Upcoming Events

March 15, 2024
StoryFest – International Folktales 7 p.m. PDT
I am one of the featured performers~
Presented by the Seattle Storytelling Guild on zoom. Registration link below.
seattlestorytellers.org
https://bit.ly/SSGMarStoryFest

January 6, 2024
Arts Night open mic 7 p.m.
St John’s Episcopal Church, 913 – 2nd St., Snohomish 98290
Lots of spoken word at this venue in the church’s large social hall.
A new open mic in Snohomish, it’s the first Saturday of the month.
Door opens at 6:30. I’m planning on bringing my harp to this one.

December 28, 2023
Open Mic! 6 p.m.
Penn Cove Brewery & Taproom, 103 S. Main Street, Coupeville 98239
Fun times. I’ll be playing my psaltery.

December 21, 2023
Blue Christmas Service 7:00 p.m.
Snohomish Evangelical Free Church, 201 Ave B., Snohomish 98290
A quiet, reflective service with homily by Pastor Jeff Sickles to provide
a place to respect and honor that Christmas season can be difficult
for a myriad of reasons. Harp music by yours truly begins 6:45 p.m. and during the
votive lighting interlude. Everyone is welcome.
Will also be live on facebk: Snohomish Evangelical Free Church

November 3, 2023
Hope Against Hunger Fundraising Breakfast to benefit the Camano Island Food Bank
Angel of the Winds Casino, Arlington 98223
Mary will be providing the background music and some of the ambiance with
her harp afnd psaltery.

March 9, 2023
“Cosmic Blogging: time & intention” workshop 1 – 3 p.m.
Burlington Public Library, E. Washington Ave., Burlington 98233
This will be fun! An event sponsored by the Skagit Valley Writers League, I am teaching
a workshop on blogging, exploring blogging, looking at resources, different types of
blogs, and helping people figure out if blogging is for them.
Join us! Free admission.

February 3, 2023
Art Exhibit Opening by artist Mary Diefenbach Duke 5 – 7 p.m.
Palace Art Gallery, 210 W. 4th Ave., Suite X, Ellensburg, 98926
I am privileged to provide the music as people enjoy Mary’s beautiful
paintings. This is during the 1st Friday of each month Art Walk in
downtown Ellensburg.

January 29, 2023
Presented by the Vancouver Storytellers on zoom, “Fortune Favors the Bold” at 7 p.m. PST
I am one of the five featured tellers!
Update: to see the recording of my performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p09fvnJKP4Q

December 24, 2022
Private event.
Care facility, Snohomish.

December 21, 2022
Blue Christmas Service 7:00 p.m.
Snohomish Evangelical Free Church, 201 Ave B., Snohomish 98290
A quiet, peaceful service with homily by Pastor Jeff Sickles to provide
a place to respect and honor that Christmas season can be difficult
for a myriad of reasons. Harp music begins 6:45 p.m. and during the
votive lighting interlude. Will be live on facebk.

October 8, 2022
Dmitri Matheny and his band! at 7:30 p.m.
Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, 1211 – 4th St., Snohomish 98290
Dmitri is a jazz master, flugelhorn master and fine human being.
He will be joined by piano master, Bill Anschell, Phil Sparks on bass,
and Mark Ivester with percussion. Join us. I get to MC~

May 21, 2022
Damon Buxton! In concert @ 7:30 p.m.
Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, Snohomish (masks optional yet requested)
Damon is a creative, innovative composer. He plays a 6 string classical guitar.
Will delight and amaze us. I am privileged to MC.

September, 2020 – June, 2021
Denney Youth Center via zoom
Mary will again be in Juvenile Justice telling stories and making music for the incarcerated youth, exposing them to other cultures, problem-solving, making decisions, and hopefully helping them tell their own stories~

March 7, 2020
Magical Strings Concert @ 7:30 p.m.
Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, Snohomish
Phillip and Pam Boulding are fantastic musicians: harp, hammered dulcimer, button accordion, penny whistle, and more. They will be joined by Irish step-dancers Carmen and Kira. Mary will MC.

December 29, 2019
Labyrinth Walk at Global Genesis Center, Burien.
9:30 Meditation and Brief informative talk
10:00 Walk the Labyrinth, thoughtfully setting your intentions & visions for our new year & New decade. Mary provides the harp music during the walk.
Open to All.

