DIXFIELD – All original music was heard as the Countryfolk Music Theatre in East Dixfield recently hosted musicians and songwriters at the first Maine Songwriters Association annual meeting. More than 40 songwriters from Farmington and Livermore Falls to Machias and Portland attended the gathering for workshops, song circles, music and networking.

Heather Caston of Portland, president of the state organization, said, “This first gathering of songwriters was very successful, and we must thank the volunteers at the Countryfolk Music Theatre for their support of this endeavor.”

Among the notable artists performing were Daniel Jacobs of Portland, who had two and a half years of jazz guitar lessons at NYU and two and a half years in the classical guitar program at the Mannes Conservatory of Music.

He has lived with families of musical masters in Brazil, where he studied classical guitar and Bossa Nova, and India, where he studied sitar and tabla. During a college term abroad in Ecuador and Peru studying sociology, Jacobs became acquainted with the techniques and sonorities of Andean folk music.

Gamelon lessons in Bali taught him principles of Indonesian music. Two years of African dance and music classes in Oregon and California acquainted him with Ghanaian rhythms and melodies. He has performed throughout the world over the past 24 years.

Other touring musicians taking the stage included Seth Richardson (national touring performer), Steven Bacon, Lisa Lawrence, D.M. Ingalls, P.T. Kryes, Jefferson Hayford, Keith Dover, Vanessa Torres, Mary Uke, Martin Swinger, Heather Caston, Lindsey Montana, Sorcha Merrill, Cosades and Bluestone, Shana Paradis, Oscar Del Sebastion, Lee Dodge, Jud Caswell and the local western Maine group, “Off The Hill.”

Performers also included Franklin and Androscoggin county songwriters, Paula and Fritz Kaiser of Temple, Tracy Rich of Jay, Matt Kennedy of Jay, Forest Blood of Jay, Alan Rich of Livermore, Larry Bisbee of East Dixfield, Randy and Travis Pinkham of Farmington, Tony and Levi Brogna of Greene.

Bisbee said, “We are pleased to have hosted such a fine group of artists from within the state. It just shows the valid musical talent that Maine holds within her boundaries.”

For more information about the theater on Route 2 check online at www.countryfolkmusic.com. For more information, visit www.mesongwriters.com.