Ginger Ackley's Music

I am SO excited to announce the arrival of my newest Album - Wee Folk Stomp!

It all started a couple of years ago when the Child Goddess tapped me on the shoulder and started singing songs for children to me.  That's also when She started bringing out my inner Pixie!

Playing Posie the Flower Pixie really showed me that the kids in our communities really need their own music.  Fun ways to learn the names of things or remember lists of dieties.  I know that Music is an awesome way to teach, learn and remember.  What we learn musically as kids will stay with us our whole life, too!

Go to my CDs Page and click on the Wee Folk Stomp link!  Let me know what you think, too, because I love feedback!

Look for me on the road and I'll give a bundled price for the set!  

The IPMA has nominated me as Best Female Vocalist of 2018!

What an honor! I’m already scheduled to play at the Awards Ceremony in San Francisco in August and I really would like to that that crystal star home with me! But I can only win if YOU vote for me!

Your $5 Voting Membership lets you select your favorites for the 2018 Awards and helps the IPMA support independent musicians around the world! Even better, join as an Associate Member and get some great benefits like free admission to events!  So please vote for me and for all your favorite musicians!   

Thank you so much and I'll see you in San Francisco!!!

Here is the official Voting Link

I've started writing a newsletter for you and the other folk that have expresssed an interest in me and what's happening with my music.  

The issues will all be available from the menu here if you click on MORE.  I'll keep an archive of all the issues, just in case you want to look backwards!  If you would like to have me include you in my email list when I first send them out, you can email me and let me know where you'd like it sent!

Feedback, suggestions and encouragement are always welcome!

Wow!  I am so excited and very deeply proud and honored about this!  A huge amount of thanks to Brian Henke who produced the album and Jay Bentoff who was the most excellent engineer!!!

I have received a nomination as Best Female Vocalist of 2017 the International Pagan Music Association!! I've got the awards ceremony on my calendar for June 8 and will be playing at the 3 Gates Festival right after in West Plains, MO!  Thank you!!!!

www.paganma.org/awards-extravaganza/

AND

Just Plain Folks (JPF) is the largest grassroots music organization in the world. With over 50,000 members in over 160 countries worldwide.  My new album "Elf King's Horn" has been nominated for Best Celtic Instrumental Album and my song "Celtica" is nominated as Best Celtic Instrumental!!!  

www.justplainfolks.org/

Wow.... just WOW!!!

This was a banner night for me!  I was invited to accompany Brian Henke AND the inimitable Michael Kelsey during the Woodchoppers Ball!  So many of my friends play at this incredible benefit for the homeless in Ohio.  I was so proud to be part of this - as you can see from my face.  Pat Henke shot this picture perfectly!  Thank you Pat!

My friends, I just received this beautifully written review of my new album from Nan Bovington writing for Autoharp Quarterly!  It should be included in the Spring 2016 issue...  so be sure and grab a copy!   Here is what Nan sent me:

"Ginger Ackley is an active songwriter, musician, recording artist and performer. She has released several CD's and also maintains an impressive website, where I was able to read about her life (from Texas to Ireland, and many points between!) and see and hear selections from Elf King's Horn, her latest album - as well as songs from her previously released material.

 I'd have sworn her Elf King songs were ancient melodies and mythical ideas from days bygone...but this is original material, convincingly written 'in the old style', according to the Scotsman, Andy Stewart, of "Silly Wizard". The mysterious and magical themes Ginger employs, are introduced by sub messages located by the song titles.....such as: 'a daughter of the Celtic sea god longs for her father...' (Manannan Mac Lir); 'If a Fairy girl fell in love with a human boy...' (Moonlady); 'If you should find a Faery Ring...' (Faery Ring); 'The mist moved over the pond and surrounded me...' (Mist Wraith).

 On the opening cut, "Fairy Tale", Ginger plays a plaintive and haunting melody on penny whistle, accompanied by Brian Henke on guitar. It is a very effective collaboration, though at first I was surprised not to hear any remarkable autoharp soloing .However, her penny whistle playing is stunning - accurate, tuneful---no tweedling!--and it accompanies the other instrumentals and vocals very well, whatever the song or material. About the modest, by comparison, use of autoharp...in fact, isn't part of what we 'in the community' of 'harpers hope to see happening in small group or string band music--the inclusion of the autoharp as an expected musical partner? Making music? Got guitar? Got ___________ (whistle, flute, banjo, vocal, mandolin)? Got autoharp? It doesn't have to steal the show----just to be an expected and respected part of it.

Ginger's voice is clear and lyrical - very Celtic sounding. Who would have recognized her as a native Texan? Her fellow musicians' contributions are pleasing and appropriate, naturally woven into the fabric of the whole musical tapestry. Brian Henke (the CD's producer) on guitar, Steph Dlugon's sweetly melodic violin and Raven Dana's vocals (especially on "Green The Hills"------'as the ship heads into a new land, everything she knows fades into the distance....') all blend with the minor key, close harmony, penny whistle and undertone of autoharp, accentuating this mythical heroine's travels from the familiar to the unknown.

 Three of the songs on Elf King's Horn are offered as brief videos on her website - and if you decide to go there, hearing the tunes and harmonies while seeing changing views of Maxfield Parrish skies and idealized human and mythical creatures, as well as craggy and rough mountains worthy of Frodo Baggins' trip to Mount Doom - will be a visual and auditory pleasure. "Green the Hills" and "Fairy Tale" work particularly well as video clips. These we so nicely done it made me wish that more selections from the album were available in this audio-visual format.

 As for a truly beautiful melody, I could listen to the waltz, "Celtica" over and over. It is reminiscent of both Annie Laurie and Ashokan Fairwell, without being a copy of either. It's just a lovely instrumental waltz with clear penny whistle, sweet violin and our old true friend, the autoharp, chording below and tying things together...

Give this one a listen!

Nan Bovingdon

January in Anaconda, Montana"

Thank you, Nan for the very kind words!   I am so glad you liked it!

Brian Henke and I are back home and drying out from the PSG festival in Illinois.  We were supposed to be there till June 21 but the rains came and the rivers and creeks flooded and the whole festival was evacuated out!  

Now, just before we left for Illinois, the shipment of new CDs arrived!  Wow!  they are beautiful and sound so good!!!

As soon as I get mailers, I will send them out to all you wonderful folks that supported the Indiegogo campaign.  I am hoping by next weekend or so to get the album up on CD Baby for ordering, too.  Until then, you can email me or message me to purchase your very own copy of "Elf King's Horn!!!

  Wow!  This was such a lovely surprise!  In September, I will receive an award recognizing my participation in the Arts for Stark County!  I feel very proud to be honored this way and I hope I can help folks see more of all the great talent and creativity that is all around us!   

A huge "Thank You" to Barbara Ross and all the volunteers who serve this community!

Euclid City Limits was wonderful...  I love playing there!  Steve Szabo caught some wonderful photos of both Brian Henke and myself!  What an artist he is!

I've included a few of those photos in the video I just uploaded for another track from the new CD.  It will be the very first track and sets the tone for the whole album - "Fairy Tale"!   

Here is a link to it on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSTUMJXuyWo" target="_blank">http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSTUMJXuyWo

Still working on the graphics and I think I may be able to send off the files for production this week!  It is so hard having to wait till it is in my hands!  Once here, though, all the pre-orders will be sent out with lots of thanks!

See you soon, I hope.... Festival time approaches!!!   Check the schedule!!!