RiverFolk and Jill Behling Padua – the face behind the music

Posted 8/21/12

“Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of folk,” I informed RiverFolk Concert Series promoter Jill Behling Padua, as we sat down to chat about the music, The Cooperage in Honesdale, PA and Padua …

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RiverFolk and Jill Behling Padua – the face behind the music

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“Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of folk,” I informed RiverFolk Concert Series promoter Jill Behling Padua, as we sat down to chat about the music, The Cooperage in Honesdale, PA and Padua herself, who is running the show behind the scenes. “Well, while the series is folk-influenced, it’s not just folk” Padua explained. “That’s a common misconception, due in part to our name, which really originated from being created by the river for the community of folk that inhabit our region. RiverFolk!” Continuing that train of thought, Jill expounded on the diversity of genres to be heard throughout the year as the season unfolds at The Cooperage. “We’ve got blues, pop, bluegrass and even some fantastic comedy,” she said. “And folk music, of course!”

Padua, the former owner of Jill’s Kitchen and the creator of Jill’s Sauces, is passionate about all forms of music. “It all began growing up with a big sister who was a beatnik,” she laughed. “While all of my friends were listening to Top 40, I was being exposed to folk, and I loved it.” It was that appreciation for the mid-20th century take on the older, more traditional form of folk music that had evolved into a revival of sorts, which drove Padua’s desire to share the music with her community.

“The very first Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) conference that I attended was right here at Kutchers, back in 2006, which I attended with [then partner] Mike Jung. Mike was instrumental in guiding me through the labyrinth of artists, booking agents, festival promoters and the myriad of industry professionals who attend the event annually,” she said. The organization holds a four-day conference which includes workshops, panel discussions and seminars, and also includes formal showcases by the performers as well as private “guerilla” showcases hosted by agents and promoters.

“It was at a NERFA event in 2008 that WJFF radio show host Angela Page suggested that I host a ‘House Concert’ here in Narrowsburg,” Padua shared. “But I didn’t really have the room, so when the great folks at Calkins Creek suggested their winery as a venue, I leaped at the chance. That’s when the name RiverFolk came to me, and after a labor of love, we held our first concert featuring Joe Crookston in January of 2009.” Crookston, who lives in Ithaca, NY, spends a good deal of time touring in the U.S., Canada and Ireland, and has been a perennial favorite ever since. His style of storytelling exemplifies RiverFolk, because of his music, but also because he is a “songwriter, painter, fiddler, eco-village member and believer in all things possible” (www.joecrookston.com), with an emphasis on diversity.

Following the stint at the winery, RiverFolk was given the opportunity to move to The Cooperage (www.thecooperageproject.org) which “was founded on the premise that strong communities are built upon strong relationships” and seemed like a “perfect fit for RiverFolk,” according to Padua. She hosted the first-ever concert held in the building, happy to be a part of The Cooperage mission, which is “to offer a range of instructive and entertaining activities that will engage, challenge and enlighten through a variety of programs, seeking to inspire people of all ages to embrace diversity and celebrate shared experience in order to create a deeper sense of community.”

“They have designed a beautiful community space,” Padua said, “with great sound and lighting. All of the folks who run the place, with the help of amazing volunteers, are fantastic,” she enthused. “I’m very thankful for them all and could not do it without their assistance.” When asked about the future of RiverFolk, Jill Behling Padua grinned from ear to ear. “2016 is fully booked!” she declared, “and I’m already working on 2017! The hardest thing about RiverFolk is that I have to pick and choose from a very large pool of talent. We’ve got Sloan Wainwright coming up (2/20) along with Jann Klose (4/9), Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman (5/7) and Carla Ulbrich and the hilarious Lois Morton (11/5) to name just a few!”

True to her word, Padua and the RiverFolk Concert Series will be featuring a wide variety of entertainment at The Cooperage this year, and she promises plenty of surprises along the way. “We have more opening acts than ever before,” she said, “with plenty of crossover acts. All of the information is on our website. But you have to come and see for yourself. For me, this is not a business. I do it for the love of good music and community. RiverFolk will continue to grow and thrive as long as I’m around,” Jill concluded. “It’s my baby.”

For more information on the RiverFolk Concert Series, visit www.riverfolkconcerts.com or call 845/252-6783 for reservations.

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