Oren Tikkanen was born in 1943 and has lived most of his life around Calumet in Upper Michigan’s Copper Country. He earned degrees at the University of Minnesota (BA), and at the University of Michigan (MSW). While pursuing a career in clinical social work, Oren played old-time dance music on guitar, mandolin, 6-string banjo, and bass guitar with various bands, and also established Thimbleberry Recordings with his late wife, Toni Segal Tikkanen. The Tikkanens produced and distributed recordings by several older Finnish-American traditional musicians. For several years, Oren wrote regular columns about Finnish music for the Finnish American Reporter and for the New World Finn. In retirement, Oren continues to play for dances with the Thimbleberry Band, the Back Room Boys Jazz and Polka Band, and with Pasi Lautala’s Pasi Cats.