Page 70 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2012

Each yEar thE blueS FeSTival guide congratulatEs thE rEcipiEnt of thE keeping The blueS alive award for beST blueS SOcieTy
KBA Recipient 2012

blueS FOundaTiOn’S blueS OrganizaTiOn OF The year 2012
WeSTern neW yOrk blueS SOcieTy

by arleen reifschneider population and economy falling faster than water over our Niagara
It goes like this: Life is tough, but there’s the music. It keeps you Falls, a hotbed (we’re working on “Mecca”) of live blues. We
going. You make the music. You move to the music. You love the sponsor festivals, special events, blues cruises on the Niagara River,
music… yeah, you live it, too. Not for nothing do they call it the constant pro jams, an outstanding Blues in the Schools program and
blues. So, you get some of your (mostly musician) Buffalo buddies monthly AmJams wherein budding musicians, from age six to I’ll-
together to keep the music going in your town, and the Blues Society never-tell, play with and learn from pros. There’s collaboration with
of Western New York begins. other music and cultural organizations, public interest efforts such as
Fast forward, 21 years. It grew and grew and grew. Now, not a major push to save and expand local blues radio programming,
so much a bunch of musicians who want gigs, though how sweet the emphasis on supporting the Blues Foundation, Music Makers, and
side benefit, but 600+ folks from all walks of life who love the music. Crossborder Blues, and, wherever we can, work with the broader
These folks work like crazy to make a geographic area, with the blues community.
Now, the ultimate WOW: The Blues Foundation has honored us
with the most prestigious Keeping the Blues Alive award.
We are honored, humbled and inspired to keep going, sharing,
not just keeping it alive, but ensuring the blues its future.
The Blues Society of WNY strives to further enhance our region’s
sense of community through music. Learning the history, making the
music, listening, dancing, having fun together, too — it’s what the
blues and Buffalo are all about.
Visit us in Buffalo! Great people, great food and… did we
mention the blues? Or visit us at www.wnyblues.org.

70 Blues Festival Guide 2012