Our Instructors
| Susan Grimm - Hanley | Trish Miller | ||
| Cindy Kallet | Oliver Scanlon - Intern | ||
| John Kirk | Lissa Schneckenburger | ||
| Brad Kolodner | Pete Sutherland | ||
| Ken Kolodner | Chris Turner | ||
| Grey Larsen | Bethany Waickman | ||
| Rachel Maloney | |||
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Our intern Oliver Scanlon will be teaching beginning mandolin. Olvier wrote and preformed "On the Morgan Deck" while a camper at Mountain Arts Gathering. He is known throughout Vermont and northern New York. Oliver performs with the award-winning traditional music by young Vermont musicians, The Irregulars.The Irregulars are decsribed as a talented and energetic group of young musicians on Vermont’s traditional music scene. The teen band's high spirits, tight harmonies, and driving contra dance tunes delight both listeners and dancers. Performance highlights include performing for hundreds of dancers at the Dance Flurry weekend in Saratoga Springs NY three years in a row, and winning First Place in the Young Traditions Vermont competition held in Burlington in June 2011. The band has entertained at the Champlain Valley Folk Festival for several years running, as well as the New World Festival in Randolph and Burlington’s First Night celebrations. They have played sets for the Queen City Contras and Mad Robin contra dance series and also frequently host benefit contra dances on their own. They have also enjoyed performing at festivals, farmer’s markets, house concerts and other venues. |
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Rooted in the traditions of Appalachian folk music, Brad Kolodner represents the next generation of old-time musicians pushing the boundaries of the tradition into uncharted territory. Regarded for his delicate touch, expressive style, and original compositions, Kolodner has rapidly gained national attention for his unique approach to the banjo at just 22 years of age. He plays a style of banjo common in American old-time music called “Clawhammer.” Son of Ken Kolodner , a world-renowned hammered dulcimer player and old-time fiddler, Brad grew up in a house full of traditional world folk music. In the summer of 2010, Brad and his father Ken completed their first collaborative studio album, Otter Creek, featuring many of Brad’s originals along with traditional old-time tunes. The album later became the most played instrumental album on the American Folk-DJ Radio charts in 2011. The title track, “Otter Creek,” written by Brad, was the most played instrumental track on the Folk-DJ Charts in 2011. Besides performing and recording, Kolodner has developed a passion for teaching banjo. He has taught numerous workshops around the country. Currently residing in his hometown of Baltimore, Brad teaches privatebanjo lessons to over two dozen students. While banjo is Brad’s primary instrument, he also sings and performs on the guitar, fiddle, gourd banjo, ukulele, and banjola. |
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Flute, Whistle, Accordion, Hammered
Dulcimer: Multi-instrumentalist and native Adirondacker Sue Grimm grew up in a family of classically trained musicians, where she absorbed the standard piano repertoire, symphonic literature, big band jazz, show tunes, 50's crooners, and hymns. Sue fell in love with both Renaissance polyphony and the music of India as an undergrad, then embarked on a folk-roots apprenticeship in graduate school. This included early American music, traditional fiddle tunes, and popular songs from the 20's and 30's. During this time she finally kicked the printed music habit, and began both improvising and arranging. Presently Sue is also composing, teaching privately in her home, and playing jazz and bossa nova, as well as classical music. Sue can be heard on the recordings of Inisheer, Martha Gallagher, Jamie Savage, and the Whompers -- and is working on her first solo recording. |
