Summer 2026: Carrying the Music Forward

The summer of 2026 became an important season of travel, music, interviews, performance, and preservation for Timberlane Entertainment Company. From the Ozark hills to the American Midwest, we carried our cameras, recording equipment, songs, and the continuing mission of the Timberlane Archive.

Al Timberlane and Rayne Magill during a week devoted to music, interviews, and the preservation of festival history.

From Mountain View to the Midwest

Our travels began close to home in Mountain View, Arkansas, where we attended the Fiddle and Banjo Contest and other outstanding performances at the Ozark Folk Center. These gatherings brought together the instrumental skill, family traditions, and community spirit that remain at the heart of Ozark music.

We later traveled to Nebraska before continuing to Missouri Valley, Iowa, where we spent the full run of Rayne’s Muzic Fest. Timberlane interviewed musicians and festival guests, filmed performances, recorded informal conversations, and documented the people and spontaneous moments found beyond the main stage.

A festival gathering in Missouri Valley, Iowa—one of the many moments preserved during Timberlane’s summer travels.

Songs Shared in Harmony

A special highlight was a five-song tribute to the Beatles featuring Jacob Austin, David Austin, Al Timberlane, and Al Ryanpoled. The program included “Hey Jude,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Its close harmonies, strong vocals, and largely a cappella presentation brought fresh attention to the melodic beauty of the compositions.

The tribute was warmly received. Lori described it as one of the finest presentations of Beatles material she had heard in the past ten years, noting the tight harmonies and excellence of the vocals.

Music and conversation came together throughout the festival as Timberlane met performers and preserved their stories.

Al Timberlane also presented three songs from his work in the 1990s: “In the Twilight,” “Two Sparrows,” and “Listen to the Roses.” The performance included a tribute honoring Rachel Scott following the tragedy at Columbine, with accompaniment by a fiddle player and Fred on harmonica. The songs and their message were received with warmth and appreciation.

One of the musicians whose performance became part of Timberlane’s growing festival record.

Interviews, Friendships, and Living History

Throughout the journey, we spoke with Rayne Magill, founder of Rayne’s Muzic Fest, members of the Jacob Austin Band, Barb and Friends, Al Ryanpoled on banjo, and many other musicians and visitors from across the United States. Additional names and individual stories will be added as the recordings are reviewed and formally cataloged.

The USA 250 commemorative medallion represented the connection between the festival journey and the Ozark American Songbook project.

Building the Timberlane Archive

Another critical achievement was raising approximately $600 for TimberlaneArchive.com through fundraising editions of our 2025 films, Folk Music Rewind programs, interviews, photographs, and documentary footage.

For a $30 contribution, supporters received a three-part Folk Music Rewind collection—Parts One, Two, and Three—along with festival footage, performances, informal interviews, photographs, discussions, and walk-through scenes capturing the atmosphere of the event. The collection also featured interviews with Rayne Magill and other musicians documented during 2025.

The collection was well received and demonstrated that the Timberlane Archive can do more than preserve important recordings and regional history. It can also help fund future travel, interviews, productions, community programming, and the careful preservation of America’s musical heritage.

The people behind the music: artists, friends, and festival guests who helped make the summer of 2026 memorable.

The Story Continues

This is a general introduction to Timberlane’s summer of 2026. As the archive is developed, we will add the names of additional interviewees, fuller performance details, individual stories, and selections from the photographs, films, and recordings gathered along the way.

Each recording is part of a larger promise: to honor the musicians, preserve their stories, and carry the music forward for generations still to come.