"The mission of this organization shall be the preservation and performance of traditional old-time acoustic fiddle music throughout Montana."
Cabin Fever Sessions
Online Workshop Schedule
March 23rd 6:00PM
Charmaine Slaven
Appalachian Flatfoot Dancing:
Learn the art of accompanying Southern fiddle music with your feet! We'll start with the basic rhythm foundation steps, and learn accent steps as we go, with an emphasis on dancing with good musicianship. All levels are encouraged to participate, as we'll start by building a foundation of basic rhythm steps, then build upon those steps, learning how to accent melodies. Flatfooting is an excellent way to improve your rhythm as a dancer and/or musician. You'll be learning to let your entire body "hear" the music. It's also an excellent work-out, as you'll be so entrenched in the music, you won't even realize you're working up a sweat! This class is physical, so be cautious if you suffer from back, hip, knee, ankle issues. Comfortable work-out clothing, a full water bottle, and low-heeled leather-soled shoes appropriate for dancing are recommended. This class is suitable for all levels, we'll start with basics and build up, with more advanced steps towards the latter half of class. Please feel free to contact me in advance with any questions at charmaineslaven@gmail.com
Originally from Western Montana, Charmaine is a professional musician, flatfoot dancer, dance caller & instructor, specializing in traditional American roots music and dance. She takes great joy in sharing her love of music and dance with people of all-ages & abilities, and has been teaching at music camps for over a decade. Charmaine has gained a great reputation for her fun and engaging method of getting folks dancing and playing music together. She’s a has a natural knack for teaching and organizing, and has become an anchor in the Pacific NW old time music and dance communities.
More at:
Flatfooting Instructional DVD available for purchase or streaming - http://charmaineslaven.com/Charmaine_Slaven/Flatfooter.html
Patreon weekly Family music program & lessons - https://www.patreon.com/squirrelbutter
March 25th 6:00PM
Sammy Lind
Intermediate/Advanced Old Time Fiddle Workshop
I like to teach fiddle by jumping right in and teaching tunes. In this hour workshop I’ll teach four of my favorite tunes the old fashioned way, by ear. With old time fiddling, the bowing is an incredibly important factor. There is a lot of syncopation in old time fiddling, so I’ll be clearly pointing out the important nuances of each tune. I'll start by teaching a tune that has a repetitive phrase-by-phrase bowing pattern throughout both the A and B parts and we'll move on to other tunes that just vary slightly in their patterns. This workshop will also be full of pointers for practicing as well as some fun historical tidbits of fiddlers who have inspired me over the years.
Born in Minnesota, Sammy Lind has established himself as one of the most critically acclaimed old time musicians and instructors anywhere. He spent many years in Portland, OR, where he co-founded the Foghorn Stringband in the year 2000 with some pals who shared a similar passion for traditional music. Sammy has traveled the world playing and teaching a vast repertoire of tunes from Appalachia and the Midwest. His playing reflects tremendous respect and passion for all the fiddle players and old recordings he spent countless hours learning from and a power that only comes from years of playing for dances. After a few years up in Whitehorse, Yukon, Sammy has settled in eastern Quebec, in the village of Pointe-à-la-Croix, with his wife/bandmate, Nadine Landry.
On the Web:
Nadine Landry and Stephen “Sammy” Lind on Facebook
March 30th 6:00PM
Jonathan Trawick
Intro to Texas Style Guitar Backup
JT Trawick is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, bandleader, square dance caller and dedicated student of his musical heroes. Developing an early affinity for the backup guitar languages heard in the Ozarks to east Texas and Oklahoma, JT was quick to become fluent and began finding his own voice in the tradition. Today, JT plays mandolin and fronts the traditional & original bluegrass band Rowdy Mountain and freelances as a supporting musician in various projects in the Portland, OR area.
April 1st 6:00PM
David Greely
Born in Baton Rouge of Cajun and Irish ancestry, David Greely learned Cajun music on dance hall stages throughout South Louisiana, in the archives of Cajun and Creole music at the University of Louisiana, and from his apprenticeship to Cajun fiddle master and National Heritage Fellow Dewey Balfa. As a founding member of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, David toured folk festivals worldwide for 23 years and was nominated for four Grammy Awards. He has received the Louisiana Artist Fellowship Award for Folklife Performance.
David will teach a standard Cajun two-step, and a waltz if there’s time. We’ll learn what to listen for in Cajun music- the things that make it different. As we learn the tune we’ll learn about the phrasing (the Caribbean-based syncopation essential to the sound), the ornaments (some that will be familiar and some that will not), and the bowing texture and tempos that allow the funk to flourish.
