I just had lunch with Ray Brow and got a debriefing on the Festival of Small Halls, an event, sadly, that I missed entirely as I was off the Island over the week it was taking place.

The Small Halls idea is simple: hold a decentralized week-long festival of traditional music, art and dance in the small halls of Prince Edward Island. The benefits are obvious: small halls and small communities get much-needed investment in infrastructure and attention, local musicians get work and new audiences, visitors get to experience real Island culture.

It’s the anti-Aerosmith.

From all reports the inaugural year was an unqualified success, so I’m sure they’ll be back again next year. And next year I’ll plan to be around.