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Cindy Kallet is a songwriter, singer and guitarist with five solo albums to her credit: Working On Wings To Fly and Cindy Kallet 2 on Folk Legacy Records, and Dreaming Down A Quiet Line, This Way Home, and Leave the Cake in the Mailbox - Songs for Parents and Kids Growing Up (chosen for the 2004 Parents' Choice Gold Award ) on the Stone's Throw Music label. She has also recorded three trio albums, Angels in Daring, Only Human, and Heartwalk (Overall Music) with Ellen Epstein and Michael Cicone, as well as a collaborative effort with Gordon Bok entitled Neighbors (Timberhead). In the past few years she has joined musical forces with Grey Larsen and they have recorded an album together, Cross the Water. Cindy has taught and performed extensively throughout North America. In 2003, she put together THE CINDY KALLET SONGBOOK - A Collection for Guitar and Voice, published by Stone's Throw Music. It contains words, music, chords, and guitar tab for 32 original songs. |
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John Kirk is known for his lyric voice and versatile instrumental skills. On fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo and tin whistle, John demonstrates a vast knowledge of musical traditions. He is also a composer, dancer and dance caller. Sing Out magazine has said "John Kirk is a fine player on all his instruments and he sings quite well. With such a widely varied repertoire, there’s really something here for everyone. This is one that’s worth seeking out.” In addition to his work with Quickstep, John works with the Vanaver Caravan and the Susquehanna Stringband. The Chicks recorded his song, “Long Roads”. John and the band, Quickstep, have their own recordings; the newest of these is titled, “Shuffle About”. In addition to performing, John teaches music at and at |
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Based in Baltimore, MD, Ken Kolodner has played old-time fiddle and hammered dulcimer for nearly 30 years. He is widely regarded as an accomplished teacher and performer of both instruments and is credited as a major influence in the rebirth of the hammered dulcimer in the U.S., hailed as “one of today’s most accomplished, musical hammered dulcimer artists...” (Elderly). As a soloist and in ensembles with Helicon (with Chris Norman and Robin Bullock), Greenfire (with Laura Risk), with Elke Baker, Jim Eagan, his son Brad, and many others, Ken has performed and taught extensively for over 25 years. Focusing largely on traditional music, he is a regular fixture at many music camps and festivals (e.g. Common Ground, Swannanoa Gathering, Meadowlark, Augusta, Kentucky Music Week, and The John Campbell Folk School). Ken has been featured numerous times on NPR, The Thistle and the Shamrock, All Things Considered, the CBC, the Voice of America and German National Radio. Among his many credits are a recent book/CD on Appalachian fiddling (Mel Bay), an Emmy-nominated CBS-TV Christmas special as the featured soloist, five instructional CDs on the hammered dulcimer, ten recordings with sales well over 125,000, including an “Indie” winner (Helicon’s “A Winter Solstice Celebration”, winner of Best Seasonal Recording in 1999), and a #1 World Music title (“Walking Stones”) and bestseller for BMG (with over 55,000 copies sold). Ken’s playing has been described as "nothing short of astonishing" (The Connection), “outstanding” (The New York Times), “marvelous” (The Washington Post), “virtuosic” (Audio), “stunning in its musicality” (Dulcimer Player News) and “not to be missed” (USA TODAY). Ken has recently added the hammered mbira to his concert performances. In 2010, Kolodner completed two recordings: “Otter Creek” featuring original and Old-Time music with his son Brad Kolodner (clawhammer banjo and banjola) and another of Celtic, Quebecois and Old-Time music with fiddler Elke Baker. www.kenkolodner.com |
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Grey Larsen is a musician of many talents and accomplishments. He is a performer, recording artist, composer, teacher, author, producer, and a mastering and recording engineer. An accomplish- ed fiddler, singer, and songwriter, Grey is perhaps best known as one of the world's foremost players and proponents of the Irish flute. To many musicians and music lovers, his recordings are classics.
