|
|
|
Richard Greene - Bluegrass Fiddle
Alan Jabbour- Appalachian Old Time Fiddle
Ward MacDonald - Cape Breton Fiddle
Laura Risk -
Quebecois Fiddle
Pete Clark
- Scottish Fiddle
Abby Newton - Cello
Peter Barnes - Piano, Flute, Tin Whistle
Ken Perlman - Clawhammer Banjo, Guitar
Cosima & Christopher Luther -
Jazz, Swing, Irish & Fiddle Duets
Larry Edelman - Dance Calling, Mandolin, Guitar
Loretta Thompson - Scottish Fiddle, Guitar
Topher Gayle - Mandolin, Guitar, Song Writing
Jennifer Sordyl- Beginning Fiddle
Arlene & Bruce Patterson - Fiddle, Guitar, Piano, Theory
Frank Fyock - Orchestra, Composition
Steve Scott - Cello, Bass
Tina Gugeler - Hammered Dulcimer
Star Edwards
- Harp
Joan Bryant -
Step Dance
|
|
 Pete Clark,
Scottish Fiddle -
Coming
all the way from Scotland, Pete Clark is one of Scotland’s top
fiddlers. Born and raised in Dunfermline, Fife, Pete is now based
in Perthshire, not far from the birth places of Niel Gow and Robert
Mackintosh. He regularly plays for dancing throughout Scotland
and further afield with the Benachally Ceilidh Band and frequently
guests with others. Pete also performs in concert, both solo and
accompanied. He has performed and recorded with many notable
musicians including Dougie MacLean, Rod Paterson, John Watt, Tich
Frier, Jim Malcolm and the rock band Nazareth. Pete is also much in
demand as a fiddle teacher. In addition to private instruction, he
is a tutor on the Scottish Music course at the Royal Scottish
Academy of Music & Drama in Glasgow. In recent years Pete has
presented workshops and master classes at Edinburgh’s annual FIDDLE
event, at Stirling University Summer School, Celtic Connections in
Glasgow, Common Ground Scotland and at fiddle schools throughout
Scotland and beyond. He has twice been on the adjudication panel at
the annual Glenfiddich Fiddle Competition at Blair Castle,
Perthshire.
Click here to see Pete Clark perform Niel Gow's Lament for His Second Wife. |
| [Back to top] |
 ,
Bluegrass Fiddle, Technique & Improvising - In the words of one of
his fellow fiddlers, Richard is "one of the most innovative and
influential fiddle players of all time". Growing up in Los Angeles,
he dabbled in classical music until his encounter with the
pyrotechnic fiddling of Scotty Stoneman which permanently changed
his musical direction. He first attained prominence with Bill Monroe
and the Bluegrass Boys in 1966 as one of Monroe's first "northern"
band members, then went on to found the revolutionary Folk-Rock
group Seatrain, pioneering the first use of the electric violin in
Rock. His advanced technique and intense yet "cool" tone shocked
audiences and prefigured such players as Jean-Luc Ponty and others,
influencing a generation of fiddle players including Darol Anger,
Alison Krauss, Sam Bush and Stuart Duncan. Richard's return to
acoustic music occasioned the invention of "New Grass" or "New
Acoustic" instrumental music, now a mainstay throughout the world's
acoustic music festivals. As one of Los Angeles' premier string
session players he founded the trailblazing Greene String Quartet
creating the first ever amalgam of Jazz-Folk-Rock-Chamber music and
producing three seminal albums. His many acclaimed releases in the
folk and bluegrass world have been honored with Grammy and IBMA
awards, his CD Sales Tax Toddle was Grammy nominated for Bluegrass
Album of Year. He currently leads seminars on all aspects of
fiddling and violin playing nationwide, teaching courses at The
Mancini Institute, the RockyGrass Academy, the Festival of Fiddle
Tunes, the Mark O'Connor Fiddle Camp and dozens of workshops
throughout the year as well as maintaining a private instruction
studio in his home.
Visit Richard's website. |
| [Back to top] |
 ,
Quebecois Fiddle - Laura's imaginatively expressive interpretations
of Scottish, Irish, Cape Breton, and Quebecois fiddle music have garnered international acclaim. "A virtuoso fiddler. Her fluency in fiddle styles from Cape Breton to Appalachia is remarkable," raves The Boston Globe, while Folk Roots (U.K.) calls her playing "technically excellent and highly expressive." Says Grammy-winning filmmaker Ken Burns, "Laura Risk's fiddle is a revelation and achingly beautiful." She has appeared at many of North America's most prestigious acoustic music festivals, including the Newport, Winnipeg, and Philadelphia Folk Festivals; Celtic Colors (Cape Breton Island); and City Stages (Birmingham, AL). She is in high demand as a fiddling instructor and has taught at the Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School, The Swannanoa Gathering and the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes.
Visit Laura's website. |
| [Back to top] |
 , Appalachian Old Time Fiddle – Alan has had a long career as a musician, scholar, documentarian, and preservationist of fiddling in America. After an earlier career on the violin, he learned the art of the fiddle in the 1960s as an apprentice to old-time fiddlers in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, including legendary West Virginia fiddler Henry Reed. For many years he was director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Since his retirement he has resumed an active schedule of performing, recording, lecturing, and teaching workshops on Appalachian fiddle.
Alan’s most recent CD is a gathering of Appalachian tunes played
with Ken Perlman as fiddle-banjo duets, and he is at work on a
volume transcribing and analyzing the detailed performance style of
all the tunes on his last two CDs (ready by summer 2008).
Visit Alan’s Website. |
| [Back to top] |
|
 Ward MacDonald,
Cape Breton Fiddle - At 29 years of age and steeped in Scottish
tradition, Ward MacDonald is one of the most accomplished and
well-rounded young fiddlers on Prince Edward Island. With the
fiddling gene present on both sides of his family, Ward’s musical
roots run back four generations, including his father Allan, both
grandfathers, and his great grandfather and namesake, Ward Crane.
Ward has played concerts, festivals, and square dances across the
Maritimes and other parts of Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and
the Yukon. He is also an emerging composer having had some of his
tunes published or recorded by other Maritime musicians including
Jerry Holland, Andrea Beaton, Sheila MacKenzie, and Vishten. Ward
has been instrumental in promoting and developing the traditional
fiddle music scene on PEI for over a decade. His passion for passing
on the tradition is carried on through performance and teaching. As
a teacher he possesses a very thorough technical understanding of
the music with a knack for being able to explain it well. His
methods include intense ear training aided by written sheet music. |
| [Back to top] |
 ,
Cello - A perpetual regular at RMFC, Abby is well known for her
groundbreaking work in the revival of the cello in American and
Scottish traditional music. In the the mid-seventies, she began
performing with John Cohen and Jay Ungar in the Putnam String County
Band, making it the first modern string band with a cello. At the
same time, she began an active and continuing recording career,
performing on over 100 recordings of prominent folk artists. Abby's
solo CDs "Crossing to Scotland" (1997) and "Castles, Kirks, and
Caves" (2001), have earned her critical acclaim both in the US and
abroad. She has appeared on Prairie Home Companion and in 2001,
Fiona Ritchie, of the nationally syndicated NPR show Thistle and
Shamrock, did a feature program on Abby's music and her influence on
the folk cello movement. In addition to many workshops conducted in
Scotland promoting the use of the cello as both a melodic and
rhythmic instrument in traditional music, Abby has taught in the US
at Gaelic Roots, the National Strings Workshop, the Swannanoa
Gathering and Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp. Mel Bay published her
first collection of Celtic tunes for cello and the second is in the
works. The combination of her teaching, performing and publishing
have inspired many amateurs and professionals to enjoy playing
traditional music on the cello. Visit Abby's Website. |
| [Back to top] |
 has been playing piano, flute and assorted other instruments for traditional dancing since 1971, and has been invited to most major contra, square, British Isles and vintage dance events throughout the United States, performing for dances and concerts, leading ensemble workshops, and generally acting in a crazy and often undignified manner. Averaging over 250 engagements per year since 1980 he is arguably one of Boston's busiest musicians, and has also played for festivals and tours in England, France, Denmark, Shetland, Scotland and Czechoslovakia. He works with the bands Bare Necessities, Yankee Ingenuity, Culchullan, Fresh Fish, A Panel of Experts, and B.L.T. and has performed with many traditional greats including Seamus Connolly, Joe Derrane, Cathie Ryan, Chris Norman, Alasdair Fraser, Rodney Miller, and Joe Cormier. Visit Peter's Website. |
| [Back to top] |
 ,
Banjo, Guitar -
Ken
is
both a pioneer of the 5-string banjo style known as melodic
clawhammer and a master of fingerstyle guitar. He is considered one
of the top clawhammer players in the world, known in particular for
his skillful adaptations of Celtic tunes to the style. Around the
folk scene, Ken is often referred to as a musician's musician -- a
player whose style is so accomplished and unique that other
musicians go out of their way just to hear him. Ken has written some
of the most widely respected banjo and guitar instruction books of
modern times, and he has been on staff at prestigious teaching
festivals around the world. Also an active folklorist, Ken spent
over a decade collecting tunes and oral histories from traditional
fiddle players on Prince Edward Island in eastern Canada. From these
experiences, he put together a collection of over 400 tunes
called "The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island." He returned to
PEI in 2006 to conduct a follow-up recording and interviewing
project sponsored by the Canadian Museum of Civilization of
Gatineau, Quebec. His most recent recordings are "Northern Banjo,”
Island Boy," and a duet-project with fiddler Alan Jabbour called
"Southern Summits.
Visit Ken's Website |
| [Back to top] |
|
Cosima & Christopher
Luther, Jazz, Swing, Irish & Fiddle Duets - Co-founders of RMFC, C&C have been studying various
fiddle styles, including Jazz, Swing, & Irish, for over 15 years.
Professionals since age 8, they have competed in and won several
fiddle competitions. Classically trained, they will complete
their respective Masters degrees in violin performance at the
Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California in
Spring of 2008. Last year, Christopher produced and release
his first CD, "Personality," which included Cosima on several
tracks. |
| [Back to top] |
 , Dance Caller, Mandolin - Larry Edelman has traveled throughout the U.S. and Europe playing, teaching, and calling for traditional dancing. Larry’s colorful calling delights both novice and veteran dancers through his humor, enthusiasm, skillful teaching, and knowledge of dance history. He currently plays fiddle, mandolin, and guitar with
The Percolators (click here to visit), Poultry in Motion, and the Soda Rock Ramblers. Larry has taught at dozens of music and dance camps and festivals including the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Ashokan, Augusta, Pinewoods, Lady of the Lake, and many more. Again this year, Larry will be conducting his very popular Southwest tunes workshop for all instruments. |
| [Back to top] |
 , Fiddle & More - Loretta Thompson is a high-spirited musician and singer whose versatile performances captivate audiences everywhere. Dynamic fiddling and a radiant voice echo the fervor of her Scottish-Irish and American heritage. She possesses a passionate and spontaneous enthusiasm for traditional music and dance which shines in every aspect of her life. Combining fiddle, guitar, and whistles with moving vocals, Loretta entertains with repertoires in Celtic music, American Historic and Nostalgia, Old Time Country, and more. She literally fiddled her way across Scotland and Ireland and is embraced wherever she travels for her talented fiddling and enthusiastic charm. Loretta has been featured for many years at local, state, and national Scottish and Irish gatherings, Celtic Festivals, and in concerts with a long list of leading Celtic entertainers. Loretta majored in music education and conducting, has experience as a full-time public school orchestra director, clinician, and general music teacher, and is a member of the Evergreen (CO) Chamber Orchestra. Loretta is a full-time entertainer, composer, private teacher, and plays for all forms of Scottish and Irish dance.
Visit Loretta's Website. |
| [Back to top] |
 Topher Gayle - Mandolin, Guitar - Topher is a long time RMFC camper who has now become an instructor. As a youngster, he took piano lessons, then taught himself guitar, mandolin, mandola, ukulele, string bass and percussion. Topher studied composition and luthiery at Boston University. Now, he plays bluegrass, contra-dance, swing, rock & roll, country, and blues in several SF Bay area bands. His versatility has also made him a popular accompanist to several local singer/songwriters. He gives private lessons in guitar and mandolin, and has presented workshops at music camps. He enjoys recording original tunes in his home studio, building musical instruments, and abusing music genres. Topher wrote The Orkney Companion (a chord book for guitars tuned to C-G-D-G-C-D.) Visit Topher's Website. |
| [Back to top] |
 , Cello, Bass - Steve is a talented
multi-instrumentalist who has broad professional experience,
including chamber/symphonic, jazz and Dixieland, folk, and Celtic.
He has performed at many Celtic, jazz and folk festivals in the
Northwest, and has numerous recordings to his credit, with his own
bands and as a studio player. An experienced dance musician,
Steve's playing is driving and rhythmic, and he continues to expand
the cello's possibilities in traditional and folk music. Steve
is highly regarded as a teacher, and has been named to several
"Who's Who" lists in education. Steve also brings with him over 25
years of pro bass experience with various bands and symphony
orchestras, and has something to offer everyone. |
| [Back to top] |
 , Beginning Fiddle - Jennifer was literally "raised in the music business" along with her 8 brothers and sisters in the family music store in the Midwest. These days you'll find her enthusiastically teaching fiddle and beginning violin at three rural charter schools in Southern Arizona. She especially loves teaching the Montessori preschoolers and their parents, in the arts community of Tubac, where she sponsors regular jam sessions as well as playing professionally with an "eclectic-traditional" string band at a local Bistro. |
| [Back to top] |
 ,
Orchestra, Composition - Frank is the director of the orchestra at Denver School of the Arts and conductor of the Jefferson Young Artists Orchestra. He is a composer and song writer and has directed choirs, orchestras, and drum & bugle corps. He has his own recording studio and played fiddle professionally with a touring country band for ten years. After his stay at RMFC in 2001, he wrote "Escapes for Fiddlers," a collection of original solo fiddle tunes, which will be available at the camp store.
He will again be teaching his fascinating and popular course in
music history and composing. |
| [Back to top] |
|
Star Edwards, Harp – A lifetime
musician, Star was smitten by the harp in her adult years and has
been devoted to it for over 15 years. She has recorded several CD’s
and written many instruction books. She founded the Colorado Folk
Harp Society and the Colorado Celtic Harp Orchestra. Star continues
to teach and perform in the Denver-Boulder area.
Visit Star’s website.
|
| [Back to top] |
 , Fiddle & Guitar - A native of Glasgow, Scotland, Arlene's creative approach to teaching is well known. A regular clinician for the Suzuki Association of America, she is also a national judge for Scottish fiddle competitions and performs for dancing and Scottish events with her husband, pianist Bruce Patterson. Her day job is general music teacher in an elementary school. Come to class prepared to have fun.
Bruce Patterson, Piano & Theory - A very popular teacher,
Bruce will be joining us again to teach his very effective piano and
theory classes. |
| [Back to top] |
 , Hammered Dulcimer - Tina first heard a hammered dulcimer in 1986 while living in Ketchikan, Alaska. It quickly became her passion and soon it seemed everyone on the island had heard Tina and her band, BearFoot. Since moving to the Denver area in 1990, Tina has become a full time musician, performing solo and in small combos with fiddle, guitar or piano, and in several local contra dance bands. Along with her busy performance schedule, she teaches students on the dulcimer and bodhran. Tina has published a book of her arrangements, “Arrangements for the Hammered Dulcimer." She has taught at several festivals including Dulcimer Festival in Fort Collins, CO, Irish week at Augusta in Elkins, WV, the California Traditional Music Society Annual Summer Solstice Festival, Winterfest in Irving, TX, the Sawdust Festival in Bennington, OK, and was a jam session leader and teacher at the Southwest Dulcimer Festival in Dewey, AZ. Over the years, Tina has won many local and regional competitions, and in the year 2000 she won the U.S. National Hammered Dulcimer Championship. She appears on recordings by Denver's High Strung and the dance band Contrafusion.
Click here to
see a video of Tina. - Visit
Tina's website. |
| [Back to top] |
 Joan
Bryant, Cape Breton Step and English Country Dance teacher.
Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, Joan has been dancing as long
as she can remember. Soon after moving to Colorado Springs in 1981,
she renewed her interest in the Scottish arts by joining the local
Scottish country dance group and becoming a founding member of the
Pikes Peak Highlanders pipe band, playing tenor drum. But the pull
toward the dance world was stronger, and for the past 4 years, Joan
has been calling ceilidh at weddings and parties, is the substitute
teacher for the local Scottish Country Dance group and has given
birth to "The Little London Assembly," the first English country
dance group in Colorado Springs. |
| [Back to top] |
|
From the archives:
Artists 2007
Artists 2006
Artists 2005
Artists 2004
Artists 2003
Artists 2002
Artists 2001 |
|
