Traditional Newfoundland Mat Hooking
with Susan Furneaux

Susan has worked at the Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador's Textile Lab, helping to preserve textiles from the Hawthorne Cottage, Brigus. She has worked at the Anna Templeton Centre for Craft Art and Design as the program co-ordinator, and more recently, the print and dye technician. Presently, Susan is focusing on her own work in natural dye techniques and embroidery. She also continues to instruct print and dye techniques, embroidery and various children's classes at the Anna Templeton Centre for Craft Art and Design. Susan is a member of the Devon House Craft Gallery Committee and is the secretary and gallery representative on the board of the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador. Susan's work has been internationally exhibited, and many of her pieces are held in private and corporate collections.


Hooking with Abandon!
by Erin McArthur

On Saturday April 13th, a small group of us met in the Masonic hall for a lesson in rug- hooking. Susan Furneaux, the instructor, brought with her an exotic collection of t-shirts gathered from the four corners of the Value Village. Our goal was to make an 8 X 11 inch sample mat so that we could get the idea of how it is done.

Susan told us about the humble beginnings of mat making. She showed us some beautiful samples of work and different ways of finishing the work. Then, we started hooking with wild abandon. Strips of t-shirt and clouds of coloured lint flew through the air as our mats took form. By the end of the workshop, most of us had completed a substantial part of our samples, enough so that we wouldn't get them home and desert them in a corner until next winter.

My own mat is still nearly finished. Some day I will sit down, hem in the edges and find a home for my portrait of Tiggy the cat.




How to Accompany Newfoundland Traditional Music on the Accordion
with the "Eddie van Halen" of the accordion, Stan Pickett

Stan was born on Fair Island, Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland near the end of an era when folk singing and square dances were the principle means of entertainment. He grew up playing the button accordion for square dances and listening to his father and others sing English folk songs brought to the Island by their forebears. In the late 1950's, Stan's family resettled to mainland Newfoundland. He went on to play the guitar and sing in a country-pop band in the late 60's and early 70's. Stan returned to traditional music following the death of his father in 1990, vowing to preserve the music and song of Fair Island. In the past six years, his repertoire has grown to include more English folk songs, along with Irish and Scottish traditional songs, jigs, reels, polka and airs. Stan is also gaining a reputation as a composer and has created several outstanding original jigs and reels.

Stan does perform solo, but is often accompanied by his musical friends. He's a member of the Auntie Crae Band, which plays Tuesday lunchtimes at Auntie Crae's on Water Street. He performs regularly at various St. John's nightclubs, conventions, folk festivals, museums, public schools and other venues. Stan is always researching the literature to learn more about the button accordion and how it is played, and is a student of traditional music in general. He imparts his knowledge about accordions and accordion playing to anyone who is interested, young and old alike, and is pleased to see the growing interest in this traditional Newfoundland instrument.

Stan asked participants in the workshop to complete a questionnaire. One particular question provoked some surprising and amusing responses:

Q: Did the procedure of using the button number system provide difficulties for you, and should there have been more instruction and practice of this part of the workshop?
A: I was not used to it, but it is intuitive and I caught on fairly quickly.
A: Nope, the button number notation is very clear. I can't imagine a more intuitive system. Very natural.
A: The button number system was easer for me than I thought it would be. I had tried the number system a wee bit, but didn't spend much time practicing it. I need someone there telling me to practice. I definitely don't have that at home.
A: The button number system was a good way for us as true beginners. It helped get a better feel for the sound of the different keys.
A: Yes, definitely. The only thing is making the correlation between the numbers and the actual notes on a scale. For people whose ear is as "tinny" as mine, it would be nice to be able to say what note we're playing.
A: No, but the next time I do a workshop I will bring some stick-on numbers for my fingers.

Following are participant comments drawn from their responses to the questionnaire:

Keila Efford
"I found out about the workshop from an aunt who lives in Lab. City. She saw it advertised on television, then called to inform me about it…I went home that day, and now know Auntie Mary off by heart!! After the workshop, I went to O'Brien's Music Shop and picked up the beginners book that you recommended. I also now know how to play many of the songs which are in that."

Deon Boland
"I really liked the part on playing your accordion in other keys which is very helpful to me with a single row."

Lisa Crewe
"Although I have been playing the accordion on and off since I was 13, you taught me how the instrument actually works, which is very good to know when playing. I didn't understand the accordion before. I just played it. I have always wondered why the top two keys didn't fit into the scale, and why the push and pull reversed halfway down the row of keys. It all makes more sense now."

Theo Coombs replied that what he found enjoyable was "The interaction and variety in the group. It was wonderful to see so many aspiring accordion players in the same spot. That, and the set of reels that Stan and Jean played at the end. Wonderful!"

As you can well imagine, the accordion workshop was a cacophony of sound. Bill McKim summed it up, "…everyone was playing something different and it was noisy - hard to hear myself."

Fergus Brown-O'Byrne
"The accordion workshop was an interesting and worthwhile experience. It was a chance for players to become more comfortable with their instrument, learn some tips and tunes from an experienced player and meet some of their fellow musicians.

The format of the workshop was very good. A tune or a technique was explained to us and then we had some time to work on it. For practicing we divided into smaller groups based on the key of your accordion. This further allowed people to work with and help each other. It was these practice times that I enjoyed the most because of the interaction with other people who were interested in the music. Overall I found it to be an informative and interesting event. I hope to see and attend more workshops of this quality."

Barb Boone
"I attended the Accordion workshop for beginners, sponsored by the St. John's Folk Arts Council. This workshop truly designed for beginners such as myself. I have always enjoyed accordion music but have never had an opportunity to try playing. When I first saw the write-up in the newspaper, I called a friend, who is also a beginner, and we decided to go together. So, with a borrowed accordion in hand and three hours of fast instruction from a friend as my only experience, I showed up with more than a little apprehension. I was quickly put at ease when I realized that others who attended were equally inexperienced.

Stan made us all quite comfortable throughout the day. He mixed demonstrations, which showed how each song should sound, with helpful pointers on improving what we were doing. His reassuring way and reminders to "go slow" were very encouraging. The pace he set was easy to follow and quite relaxed but at the same time full of useful information which I absorbed like a sponge. I came away at the end of the day totally hooked on the accordion and convinced I could learn to play!

The workshop met all my expectations and more. It definitely showed me that there are more accordion players out there than I thought. Although the males outnumbered the females, 18 to 3, I am sure there are more female players out there somewhere. I would like to thank the SJFAC for making this and similar opportunities available to beginners such as myself. So often, sessions are offered for experienced musicians. Some of us may never feel good enough to put ourselves in that category. Many of us want to play for our own enjoyment and our friends, not necessarily to ever play in public. I look forward to taking lessons as soon as I obtain my own accordion and to attending future workshops."