available. A labor of love and many years, The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle is a 480-page work (with two accompanying CDs) on playing and appreciating Irish flute and tin whistle. The Essential Tin Whistle Toolbox, at 187-pages (with one companion CD) takes the beginner, novice, or intermediate player of Irish tin whistle to a high level of competence. |
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Fiddler Rachel Maloney was born in the coal mining town of her father worked in themines. Growing up in the heart of of fiddle music developed at an early age. Living later in
remaining predominantly Appalachian. While attending the Royal College of Art in
horizons greatly widened with th discovery of musicfrom
Traveling extensively throughout Europe and many new, exciting and eclectic forms of traditional music. She earns her living from performing,lecturing & teaching, typically touring for ten months outof the year. The bands she has been involved in have performed throughout eastern
Rachel was offered a position as performer, composer & musical director at Trinity Repertory Company in
interests also include film and TV scores, electronic and multi-media collaborations,and new music compositions. Bands Include: The Whompers, Nee Ningy, The Band,Big Zucchini Washboard Bandits, Big boy Henry Band,Drink Small Band,Frog Strike Pack,Smiling Dog Band,The Hubbard¹s,The Players,The Noogies, The Hankies,Sleet Sops,100th Monkey, The Repeato¹s, The
Turner and the Blue Hussars¹, The Third Program and many more. |
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Trish Miller has been teaching and
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"World class fiddler... far from just offering settings allow the true beauty of the music one dance tune after another, simple to shine through" - Sing Out
The traditional music of be as warm and comforting as a winter fire or as potent and exhilarating as a summer thunderstorm. Fiddler and singer Lissa Schneckenburger is a master of both moods, a winsome, sweet-voiced singer who brings new life to old ballads and a skillful,dynamic fiddler who captures the driving rhythm and carefree joy of dance tunes old and new. Raised in a small town in living in music. She began playing fiddle at the age of six, inspired by her mother's interest in folk music and a family friend who was a professional violinist. Soon she was studying with influential Boardman and sitting in with the Maine Country Dance Orchestra. By the time she was in high school she was playing concerts on her own, specializing in the sprightly combine influences from the British Isles and have been evolving since Colonial days.
Another of her major influences was the diverse musical community that she found at fiddle camps,where she had a chance to play with and learn from a wide variety of musicians including noted Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser. In 2001 she graduated from the New England Conser- vatory of Music with a degree in contemp- orary improvisation,and since then has been performing around the internationally for a growing audience of enthusiastic listeners. She has recorded seven CDs, (four solo and three with various groups). Lissa's fiddling is uplifting and lively, and her singing is gentle and evocative. Both in concert and in the studio she is regularly accompanied by some of including guitarists Keith Murphy and Matt Heaton and double bassist Corey DiMario. Recently she has been closely studying the roots of the Downeast traditional music that she first heard as a young girl.
Her latest project is a pair of CDs dedicated to reintroducing some wonderful but largely forgotten songs and tunes from archival research at the
April 2008, contains ten timeless ballads that go back as far as the eighteenth century that she set to carefully crafted modern arrangements, while "Dance", scheduled for 2009, will feature fiddle tunes. "There is currently a lot of focus on traditional American music from the South", she explains, "and many bands are exploring and recording that repertoire, but no one is getting to hear the amazing repertoire of traditional music from the North. This is my first attempt at getting some of that music out there for people to enjoy." Whether playing for a folk club audience or a hall full of dancers, Lissa brings to the stage enthusiasm, energy, and the bright future of traditions. |
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has been on staff at more dance and teaching camps nationwide than anyone would care to name. Raised on a diet of Broadway show tunes, operatic arias and British invasion melodies, he discovered both traditional music and songwriting in college and like Huck Finn, "lit out for the territories". Pete has toured nationally and internationally, but currently bases himself in his home state, where he teaches fiddle, banjo and other musical pursuits both privately and at dozen of his own recordings behind him, he has appeared on dozens more, he has produced CDs for over fifty artists, and had original pieces covered by an equal number. A warm- voiced singer and accomplished multi-instrumentalist known equally for his potent originals and his intense recreations of age-old ballads and fiery fiddle tunes, Pete's music "covers the map", and shines with...."....a pure spirit which infuses every bit of his music ,and cannot fail to move all who hear him." - The American Festival of Fiddle Tunes. Pete Sutherland |
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Bethany Waickman comes from a musical family and started playing the piano at an early age. One of her first ventures into traditional music was attending Meadowlark music camp. It was there that she was inspired to take up the guitar. Bethany formed the contra dance band, Anadama, with Amelia Mason and Emily Troll while working at Pinewoods in 2007, and they have gone on to delight dancers throughout the northeast. Bethany started performing with the Lissa Schnecken- burger band in 2008, and can be seen with Lissa in tours throughout the US and Europe. |
