And music too

While many head to the Sawdust Festival to check out new exhibits and

old favorites, the visual arts aren’t the only treat to be found.

There are 64 music acts playing throughout the Festival, with 25 new

acts this year.

“The musical entertainment adds to the atmosphere and compliments

the artwork being exhibited,” marketing and community relations

manager Rebecca Meekma said. “Just like our artists who exhibit all

art forms, from ceramics to painting to metal sculpture and

printmaking, our musicians cover the range of musical styles. We’ve

got something for everyone.”

Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Karen Maria Schleifer will be

making her debut at the Sawdust on Saturday. Schleifer has experience

performing on Broadway, professional theater, cabaret and has

recorded with other artists on many projects and will be releasing

her debut CD “Only the Ocean” at the Festival.

“I come from a Broadway background, recording my CD, writing all

of my music and putting the material together is like a realized

dream,” Schleifer said. “The reason I started making it was because I

was invited to perform at the Sawdust Festival -- it inspired me to

put my stuff down.”

She went to her producer who knows her music and voice and he

embraced it. Her style has been described as bluesy, soulful,

acoustic rock with a story-telling element.

“Just being invited to the Festival has pushed me to another

plateau in my musical journey, that’s the way it started for me,”

Schleifer said. “It pushed me to work harder.”

Though she lives in Los Angeles, she is striving to move to Laguna

Beach.

“It’s an artistic community -- I’m so enriched every time I come

to Laguna,” Schleifer said. “The artists are inspirational to me I

would love to live there and love to have it be a regular part of my

life. I could see myself there for a long time and share my music in

Laguna for a long time.”

Adam Kaplan, Garrett Wolfe and Ken Soderland recently formed Pi

and released their first CD of original material. Technically the

band is new to the scene, but each of them are not new to playing at

the Sawdust. They played as Imago as well as playing in duos, but

didn’t do as much of their own material.

They came up with the name after going through a list of about 97

names.

“One we finally liked,” Wolfe said. “It was originally

pieRsquared, an area of a circle, which is such a technical term for

something so basic.”

He equated it to the trio because in simple terms they write their

material and are here men playing in a band but the use all this

equipment. Wolfe writes the songs and each of them play a handful of

different instruments.

“This is my favorite gig of the year, I look forward to this every

year -- it’s my favorite place to play,” Wolfe said. “Here we play

our own stuff our own way, look at this setting, it just does not get

any better. This is home.”

Kaplan said he’s been playing at the Sawdust off and on since 1976

with all sorts of people.

“Our music is eclectic, we started namely with Latin and play

smooth jazz, straight jazz, Celtic, reggae and world beat,” Kaplan

said. “Everything we do is our own way, we use a lot of instruments.”

Kaplan said the Sawdust is his favorite gig, he likes the setting,

waterfall, people and the relaxed setting.

Steve Peterson first came to the Sawdust last year as a spectator.

“This is my first time playing,” Peterson said. “I just started

making phone calls, I’m just starting my music career.”

He launched his first album, “I Just Wanna Be In Love,” on January

1, which Peterson describes as his style. He wrote all the love songs

and explained that his music is pop and rhythm and blues.

“I was poet laureate in Palm Springs and last year I decided to

change my poems to songs,” Peterson said. “I love it at the Sawdust,

it’s so perfect, so akin with all the art spirit.”

Jennie Ricker who books the entertainment said that they have

everything from progressive jazz to Latin, flamenco, classical guitar

and violin and rock ‘n’ roll.

Taffy Eagle plays 60s and 70s songs using vocals and guitar, all

covers. This is her first time performing and she says she’s having a

blast.

“It’s fun to watch the audience and respond to them,” Eagle said.

Peter Sterling is a Celtic harpist who had his first Festival gig

Tuesday.

“I’ve been playing 10 years in general,” Sterling said. “I grew up

in Newport Beach and live in Laguna Beach and have been coming to the

Sawdust for 20 years.”

The Sawdust has live music and entertainment from 10 a.m. to 9:30

p.m. daily except Sunday until 7:30 p.m.

For information about the entertainment line-up go to

www.sawdustartfestival.org or call 494-3030. The Sawdust is at 935

Laguna Canyon Road and is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

Tickets are $6.50 for adults, $5.50 for seniors 65 and older and $2

for children 6 to 12-years old. Thursdays are free for Laguna Beach

residents from 5 p.m. to close.