The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Showcase

About the Artist

Born and raised in Iowa, cellist and vocalist Lindsay Mac trained at various schools such as The Royal College of Music in London, The San Francisco Conservatory and Berklee College of Music in Boston before eventually leaving the symphony to be a touring singer/songwriter.  Awards Ms. Max has received include Most Wanted for 2008 Falcon Ridge Song Swap, Most Wanted at the 2007 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and received the Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist, Kerrville New Folk Finalist, NXNE Artist, Starbucks Music Makers Competition Finalist, and the FolkWest's IndieFest Artist awards in 2007.  She has also appeared in the 2007 Club Passim's Cutting Edge of the Campfire Festival, the 2007 Connecticut Folk Festival, and 2007 Houston Women's Music Festival.  Classically trained, Ms. Mac is characterized by her combination of plucking the cello and standing while performing.  She has opened for KD Lang at Boston's Bank of America Pavilion, Catie Curtis, Vance Gilbert, and Daemon Records' group Girlyman.  She has also backed up bassist Charlie Haden and saxophonist Michael Brecker in New York's Carnegie Hall.  Produced by Stephen Webber, guest artists on her debut album Small Revolution include Eugene Friesen, Matt Glaser (Rounder Records' The Wayfaring Strangers), and pianist Tim Ray (Bonnie Raitt, Lyle Lovett, Jane Siberry).  Small Revolution is receiving airplay on over 100 AAA, community, and NPR-affiliate radio stations.  She has appeared in Guitar World, Performing Songwriter, Northeast Performer, and Harp magazines.  In February 2006, she is one of few singer-songwriters to ever appear on the cover of the Strings magazine.

Now living in Ithaca, New York, Joe Crookston was born in rural Ohio in a family of Hungarians.  Several of his songs have made it into the finals of national songwriting competitions such as John Lennon, Mountain Stage, Great American Song Contest, and Performing Songwriter.  He was awarded one of the top three “Most Wanted” Emerging Artists by the audience at the 2007 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.  This honor landed him a position on the 2008 Falcon Ridge Preview Tour.  A story teller through song, Mr. Crookston’s music and guitar playing draws deeply from his rural roots as well as his many urban adventures.  He was recently awarded a year-long songwriting grant from The Rockefeller Foundation to travel throughout New York State, interview local residents, gather stories and write songs based on his experiences.  Many of these songs have just been released on his new CD Able Baker Charlie & Dog. 

Classically trained guitarist Randall Williams graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Mons, Belgium.  He spent the next years of his life as a traveling performer, and has sung in a dozen languages in over 35 countries.  He wrote a book about his travels, writing songs, and singing and playing on street corners, cafés, and pubs around the world.  In 2005, Randall returned to the U.S. to begin a career as a performing songwriter.  Mr. Williams has written two books for Hal Leonard, recorded a DVD for Kyser Musical Products, and given workshops at festivals in the U.S.  As a performer, he has been a finalist in the Founder's Title and Mid-Atlantic Song Contests, a regional finalist at Kerrville, a showcase artist at Northeast and Midwest Folk Alliance and at the International Folk Alliance in Memphis, and an Audience Favorite at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.  He made a live release in 2007 titled One Night in Louisiana.