I began fiddling and playing the banjo about three years ago; took a plunge into this music, and am not planning to resurface any time soon. I left New England, where I grew up, for two summers in Kentucky, teaching, learning fiddle tunes, and staying up all night at fiddler's conventions. Since graduating, I've come down here for good.
This is a profoundly humbling music, and I feel so honored to be able to be part of this community, and tradition. These fiddle tunes, turns out, are the kind of thing you spend your whole life working at, trying to get to the bottom of them.
I just finished a three month fellowship in Berea, Kentucky, searching out and documenting the lives of female fiddlers and banjo players in the state's history. their stories, along with sound clips and photos, will be published on a website, within the next month.
I'm currently living in Southwestern Virginia, and am looking forward to making music in that community, and finding some eager students to teach, to spread the joy of this music!
I'm a part of a new group, the Blind Tiger String Band, with Sabra Guzman, Brett Ratliff and John Haywood. Our first album is just on the horizon, and we're really excited about it.
A few videos, from Augusta Old Time Week, last year:
Paul David Smith, my favorite Kentucky fiddler, and Dave Bing on fiddle, me on banjo, Don Pedi on dulcimer, playing Martha Campbell. These guys are, quite simply, incredible.
me, with Rory Mullenex on the guitar, and the killer duo of Rebekah Weiler and Hillarie Burhans on banjos.
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