April 6th 6:00PM
Alex Kusturok
Metis music and "Canadian jigs and reels"
Alex is a third generation fiddle player whose passion for music became apparent early on. He followed his mother Patti, a well-known fiddler and composer herself, to Old Time dances around Manitoba and was enriched with the Métis fiddle from a very young age. By the age of 7, fiddle became the focus of Alex's life. Culture has always played a huge part in Alex's music and his life. His father, from Wabigoon Lake First Nation in Ontario, made sure that Alex learned of his aboriginal heritage which transferred into his music. Between his mother's fiddle and his father's guitar, it is no surprise that Alex would take to the music and continue to pass on the tradition. Alex is in high demand as a performer, instructor and competition judge across Canada. Alex’s blend of styles is greatly influenced by the Quebecois and Cape Breton fiddle styles, however, the Métis style remains at the forefront of his playing. He has released two albums Groove (2009) and For Old Times Sake (2014).
April 8th 6:00PM
Calvin Vollrath
Calvin Tunes
Recognized internationally for his performing, teaching, judging and composing abilities, Calvin is ‘Canada’s Fiddling Sensation’. He has released 69 of his own albums and composed near 700 tunes, many of which have become standard contest and dance tunes played across North America & Europe, Calvin is a driving force behind the revitalization of fiddle music in Canada. Calvin was commissioned to compose 5 fiddle tunes for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies to represent various Canadian Fiddle styles. He is well-sought out to play fiddle on countless recordings of other artists and has shared the stage with the likes of Willie Nelson and Vince Gill. He has been recognized with several honors including induction into the ‘North American Fiddler’s Hall of Fame’ and having his name displayed on St. Paul’s ‘Home of’ welcome sign. Calvin’s tunes are played in fiddle contests & dance halls all over North America by fiddlers of all levels including the National Champions.
This is where you can purchase all Calvin's products including CDs, MP3 downloads of all his albums, individual sheet music & books,
This is where you can subscribe to online fiddle lessons for under $1/day. Over 170 videos for absolutely everyone including bare bones beginners to the advanced fiddler.
Calvin Vollrath Fiddle Videos (online lessons)
This is the Fiddle Camp we host in St. Paul AB which runs the 3rd week in July each year.
April 13th 6:00PM
Kristian Bugge
Kristian Bugge has specialized in the strong Danish folk music traditions. He is very active on the Danish and Scandinavian folk music scene as well as in the rest of Europe and North America, both as a musician and teacher.
His debut CD was awarded "Danish debut of the year" and "Danish Folk Instrumentalist of the year" at the Danish Music Awards Folk 2006. At the same occasion in both 2012 and 2016, Kristian received the award as ”Danish Folk Artist of the Year!” More info: www.kristianbugge.com
He has toured in North America since 2008, when on his first trip to the US he met and became friends with Iowa musician Dwight Lamb. That was the beginning of a quite a musical fairytale, where he was lucky enough to be part of bringing the old Danish tunes from Dwight and his Danish grandpa, Chris Jerup, back to the old country more than 100 years after they emigrated to Iowa with the Jerup family.
Kristian was amongst the first twelve musicians to receive the honorary title ”Danmarks Rigsspillemænd” (National Danish Folk Musicians) in 2014. When he performs and teaches, he will also talk about the traditions from back home, how he learned and how the music lives on today and is part of the famous Danish hygge!
Expect everything from wild polkas and jigs to lyrical waltzes, fiery reels and happy hopsas, plus the exotic “Sønderhoning” dance tunes from the famous Island of Fanø, including the repertoire of Dwight Lamb's Danish grandpa, Chris Jerup.
This is where you can find Kristian's music on CDs, the record company ships world-wide and it can all be found through this link: http://folkshop.dk/shop/?search=kristian+bugge
A few of the titles are also available via Missouri Valley Music in SD: https://missourivalleymusic.com
April 13th 6:00PM
Anna Lindblad
Anna Lindblad is a versatile fiddler from Sweden. Her powerfull fiddle playing is characterized by her groove, joy and presence. With a heart beating for Swedish tradition she is not afraid to mix it up with other musical ways of expression, like Québecois, Irish, Cajun and Old-time tunes, always with a smile and a contagiously positive attitude and spirit. You can hear Anna play with groups such as Fru Skagerrak, Lyy, Folk All-in Band and her own Anna Lindblad Trio, as well as teaching and performing solo for workshops in Swedish fiddlig and Swedish traditional dancing.
For this online workshop, Anna will be teaching fiddle tunes mainly from the South West of Sweden, and discuss style and interpretation.