Sun 5/15 : Side by Side

Side by Side
On Sunday, May 15, 2022, at 7:00pm, WFMA and Focus Music will present a very special reunion concert by Side by Side at the Tikvat Israel Congregation in Rockville, MD. Tickets at https://storerevenue.biz/wfma/order.asp#tickets
Brought together by radio host Dick Cerri and the music of John Denver, Doris Justis and Sean McGhee have performed together as Side by Side for over 38 years. During that time they have performed with a “who’s who” of folk music artists, including Tom Paxton, The Chad Mitchell Trio, The Brothers Four and many others. Singing and playing guitars, they are celebrated for their close harmonies and fun stage presence. They were the houseband for Dick Cerri’s Music Americana/WFMA Showcases from 1984 until Doris followed her lifelong dream and moved to Hawaii in 2016.
Doris (now in Honolulu) and Sean (still in Baltimore, MD) retired in 2015 with their Aloha Concert. That concert was supposed to be their last and yet, they reunited in Honolulu in 2019 and will be together again on May 15! They will be joined by the bass player from the Chad Mitchell Trio, Ron Greenstein for this concert!
This concert will be streamed live on YouTube. Tickets will be required to view the live stream. Information on how to purchase tickets for both the live stream and in-person concert will be available soon at www.wfma.net
Sat 6/11 - Focus Board Showcase w Annette Wasilik, Gabrielle Zwi & rob Hinkal

Annette Wasilik

Gabrielle Zwi

rob Hinkal
Focus Board Showcase w Annette Wasilik, Gabrielle Zwi & rob Hinkal
Saturday, June 11, 2022 | Island Pride Oasis | 617 S Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20879
FocusMusic's board members include a number of highly-acclaimed musicians and we thought it was long-since-time that we show them off. On June 11th and July 9th we're going to do just that!
Annette Wasilik
"A dead solid perfect singer/songwriter putting out material straight from the heart, the words, the music and voice all come together so perfectly...Killer stuff." ~ Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Annette sings award-winning stories about humans and the internal and external landscapes we all inhabit. From the first notes, her warm alto and presence draws you in. Annette's debut album, Songs from the Talking House was named Contemporary Folk Recording of the Year by the Washington Area Music Association. In January 2020, she released Love & Fire which landed at #6 on the Folk Alliance DJ chart and #1 on NACC chart and landed the #40 spot for 2020. In 2019, Annette started a songwriters' series called Local Cream which showcases the best local and regional songwriters in a round-robin format. The pandemic has forced her to put her first tour on hold but is presently booking her 2023 East Coast tour.
Gabrielle Zwi
Gabrielle Zwi’s songs about friendship, breaking barriers, and identity bring the listener through their life's journey.
With their signature ukulele and their band alongside her, Gabrielle compliments their thoughtful lyrics with energetic and captivating music.
rob Hinkal
“Percussive, rhythmically driven guitar that freely composites fingerpicking, classical melodies, running bass lines, harmonics, & hard-charging chords. [rob’s] vocals are needled & gaunt, with the jittery energy of a dockyard stray on speed …”
Between rob and his partner Heather Aubrey Lloyd, their band ilyAIMY has received accolades from Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival as well as the Washington Area Music Awards and more. Most recently rob won a Gold in the category of “Freedom Songs” from 2020’s Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. Additionally, rob’s visual work has appeared on numerous CD covers and posters in the DC metropolitan area.
Currently rob is working with artists literally from all across the world to present streaming shows and showcases in a broad variety of formats as ilyAIMY writes new music in preparation for recording their 11th album.
Tickets are $20 in advance ($20 at the door to members, $25 at the door to non-members. All audience and staff must show proof of vaccination and wear masks while inside the venue and not eating or drinking.
Registration details will be EMAILED along with a receipt (two separate emails). For in-person events, please just check in at the front desk! For online shows a link will accompany your registration email. If you do not receive that email - please check your spam folder. If you still cannot find details contacting tickets@focusmusic.org.
Sat 6/18 - Ross Martin & Quiet the Mountain

