By Nick Kaye
Special to The Weekly
BANGOR — The American Folk Festival attracts thousands of attendees who are interested in learning about cultures from around the globe. What many don’t realize, however, is that the performers who come to the festival also are learning about a culture that is new and exotic to them: the culture of Maine.
That’s where the festival volunteers known as artist buddies come into play.
“The artist buddies act as the local ambassadors and tour guides for each group that comes to perform,” said Heather McCarthy, executive director of the festival. “They are the face of Bangor, the face of our community.”
The artist buddy position began with the National Folk Festival and carried over to the American Folk Festival when it began in 2002. These volunteers carry out basic responsibilities — getting performers to the stage on time, making sure they’ve had something to eat, arranging for transportation back to the hotel — but beyond that, they are friends to the performers.
Robin Merchant, who has served as an artist buddy since the beginning of the festival, shared one particularly poignant memory.
“I worked with Henry Butler, who is a blind pianist from New Orleans. After his performance, he told me that he wanted me to walk him through the festival. I was a little unsure, but he put his hand on my shoulder, and we took off. It was kind of like doing a dance because he notices the way your weight shifts and the way you angle your body. He was very gracious.”
Like many artist buddies, Merchant returns each year, excited to work with a new performer or group of performers.
“It’s almost a summer camp experience. You have to get to know the performers instantly out of necessity, but by the end of the weekend, it feels like you’ve been friends for years,” she said.
Deb Neuman, another longtime artist buddy, remembered working with a group of young street dancers known as Urban Artistry.
“When they they got here, the first thing they said was, ‘We can’t believe how good the water tastes here, and the sky is so blue, and the air smells so good.’ These were kids who hadn’t been out of the city. They were just beaming.”
Neuman brought the group their first crab meat rolls between performances, and by that point, they had fallen completely in love with Maine, she said.
Both Neuman and Merchant have kept in contact with many of the performers over the phone or on Facebook. Merchant even drove down to Massachusetts to attend a benefit concert put on by a Malian performer she had hosted. He recognized her instantly, and they sat down to catch up after the show.
Artist buddies have played a large role in establishing the American Folk Festival’s positive reputation among performers. With the logistical issues taken care of, they are able to focus on their music and catching up with other performers.
“We hear consistently that [the performers] love the festival and want to come back because of the support they receive,” said McCarthy.
Strong logistical skills, interest in musical traditions and dedication to the festival are among the criteria for the artist buddy position. The majority of artist buddies volunteered in other capacities for years before beginning to work directly with the performers.
There are many opportunities for those interested in becoming involved with the festival, however. McCarthy cited a strong need for volunteers in vending, stage services and the Bucket Brigade, which collects donations to keep the nonprofit festival running.
As volunteers, Neuman and Merchant both feel that they are part of a tight-knit community of individuals dedicated to bringing entertainment and culture to the city of Bangor.
“There’s a lot of camaraderie and support among the volunteers,” said Neuman.
At the 2004 festival, Neuman began a tradition that has become an important part of the volunteer experience. It was a particularly hot day, and she took a pair of scissors to her volunteer T-shirt, cutting off the arms, widening the neck and shredding the bottom.
She made the modifications to cool off, but the festival volunteers and attendees loved what she’d done. Each year since, she has modified her T-shirt in a new and creative way, and other volunteers have begun to do the same.
A collection of the T-shirts Neuman has created will be on display at Epic Sports in downtown Bangor in the days leading up to this year’s festival.
Another important tradition for volunteers is a party held Saturday night at the hotel where the performers stay. Everyone involved with the festival gathers to celebrate another successful year, and many of the musicians join together in impromptu jam sessions.
“It’s the latest night I stay up all year — til 2 a.m. at least, which is a big deal for me. It takes me all year to recover,” Neuman said, laughing.
This year’s American Folk Festival will be held Friday through Sunday, Aug. 22-24, on the Bangor Waterfront. Volunteers are still being accepted, with hundreds of shifts to fill in more than 18 areas. For information on the festival or to register as a volunteer, visit americanfolkfestival.com.