined the group, and the group started on a Russian song called Korobushka, about a peddler. The music and dancing continued for two hours, with many different people joining throughout the morning. The mini-festival continues each week and anyone is encouraged to join. For those gathered, it seems the combination of dance, music and friendship is the perfect way to start each week. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams