May Erlewine (left) and Seth Bernard record a new song with three other artists last week in a cabin at the Chain O' Lakes Campground as part of the Hi-lo Project. Photo by Hadley R obinson

BELLAIRE - Recording songs in a newly-built cedar cabin overlooking Lake Bellaire as the snow dropped outside was music to the ears of a group of artists that came to Antrim County last week.

Five musicians, Samuel Seth Bernard, May Erlewine, Luke Winslow-King, Susan E. Fawcett and David Fetzer, along with other various collaborators, came together for five days last week to work on the Hi-lo Project.

The idea of the project is for a variety of artists to bring ideas to the table and work with each other to create music and other art forms.

"It's more of a project than a band because it mutates every year," Bernard said.

The music is sometimes planned, sometimes improvised.

"A lot of times we all have songs we've written that don't make it on albums," Erlewine said. "They often come to the table at Hi-lo."

The project began five years ago, when several of the musicians were playing a gig together at the Otsego Club in Gaylord. They would play in the restaurant and then go upstairs to their hotel room to record music. For the next three years, these musicians and other friends continued the recording and playing over in Gaylord.

"It became a tradition the week between Christmas and New Year's," Winslow-King said.

This year, the project moved to Bellaire for the first time.

The group stayed at the Chain O' Lakes Campground on M-88 between Bellaire and Mancelona, where they recorded on cassettes each day in the cabin.

"We wanted to support local artists that are working so hard," said Debbie Rutledge, who owns the campground with her husband Flip.

After recording all day, they headed down each night to play for an audience at Short's Brewing Company.

"A lot of us are from the area and it feels like home," Bernard said. "We moved it to Short's because that's where we feel the happiest with the greatest sense of family."

Also for the first time this year, the group recorded their live shows in addition to the sessions in the cabin.

The artists agreed that they got a much better reception at their live shows in Bellaire than in previous years.

"The live shows add a new element," Erlewine said.

All the musicians live in various parts of the state, and Fetzer came this year for the first time all the way from Salt Lake City, Utah. Most of them met at Interlochen Center for the Arts when they were younger. Though all have found themselves doing music, only Winslow-King went to Interlochen for music-the others were working in theatre and visual arts.

"I try to come to Michigan as often as I can," Fetzer said. "Shacking up with a wood stove recording music with a bunch of dear friends was enough impetus to fly standby during the holidays."

The Hi-lo project is about more than just music. The group was working with some other artists to make a movie in Antrim County.

"At the end of the year people have peace and rest and can collect themselves," Bernard said. "We're trying to do that creatively through the medium of this project."

The Hi-lo artists expressed a strong connection and commitment to this region. Many are from surrounding areas and find it to be a central place to come together.

Bernard and Erlewine have been playing at Short's for several years, even performing a weekly gig at one time.

For them, it feels comfortable to be in the area, and when Bernard discovered the Chain O' Lakes Campground, he felt it was all coming together.

"All these things were serendipitous," he said. "Chain O' Lakes has been so supportive of musicians here. It's great to be in a community that supports local musicians."

So last week, when they weren't recording, they were enjoying the area, spending time outside, checking out local artists and organizations. "This place has all these treasures," Erlewine said. "If there is anything we could do, it'd be to bring attention to that."

The group hopes to put out a live album from the recordings at Short's and a "Best of Hi-lo" album from the last five years.

Hadley Robinson can be reached at hrobinson@ michigannewspapers.com or by calling 231-533-8523.