Music Wonderland

Bloomington city councilman and volunteer WFHB radio programmer Steve Volan doesn't know where to begin when he talks about the Lotus Festival. \n"It's overstimulating," the festival veteran finally says. "It's like Bloomington needs a giant dose of Ritalin to deal with the overstimulation Lotus festival causes."\nBeginning September 15, the five-day Lotus World Music and Arts Festival brings musicians together from all corners of the globe to serenade the people of Bloomington with an eclectic mix of music.\n"I've been involved with the festival since the beginning," Volan said. "For me, it's hard not to be involved in it."\nVolan was given his own radio show in June 1993. After a few months at the station, he began advocating that the station create an event they could annually promote. Volan's call for a perfect event was answered when two musicians came forward who wanted to create a festival that would treat its artists and audiences with a mutual respect and they decided on a world music theme. The first Lotus Festival lasted one night and included eight artists at three venues.\nIn it's 11th, year, the festival has grown with 10 stages and 33 scheduled featured artists.\n"The festival has increased significantly since 1994," said Lee Williams, executive and artistic director. "To grow wasn't the goal, it was simply the outcome."\nVolan said he knew from the beginning, something special had been created.\n"It's become the most well known festival in Bloomington," Volan said. "It's competitive with sporting events with how much money and attendance it brings in from out of town."\nFestival patrons say what makes the festival special is not it's economic pull.\nWhen senior Lisa Simmons heard Honeyboy Edwards, a blues artist, was scheduled for the festival last year she was amazed.\n"I was impressed they got him," she said. "He's a living legend."\n"There are very few events in the music community with as broad a scope as we have," Williams said.\nBecause Williams says he feels it's important to work in as many types of music as possible, he doesn't like to book bands for more than one year.\n"There's so much that's out there," he said. "There are new types that have never been heard before."\nWilliams said, for example, there is a band called Jamesie & the All-Stars from the Virgin Islands who play a type of music called Caribbean scratch, something Williams has never heard before.\nBut the festival is not just music. It has daily street parades and workshops. Films are shown, and a visual arts section is included.\n"It's like Disneyland where you have to pick and choose what you want to do -- except the lines are shorter," Volan said.\nPart of Volan's personal Lotus festivities is his annual Saturday night party for the artists.\n"If you're out on tour, it's incredibly grueling," Volan said. "A festival gives them an opportunity to relax and hang out, with other artists, and that's what my party's about." \nAlthough Volan admits he still needs to work out the majority of the details for his party, he is sure of one item at the top of his list of things to do.\n"I need to make sure my piano's tuned," he said laughing, "because they bang the heck out of it."\nVolan added he's also looking for someone who wants to volunteer a stand-up bass or drum set.\nAdvance tickets are available at Bloomingfoods, the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, TD's CDs & LPs or by phone at 323-3020. Students can buy discounted tickets at the IU Memorial Union Activities Desk.\n"If there's only one time a year you go west of Indiana Avenue," Volan said, "the Lotus Festival is the time to do it"