April 20, 2019
The Village at Granite Falls
Mary will provide background music during the Easter Family Brunch again this year.

April 10, 2019
Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative site visit. Mary will be included in the presentations by staff, partners and funded projects in regards to each of their work with the youth.

March 15, 2019
Seattle Storytelling Guild’s Haller Lake Storytelling Evening, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Haller Lake Community Club, 12579 Densmore Ave. North, Seattle, WA 98133
Wearing the Green: St Patrick’s Day Stories and Music with Mary Dessein — join us for Mary’s award-winning telling style, complemented by her harp. Plus an open mike intended to bring out “the Irish” in all of us. Come share your favorite Celtic tales, and perhaps an Irish song or two. Refreshments and fun as well, donations welcome.

January 12, 2019
Mill Creek Retirement Community-Cogir
Stories & music! “Twelve Animal Years” for the upcoming Chinese New Year, “Coyote Dances with the Stars,” music: Sing Hallelujah, I Wonder as I Wander, and a myriad of other delights Mary will be performing.

December 30, 2018
Labyrinth Walk
Genesis Global Spiritual Center
233 S. 156th St., Burien 98148
An open-to-all ceremony to help each person enter 2019 with positive intention.
9:30 meditation
10:00 Labyrinth Walk – some information about labyrinths, a guided meditation to identify your wishes and vision for 2019, then a walk into the labyrinth.
Mary will provide the harp music.

December 20, 2018
Blue Christmas Service
Evangelical Free Church
210 Ave B, Snohomish
A non-denominational service honoring those for whom Christmas may not be a happy time and gives them a place to reflect and be with that. Music starts at 6:45, brief thoughtful homily by Pastor Jeff, followed by candle-lighting – those who choose to may light a votive – starts at 7 p.m. Mary provides the music. Cookies afterwards~
No admission.

Juvenile Justice, Everett
December, 2018 – June, 2019
Mary will again be in Juvenile Justice telling stories and making music for the incarcerated youth, exposing them to other cultures, problem-solving, making decisions, and hopefully helping them tell their own stories~

December 16, 2018
Jose Gonzalez “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
Master jazz pianist, Jose and his band, perform the Vince Guaraldi hits and some of Jose’s own takes on Christmas carols.
Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater at 4 p.m. Mary as MC

December 16, 2018
Everett Unity Center for Positive Living
3231 Colby Ave. Everett
Mary provides music for the 10 a.m. service

November 25, 2018
Tingstad & Rumbel!
Holiday Concert – Grammy-winners
Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, Mary as MC

November 17, 2018
Holly Pyle and Dmitri Matheny Jazz Band
Music from the Silver Screen
Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, Mary as MC.

November 4, 2018
Adam Miller House Concert.
A virtuoso autoharpist, master storyteller, and historian, an afternoon with Adam will be a rich one. RSVP me or on our f/b page, MLR’s House Concerts, for directions.

April – June, 2018
Mary will be in Juvenile Justice telling stories and making music for the youth, exposing them to other cultures, problem-solving, making decisions, and hopefully helping them tell their own stories~

May 30, 2018
Hill Top Elementary, Lynnwood with the 6th grade Language Arts classes.

May 14 & 22, 2018
At College Place Elementary School. Edmonds with classes 2nd grade through 6th.

April 22, 2018 David Roth House concert! Is another of our amazing events: 4 p.m at Rick & Lynda’s, north Snohomish. David is internationally known. His talent, tenacity and generosity are hallmarks.

March 4, 2018 Damon Buxton House Concert~
Damon is a contemporary classical guitarist and composer. He uses silent spaces, open tunings, natural reverb, and double picking to create a beautifully sparse and resonant sound in his music.
And he is just blinkin’ amazing. How many people have Neil Gaiman saying about them, “Nice, haunting guitar melodies, as if from the soundtrack of a foreign movie about death and first love.” He’s completed scads of wondrous CDs, his most recent is Another Sunday Drive

2017
I did a ton of things including the Far West Conference, some great Wit or Wisdom podcasts with Maire Atkinson (kser.org or on facebook), finished my award-winning CD, The Black Prince, produced fantastic house concerts at the home of Rick & Lynda Condon (Sheri Roberts Greimes, Larry Murante, Sean Gaskell!), and did some growing up.

