Those of you in Northeast Ohio and the surrounding region might want to check out a new event this Saturday, Feb. 23. Starting at noon, the Shore Cultural Centre will host the inaugural Shore Folk Festival , which will include performances and workshops on music, poetry, dancing and art. Banjo enthusiasts will be happy to learn that there will be two workshops on their favorite five-stringed instrument, one on clawhammer, taught by none other than Mark Olitsky , and the other on bluegrass, taught by multi-instrumentalist Paul Kovac . Olitsky has asked locals to get behind this fledgling event. "If you can make it, it would be great to get as much support from the old-time community as possible," he wrote in an e-mail. "There should be a lot of possibility to jam and drink beer." Olitsky's workshop starts at 2 p.m. The direction of the class will depend heavily on the attendees, so be prepared to ask some questions. However, he does have an intriguing
How to learn to stop worrying and love the twang. A journey into old-time music.