Jonathan Foster comes to Steve's Guitars on April 26

By Myki Jones Sopris Sun Correspondent

Award-winning folkAmericana singer-songwriter

Jonathan Foster is making a tour stop at Steve’s Guitars on April 26.

Foster, originally from Cranberry Lake, New York, is currently cranking out music in Redding, California. He has been crafting tunes for old souls for over a decade. In that time, he has released five independent studio albums and played over 300 shows in the U.S. His 2021 album, titled "Lantern Shade,” is packed with musical residuals from the past year of reflective moments during uncertain days.

“The great thing about my style of music is they are story songs,” Foster told The Sopris Sun, “meaning they can be somewhat left up to the listener for interpretation.”

Foster said he often does not write his setlist until he's physically at the venue, feeling the atmosphere, season and geography “to build a relationship with the audience.”

His current project, which has the working title of "Roadside Attraction,” draws inspiration from traveling while on tour. “There is such a difference between all these different places I go to,” he said. “This new album will have little snippets of the Southwest, Rocky Mountains and the Northeast, where I originally come from, and a little bit of everywhere else in between.”

Needless to say, he’s excited to visit Carbondale for the first time. “There's always this little bit of extra anxiety and intrigue when I go to a new place,” he said. “Every inch and turn of the music industry can be quite challenging at times, and a lot of it stems from how to make a living as a working musician.”

While struggles may face independent artists at every turn, “I always feel like I have the greatest job on earth when I'm on tour,” Foster stated.

“When there are good things to do outdoors, I can mix music and do other types of traveling, my cup is full.”

For aspiring artists, he said there’s no time like now to find yourself and run with it.

“It's easy to emulate others and it's hard to find ourselves through our art. The only way I see the most successful people take those next steps into their professions is by throwing that spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks and makes you feel good.”

Learn more about Foster's music and tour at jfmusic.net

For tickets to the performance at Steve’s, visit www.stevesguitars.net

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By James Steindler Contributing Editor

From a young age, Jack Holden Raife wanted to learn to fly airplanes. Sadly, he was just 18-years-old when he passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, April 2, explained his obituary, found on the opening page of the leaflet passed out at the young man’s memorial on Saturday, April 15.

The memorial was held on the beautiful back patio and lawn of the Aspen Glen Clubhouse, with friends and family facing the majestic Mt. Sopris. There was an immeasurable amount of support and love present for Jack, and not nearly enough seats.

His mother, Kathy Potter, spoke poignantly of watching her son struggle with mental health, and his family doing everything in their power to ease his strife. Heartbreakingly, in the end, Jack took his own life.

“When he was good, he was great. When he wasn’t well, he could be very unwell,” Potter stated. “We, his family, did everything we possibly could to support and help him. We literally did not leave a single stone unturned.”

Jack came out as gay to his family when he was in the seventh grade, according to his sister, Makena Raife. The siblings were less than two years apart, and Makena added that they were best friends.

In fact, there’s a chance you’ve seen the two perform together, as they were in a band with a couple of friends growing up. They even played at Belly Up Aspen in January 2020. Makena referred to her brother as a piano prodigy, a sentiment echoed by others during the memorial.

Though he was struggling himself, Jack took other young members of the LGBTQ+ community under his wing, lending them emotional support and advice, Potter proudly pointed out.

His mother shared that while recently grieving with loved ones it occurred to her, and she let the group know, “We are going to turn our collective pain into power. That’s what Jack would want,” she repeated to the mourners during the memorial. “Turn our pain into power; that has become my personal mission.” It’s a mission her daughter is committed to as well.

From there, the duo set out to create a memorial fund in Jack’s name to benefit LGBTQ+ youth.

“In 2022, Jack graduated from Telos Academy a semester early. He then started an accelerated college career at the University of Colorado Boulder,” the fundraising webpage reads. Jack had a bright future by the looks of things.

“His witty and creative mind will forever be remembered,” it continues, “but his impact on the world is just beginning.”

As of press time, the Jack Raife Memorial Fund at AspenOUT had raised more than $90,000. Donations will be used to fund long-term mental health services for queer youth.

The webpage also references a 2022 national survey conducted by the Trevor Project which indicated that 45% of LGBTQ+ youth considered attempting suicide in the past year.

People who wish to contribute to Jack’s memorial fund, can visit www. givebutter.com/JackRaife

PFlag Roaring Fork Valley provides a plethora of resources, including counseling and crisis lines, for LGBTQ+ youth and adults experiencing mental health struggles. Visit www.pflagrfv.org for more information.

“I believe he was just too good for this world,” Jack’s sister shared. And, perhaps she’s right. After all, he did get his wings.

Share your works in progress with readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings and poetry to fiction@soprissun.com

Cerulean; blue that sings memories of sea and surf, of ocean and whales

By Nancy Bo Flood

Blue is this evening’s horizon, brushed wet with blue, blue, blue. Saturated, whole sky spilling blueness.

Violet, indigo soon shimmer beneath the sky vault of blue

Once an ocean here

Blueness now blankets snowy fields

Snowflakes swim earthward

Bold branches, bare limbs, reach through cobalt sky

As their slender shadows stretch across waves of white

Telling calligraphy tales of spring to come

But tonight

Winter rules

Hush

Hush

One small brown thrush

Feathers puffed

Head tucked

Waits.

To the right, Flood shares her unedited thought process in writing the poem above. Her books are available for purchase at White River Books.

Comparte tus proyectos creativos aún en proceso con nuestros lectores. Puedes enviarnos un correo electrónico con tus ilustraciones, creaciones literarias y poesía a fiction@soprissun.com

I began with watching the sky, the fields of smooth snow and writing down anything that came to mind. Here is some of it.

Snow fields sheen, simmer, sparkle

First hint of moon shine snow fields smooth creamy blue undulating

Blue is a horizon brushed wet with blue saturated sky dripping blueness

Marked by long tree shadows stretched like indigo skeletons, arms?

Black boughs reach up through blueness

Hush rest sunset one small thrush trills goodnight

Head bowed fluff under piney boughs

Blanketing the fields silver snowflakes waltzing earthward

My mouth is full of winter: cold, clean, quiet

Velvet cobalt curtains close the day

I looked up the names of the different shades of blue:

Aqua, violet cerulean cobalt aqua turquoise sapphire

Share your writing no matter how messy. Have fun with it. Play with it. Let the words roll around in your mouth, your ears.

Enjoy this day. I am enjoying our gathering and sharing so much, thank you.