Ross Martin
Ross Martin & Quiet the Mountain.
Saturday, June 18, 2022 | 7pm (doors at 6.30pm) | One World Coffeehouse at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia, 7246 Cradlerock Way , Columbia, MD Tickets are $20 in advance ($25 at the door). Event is open to fully vaccinated individuals only. For additional COVID protocols and additional information please visit https://uucolumbia.net/events/coffeehouse-ross-martin-2022/. Your ticket includes a live-stream link for online viewing.
Ross Martin
Singer-songwriter Ross Martin started singing about the same time he started talking. He added the guitar at 15 when it seemed his only option for impressing girls. He fashions his lyrics-forward, sometimes-quirky, multi-layered songs in whatever style suits his message or his mood. Writing songs helps Ross make sense of himself and the bewildering world around him.
In addition to songwriting, he's created or contributed music and lyrics to several musicals. His two-act solo acoustic musical, Miss Isabella Rainsong and Her Traveling Companion, premiered in 2018. Ross has gone on to refine and perform that show in theatres, homes, and even driveways ever since.His strongest musical influences include David Wilcox, Peter Mayer, and Lyle Lovett.
A lifelong learner, he finally ended his formal education somewhere after finishing the 27th grade -- attending Wright State University (BA in political science), University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (MD), Xavier University (MHA) and Harvard/MIT (Fellowship in Medical Informatics). As President and Founder of The American College of Medical Informatimusicology (ACMImimi.org), he is widely recognized as the world’s leading medical informatimusicologist. He briefly delivered babies and now does something or other related to healthcare and technology when he's not penning songs and other creative works or taking care of the cabin he shares with his love, Alison, on 20 wooded acres in Berkeley Springs, WV.
Learn more about Ross and his music at www.RossMartinMD.com and www.MissRainsong.com.
Quiet the Mountain
Quiet the Mountain is an acoustic/folk Duo based in the Baltimore area. The group's performers are Singer/Composer Christian Alfonso and multiple award-winning fingerstyle guitarist Jimmy Stewart. Quiet The Mountain combines exquisite fingerstyle guitar and complex vocal harmonies to create beautifully crafted songs that will sweep you off of your feet. This is music with a destination.
Tickets are $20 in advance ($25 at the door). Event is open to fully vaccinated individuals only. For additional COVID protocols and additional information please visit https://uucolumbia.net/events/coffeehouse-ross-martin-2022/. Your ticket includes a live-stream link for online viewing.
Sat 7/9 - Focus Board Showcase w Emily Hall, Kang & Ross Martin

Emily Hall

Ross Martin
Focus Board Showcase w Emily Hall, Kang, Ross Martin.
Saturday, July 9, 2022 | Island Pride Oasis | 617 S Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20879
Registration details will be EMAILED along with a receipt (two separate emails). For in-person events, please just check in at the front desk! For online shows a link will accompany your registration email. If you do not receive that email - please check your spam folder. If you still cannot find details contacting tickets@focusmusic.org.
Tickets are $20 in advance ($20 at the door to members, $25 at the door to non-members. All audience and staff must show proof of vaccination and wear masks while inside the venue and not eating or drinking.
FocusMusic's board members include a number of highly-acclaimed musicians and we thought it was long-since-time that we show them off. On June 11th and July 9th we're going to do just that!
Tickets and info coming soon!
10/15 - Scott Cook

Scott Cook
“As good a modern folkie as we have these days. A perfect voice for the genre. An understanding beyond the norm.”
-No Depression
Tickets and info coming soon!
Cook is one of the hardest-working DIY troubadours on the road today, averaging around 150 shows including a dozen festivals every year since 2007. All the hard miles notwithstanding, he still believes that songs can change your life, and your life can change the world.
Events
Current COVID policy
Please note that FocusMusic's COVID policy may be updated without notice as conditions require, and may be further modified by the individual venues.
1/13/22
We request that all attendees be vaccinated and be prepared to show vaccination status for admission (or a negative COVID test dated within the past 72 hours). Additionally, we require that the audience and staff wear masks at all times inside the building unless actively eating or drinking. We thank you for complying with what we’ve determined to be best for our community.