In every community, there are devoted people behind the scenes helping to make the folk music scene vibrant, thriving by keeping the wheels rolling. Whether it's a longtime volunteer at a folk club or house concert series, a festival or venue director, a local folk radio host, or a writer who reviews CDs or concerts - one common thread is that these people love the music. They are passionate about serving artists and fans and making sure the folk scene in their community is strong and active.

We chose the name Folk Spokes from listener submissions for Folk Alley's new feature because spokes support wheels while connecting an unbroken circle of the best of musical traditions. Folk Spokes is an opportunity for you to nominate the unsung individuals (or spokes) in your community and to give them a well-deserved moment in the spotlight.

Rick Damon

Rick Damon of South Ryegate, Vermont is the chairman of The Pipers' Gathering which is a non-profit organization for the promotion of bellows bagpiping. He leads a volunteer board of five other individuals committed to supporting the mission of bringing the best bellows piping performers and instructors to Killington, Vermont every August. The Gathering is ten years old and The Vermont Arts Council has been a great financial supporter, but the efforts of the chair and the board members are the unsung lifeblood behind The Pipers' Gathering. Rick is a piper himself - playing Highland bagpipes, Scottish small pipes, Northumbrian small pipes, Border pipes, and Cornish pipes. He composes pipe music, builds wooden pipe cases, and continues to provide a guiding hand to maintain the mission of The Pipers' Gathering.

Nominated By: Dawn Littlepage of Vermont

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