A Resource for Musical Saw Enthusiasts
Musicians & Makers
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More 2026 Festival Photos!
Here are a few more photos from the 2026 festival. Hope to see you next year!
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Saw Festival 26: The Saw Players!
The Saw Festival takes place every year in Felton, California, where the hills of the Santa Cruz Mountains provide the perfect setting for one of the most fun musical events around—the Musical Saw Festival! Talented saw players from near and far have gather to share their music and their saws. Musicians travel from all over…
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Saw Festival 2026 News! A performance of Bach!
The International Musical Saw Festival was great again this year. As always, it was held at Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton, California. It’s been held every year for over 40 years and will hopefully continue far into the future. This year there were quite a few saw players, lots of audience members, and a marvelous…
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Trail of the Lonesome Pine
In this post, I am going to write about one of my favorite tunes, “Trail of the Lonesome Pine.” It was written in 1913 by lyricist Ballard MacDonald and composer Harry Carroll. The song quickly became a popular standard. Its beautiful lyrics are set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia: “In the Blue Ridge Mountains of…
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Thomas Spearance!
If you’ve ever been to the saw festival in Roaring Camp, you’ve probably seen Thomas Spearance. He’s participated in the festival for many years, as an entertainer and a judge of the contest. If you haven’t been to the festival, you may have seen him playing in downtown Santa Cruz by the Tom Scribner statue…
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Country Rose
Hello friends! Here’s an exciting new recording for you, and it includes some saw playing by yours truly. The song is “Country Rose” by the wonderful John Palme. He has a new cd coming out soon, entitled Before I Die, available on streaming services soon. John has been a songwriter since he was a boy,…
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Funnel Of Love, Sierra Ferrell
I am a big fan of Sierra Ferrell, a singer-songwriter from West Virginia. She mixes a variety of styles, folk, blues, rock and country. She is also a great guitar player, and an occasional saw player. I like this rendition she did of of Wanda Jackson’s song “Funnel of Love.” The saw adds a real…
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The Festival Part Two! Judges!
We need judges in order to have a contest, and happily for all of us, there were three generous people who volunteered to choose the winners. Judging anything is difficult, as there are always intangibles that make it hard to agree upon a winner. Of course, they judge on song choice, playing in tune, bowing…
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Georgia Wins It! The 2024 Saw Festival Part One!
Festival Highlights Part One: Hi everyone! The International Musical Saw Festival was last Sunday in Felton, California, and, as usual, it was a wonderful event. There were people from all over the country, but only one person can win first place. This year it was Brenda Ehly from Atlanta, with her great rendition of “Georgia.”…
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Marvelous
It’s been a while since I posted, but this new saw video will hopefully make it worth the wait. This video is by Johnnie Day Durand. It’s a beautiful combination of saw and a music box sound. The saw is great in this recording and she plays using harmonics at about 1:16. So pretty. For…
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Dennis Teeth and a Tiny Saw
Guy Bellingham, otherwise known as Dennis Teeth, was a member of the Hot Potato Syncopators until they disbanded last year. They were a fun vaudeville type act out of England, and they played at ukulele festivals around England. Mr. Bellingham is an excellent ukulele and saw player. In the following clip you can hear him…
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Festival Winner And Fun For Everyone!
Hi everyone! The 2023 International Musical Saw Festival was another great success this year. There was a potluck, contest, music, great company, and unbridled enthusiasm for the saw. This wonderful event has been going on for over 40 years. If you ever get the chance to attend, don’t miss it. You’ll see amazing performances. So…