September, 2016
“The Drug Bust” and other personal Stories. Shirley Routliffe, teacher, therapist, motivational speaker and storyteller! She wlll be doing a house concert in Snohomish on Sept 11 @ 4 p.m. and in Tacoma on Sept 10. Having performed across 
Canada and the U.S., Shirley engages audiences with her sparking humor and authenticity.
RSVP to join us for a delightful performance.

Suggested donation: $15 – $25, no one will be turned away

August, 2016
8/19 Friday – Mary will be guest host of ‘Passport‘ 7 – 8:30 p.m. on KSER 90.7FM  kser.org
“Get your global groove on” with Passport. Tonight you’ll hear Quebecois music of Yves Lambert and Garolou; the flutes of Gary Stroutsos, Troy de Roche, and Peter Ali; Echoes of Incas; Pearl Django; Michael Parent & David Holt and I’m not tellin’ who else as we traverse the international airwaves. Join me!

March, 2016

March 5 Dmitri Matheny Group ~ 7:30 p.m. at Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, 1211 – 4th St., Snohomish.
Dmitri is a world renowned musician, composer, educator, producer, and flugelhornist! We are thrilled to have him return to the Thumb on his new CD release tour, Jazz Noir. Jazz Noir: mysterious, melancholy, and menacing. Get a front row seat!
Mary is MC.

February, 2016

February 20 Pearl Django! 7:30 p.m. at Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, 1211 – 4th St., Snohomish. Pearl Django’s vision to incorporate the gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with American swing music is vibrantly alive. The quintet (guitars, violin, acoustic bass, and accordion) has performed around the world to enthusiastic acclaim.
Mary is the MC for this exciting concert.

January, 2016

January 30 Jocelyn Pettit Band 7:30 p.m. at Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, 1211 – 4th St, Snohomish. Jocelyn is a remarkable fiddler, step dancer, and composer. She performs with ‘grace and passion.’ She and her band play traditional celtic music as well as Jocelyn’s terrific dancing.
Mary is the MC for this event.

January 27 Performance at Sierra Pointe, Roseville, California 3:30 p.m.

January 17 Dana Lyons! House concert!  4 p.m. Sunday January 17 in Snohomish.
Dana is a singer, songwriter, musician, storyteller and fine human being. He’s performed just about every where except the Space Shuttle. His music covers the spectrum of folk, rock, & ballads from ‘Cows With Guns‘ to ‘The Tree.’  Join us, you’ll be delighted.
Suggested donation: $15 – $25, no one will be turned away.
RSVP to me so I can reserve your seat and give you address info.
Dana’s website www.cowswithguns.com

December, 2015
“Blue Christmas” Service 7 p.m. Saturday December 19 at Evangelical Free Church, 210 Ave B., Snohomish, 98290. “Blue Christmas” is a service for those that need space and time to acknowledge that Christmas, for whatever reason, is not a joyful time. A time and place to remind us that we are not alone. Music, candle-lighting, words from Pastor Jeff.
Music is by Mary.

 

November 2015

 Past Events

August 8 @ 7:30 p.m.  Dmitri Matheny Group. Dmitri is one of the jazz world’s most talented horn players.  Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, 1211 – 4th St, Snohomish.
– Mary is MC for this event.

August 7 @ 7 p.m. Mary will host ‘Passport: world and traditional music” from 7 – 8:30 p.m. on kser.org 90.7FM. Hear Geoffrey Castle, Jamie Lavalle, Clannad, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Loreena McKennitt, Ash Dargan, Quichua Mashis, and way more. The program can be heard for two weeks after initial broadcast from the KSER webpage.

July 19 @ 4 p.m.  The Gothard Sisters, acclaimed, ‘lushly seductive’ celtic music. Saturday’s concert is sold out!  Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, 1211 – 4th St, Snohomish.
– Mary is MC for this event.

July 23 @ 7:30 p.m.  North Country Bluegrass with Nick Dumas, one of the most popular bluegrass bands in the Northwest and Gold Heart.  Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater.
– Mary is MC for this event.