The Nordic Folklife project at UW–Madison is proud to announce that traditional fiddler and Musician-in-Residence, Beth Hoven Rotto from the band Foot-Notes, has formed a Scandinavian-American Old-Time Dance Music ensemble. The ensemble will be open to both students and community members and will at 2pm on Sundays.
To help you get a sense for what to expect, Beth describes her plans for the ensemble here:
Musicians will be encouraged to learn by ear, although sheet music will also be provided. We will focus on tunes played by early fiddlers of the Upper Midwest, including waltzes, polkas, and schottisches. I hope we can have a big (barn) dance by the end of the semester. I can’t quantify the difficulty of the music, but perhaps it is ‘intermediate.’ If you are a beginner who has the basics, come and give it a try. If you are more advanced, you can help work out harmonies. I’m most comfortable guiding fiddles and mandolin players and will provide chords for instruments like guitar and bass, who we also really need. There are so many great tunes waiting for you. I hope you’ll join me!
If you are interested in joining this ensemble, please fill out this registration form.
