John DuRant Old World Troubadour (alias Jonathan Strum)

Just released -- John's newest CD, Home from the Sea.

Site Pages

	Schedule of Old World Troubadour events which are open to the public - many of them "open air."
	CDs and cassettes available from the oldest to the newest - "Troubadour In A Box," sort of
	John DuRant at work - news-type snaps from various locations - "click a pic" for a larger (and maybe different) view
	What does a troubadour do? This is an on-line brochure

Suggested Links

	The Maryland Renaissance Festival, Crownsville, Maryland
	The Pyrates Royale
	Ever wonder where albums are done - this is the recording studio used by John
	A new organization just starting up in the greater Frederick area - look in and see what it's all about!

Ash Lawn / Highland Plantation (President James Monroe's home) was heavily visited over weekend. This was (I believe) my eighth consecutive Fourth of July weekend performing at Ash Lawn. I take particular joy in sharing my music with the other living history actors and crafts people. A real highlight for me this time was sharing a musical performance with Art Johnson, an actor portraying a slave working for the Monroe's. We drew a very large (and raucous) crowd while singing Jump Down, Turn Around, Pick A Bail O' Cotton and Follow The Drinking Gourd. This event has become one of my top three favorite performances during each year.

The Third Street Coffeehouse in Roanoke, Virginia: What a great time! It was like going back 30 years to the days when folk music was in its hey day! The people there really believe in the magic of folk music, and the pleasures of getting together to share their talents (some of them great and some small) with the other folk music lovers. I wasinspired by the diversity of age, culture, and heritage, all seeking to share the folk music experience, and I had a very appreciative audience, listening carefully to each song's message and applauding graciously each offering. For me, it was like traveling (very pleasantly) in a time machine back to that much simpler time when folk music was king.

The Pier 6 Children's Concert for the Chesapeake Bay was a smash success, thanks to (among others): Md. State Dept. Natural Resources, Giant Foods, Chiquita Bananna, Turkey Hill Ice Cream, and the BaltimoreSun. We all enjoyed a large turnout of kids and parents - the crowd was estimated at just over 4,000, and they were ready to play! I was privileged to share the Pier 6 stage with Jim Hossick of Education Rock fame. The kids really loved the action songs - Roll the Rattlin Bog, The Garden Song and The Unicorn, but the biggest crowd pleaser was The Cat Came Back. I hope to do this concert again next year - the Pier 6 stage is an incredible place from which to perform.

As for my recent performance in East Berlin, Pennsylvania for their "Colonial Days" celebration, I don't believe I have ever seen such a mass of humanity all packed into one little town. And what spirit everyone had! It was a very warm day in the low 90's, yet everyone seemed to respond with great joy to my strolling music performance. I really enjoyed playing for the kids - even some of the Amish kids joined in singing and clapping along. The crowd favorites seemed to be Roll the Rattlin' Bog, When I First Came To This Land, and The Cat Came Back. The fine folks of East Berlin may be from a small town, but they really know how to put on a great event - I had fun, too!

The Waterford Festival this year (as in past years) was like performing in a sea of humanity. There were times when all I could do was find a spot on the side of the street and sing as the crowd passed. The children were very happy to have some music directed toward them - especially when they were tired and wanted someone to pay them some attention. I had no stage appearances, so I was pleased to be able to move about (when the traffic would allow) to any location throughout the town. This year's Waterford fair was very successful - great weather and great fun!

The Mercer Museum Folk Fest was outstanding this year. The weather cleared up on Saturday morning, and it stayed beautiful the rest of the weekend. The crowds were large, but everyone seemed happy and willing to wait in line for food and drink. The Pyrates Royale were (as usual) great hits with the Folk Fest patrons. The centerpiece is a wonderful museum filled with great artifacts from around the world. (The main floor of the museum also has great accoustics and makes a great stage.)

The C&O Canal Festival was a very enjoyable festival for me. The event was staged at the terminus of the old C&O canal (now called Canal Place) - the people of Cumberland are very friendly, and really enjoyed the music presented. I performed in 19th Century garb for this event, and I played a 120 year old guitar, to bring an extra sense of history to my performances. There were a lot of children who seemed to enjoy the music as well. Put this one on your calendar for next year - good food, great people and a wonderful, historic setting.