SUP PUPS
FXBG Music Scene
Balancing Maria Schultz’s Life
Megan Jean & The KFB
by Lori Izykowski
Taking the Stage at A. Smith Bowman Distillery
by wendy Larue
There won’t be anything routine about the performance when Megan Jean and the KFB take the stage at the A. Smith Bowman Distillery on Aug. 16, because there’s nothing ordinary about the Columbia, SC-based band. The band is known for inventive percussion; electrified banjo; and dark, sultry, and powerful vocals. “You haven’t seen anything like us,” Megan Jean said. “I promise. Classifying the band’s style isn’t easy, because they call on diverse influences and unusual instrumentation. “Our music is a sort of NY vaudeville act.” Megan Jean explains. “Our songs are a mixture of styles from around the world, synthesized to tell the stories of different characters.”
With a background in musical theater from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Megan Jean seeks to bring the character in each song to life. She draws from her singing and acting training to draw in the audience. Concertgoers should come prepared for an active and engaging experience. “We keep the music highly rhythmic because we like to keep people dancing, and we also like to introduce different music styles to unfamiliar ears,” Megan Jean said. The band’s unique style extends to its recordings. Megan Jean and the KFB’s most recent album was released on CD and vinyl. “Vinyl really does sound different and adds a special character to the music when it’s recorded well.” The band is planning to stick with Columbia,
SC based engineer Zac Thomas and work to take their sound to a new level. “Since our instrumentation is so unusual, now that we’ve found someone who can record it well we want to stick with him.” Megan Jean and the KFB, a group that considers the road its “home,” boasts a widespread East Coast following. Though the band has played towns of all sizes, Megan Jean said smaller towns offer a certain appeal. “People are a little more curious about what outsiders are bringing in. So they tend to listen a little harder,” she said. “And when they like you, they just open up. Music is an incredible olive branch.” The transient team has made Fredericksburg a regular stopping point, playing at venues from house concerts to cafés to bars since the band started touring seven years ago. “We’ve met a wonderful community of music lovers here and are very inspired by the commitment to quality live music in Fredericksburg,” Megan Jean said. “No matter how big or small the venue we play with all our hearts every time.” Southern roots/alt-country blues musician Amythyst Kiah opens the show. Kiah melds traditional-roots music with a contemporary style that transforms songs into powerful, soulful, original music. Tickets for the concert, which starts at 7:30 p.m. are $18 in advance, and $20 at the door and can be purchased at musicandspirits.com.
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Wendy LaRue, owner of AhHa! Consulting LLC, is a Fredericksburgbased writer and editor.
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Seeing Maria Schultz on the water with her two Australian Shepherds, you would never guess that these are her first dogs. Yet her journey with these two best friends began just seven years...and a lifetime...ago. Early childhood memories of animals include her mother’s German Shepherd Sandy, who was in the family before Maria was born. The relationship between her mother and the shepherd would leave a lasting impression. During high school, Maria’s volunteer work at a local aquarium made a strong impact on her. She learned about the training, care and feeding of all sorts of sea creatures, including dolphins, sea lions, even electric eels. While these were not dogs, Maria feels the experience she gained at the aquarium laid the foundation for her ability to work with dogs today. In 2007, Maria moved to Fredericksburg with her soon-to-be husband John, landed her job at UMW, and adopted her first dog, Riley, all in the same week. Before adopting, Maria and John did separate research based on their lifestyle (in a word, active) and came up with the same conclusion: Australian Shepherd. And as she does with any ‘project’ she undertakes, Maria took the training of Riley full on: she researched, she read, and she took him to classes for obedience and agility, even therapy dog training. Maria had also begun work on a Master’s of Education degree at UMW. Her experience in the program helped Maria to understand that whether you are teaching kids or dogs, one thing is true: each individual learns in their own way, and each personality needs to be taken into consideration. This became abundantly clear when, in 2012, Maria and John adopted a second dog, Kona.
“She was so mellow when we met her. But when we got her home she turned into a monster, barking, jumping on furniture, and we knew we had a challenge on our hands.” Maria admits that they almost made the decision to give Kona up. But one day in particular, after communicating to Kona that they were all going to have to get along and be a family, Maria just held her for a long while. “Something clicked. After that, I felt like we were finally getting somewhere. I learned how she needed to learn, and I adapted. Riley would do anything for food; Kona preferred the ball.” Maria and John took up a new sport that they. could enjoy with the dogs: Stand-U Up Paddle Boarding. Maria quickly realized there were no resources available for training dogs (and owners) to SUP together. And the rest, as they say, is history: Maria literally wrote the book on How to SUP With Your Pup, and holds regular training classes through Black Dog Paddle. “If you had told me just two years ago that both of these dogs would be on the board with me, I wouldn’t have believed it. They’re more than just pets, they are my family and we help each other. They have seen me through some pretty tough times. Their warm comfort and quiet understanding brings me the greatest sense of healing. That feeling is the most strong when we are all on the water together. Something about the water and being together feels very renewing. I’m not quite sure what I would do without these two. I’m so grateful to have them!” Lori Izykowski is owned by five cats, but is not (yet) crazy. She loves the Fredericksburg area and all its inhabitants, both two and four-legged.
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