No Strings Attached
An award-winning quartet based in Roanoke/Blacksburg, Virginia, No Strings Attached consistently stretches the boundaries of string band music beyond traditional concepts. On stage, they dance the tango with their instruments, parody old rock and roll bands, clog while playing old-time tunes, and sometimes use the slinky (yes, the old toy) as a percussion instrument. Bassist Bob Thomas comes from the jazz, rock, and bluegrass worlds and is one of the vocalists in the group. Wes Chappell, the other vocalist, plays bouzouki, hammered dulcimer and more. His background is rock and roll, but he plays in a variety of styles. Harmonica player Pete Hastings has become well known for his virtuosity on the chromatic and diatonic harmonicas, and he doubles as the group's guitarist. Randy Marchany, who plays the hammer dulcimer and keyboards, was trained as a classical pianist. This variety of styles is one of the cornerstones of their appeal both as performers and as teachers.

Sparky & Rhonda Rucker

Sparky and Rhonda Rucker are versatile musicians whose styles range from country blues and railroad songs and stories to African-American ballads and Civil War songs. James "Sparky" Rucker is internationally recognized as a leading folklorist, historian, musician, storyteller, and author who has appeared on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, Prairie Home Companion, and Mountain Stage.

Sparky accompanies himself on guitar, banjo, and spoons. Rhonda Rucker is a talented musician with special gifts for playing African-American mouth harp and creating wonderful vocal harmonies. She is also adept at keyboard and mountain banjo styles. Sparky and Rhonda contributed music to the syndicated television mini-series The Wild West and for the National Geographic Society's Storytelling in North America, and they have taught classes at Augusta Heritage Workshop, Ashokan, and Common Ground on the Hill. Sparky and Rhonda's concert performance is a humor-filled journey through four hundred years of African-American cultural and folk history.

Atwater/Donnelly

Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly were so popular with attendees at the past two Cook Forest Folk Gatherings, that we just had to have them at Folk College too! They're based in Rhode Island and are absolutely delightful and energetic performers and workshop leaders. Their repertoire includes traditional American and Celtic folk songs, unaccompanied ballads, hymns, original works, and dancing.

The duo plays and teaches mountain dulcimer, old-time banjo, guitar, tin whistle, harmonica, bodhran, bones, spoons, limberjack, and other surprises, as well as clogging, contra dancing, and singing. Their exquisite joy and musicality blend with their scholarly sides, showing a deep understanding and appreciation of folk music and its history. Aubrey and Elwood have seven recordings and three books to their credit.

Hesperus

Hesperus is a fascinating and unusual group that presents a crossover that successfully combines early music with folk.

With Scott Reiss on recorders, Tina Chancey on violin and early bowed strings, and Bruce Hutton playing banjo, Hesperus fuses medieval, renaissance and baroque music with Appalachian, gospel, blues, Cajun and Irish styles.

Based in northern Virginia, Hesperus performs and leads workshops throughout the United States.

Simple Gifts

Simple Gifts, our musical host and program director for the weekend, is comprised of Rachel Hall (concertina and piano), Linda Littleton (fiddle, hammered dulcimer, recorders, bowed psaltery), and Karen Hirshon (fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and more).

Their repertoire ranges from lively Irish jigs and down-home American reels to hard-driving Klezmer frailachs and haunting Gypsy melodies, plus their own original tunes. Founded in 1989, the group has released five CDs to date.

Small Potatoes

Small Potatoes is the Chicago-based duo of singer/songwriters Jacquie Manning and Rich Prezioso. Their style ranges from celtic to cowboy, and they tell us it's taken them "years of careful indecision" to come up with a mix of music that ranges from country, blues, and swing to Irish, with songwriting that touches on all of those styles and more.

In their ten years on the folk circuit, Small Potatoes has become sought-after regulars at venues across the U.S. They have made repeat appearances at major folk festivals, including the Kerrville Folk Festival, the Walnut Valley Folk Festival, and Philadelphia Folk Festival. They were one of the "most requested" acts at the 1999 Falcon Ridge New Artist Showcase. Jacquie is also a winner of the 1998 Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Contest.

Changeling

Changeling presents the fire and stark beauty of the Celtic traditions with (in the words of one fan) "the power of ten in a package of two."

Deborah Clark Colón's tremendous energy and presence on the fiddle keep her in demand as a performer, studio musician and teacher.

Guitarist and singer Karl Clark Colón is the perfect Celt: half scholarly monk, half professional wrestler. His songs, stories and humour welcome and enthrall, proving that traditional music is best enjoyed among friends.

Sugarfoot

Sugarfoot is the trio of Larry Unger on guitar and banjo, Lissa Schneckenburger on fiddle, and Sam Bartlett on mandolin. The group strives for a driving, raunchy, rollicking sound and focuses on old world Celtic and North American fiddle music traditions.

Each is a sought-after teacher and performer in his/her own right, each having taught and performed throughout the US.

Out of the Blue

Dori and Tom Domany perform and teach as the hammered dulcimer and guitar duo Out of the Blue. Based in Akron, Ohio, Dori and Tom play a variety of styles ranging from hauntingly beautiful melodies to syncopated, toe-tapping tunes. They bring a fun style and energy to their music that make them a welcome pair to come "out of the blue" to entertain and teach. Both are seasoned teachers with private students and festival experience.

Well Tempered String Band

This new trio from central Pennsylvania is fast becoming known for its tightly woven old-time country harmonies and treatment of traditional American songs.

Pete Peterson (banjo and vocals), Eileen Kozloff (mandolin and vocals) and Kellie Allen (guitar and vocals) perform material originating from seminal old-time and country artists such as the Carter Family and the Louvin Brothers as well as their own original songs.

Howard & Jodi Blumenthal

Howard & Jodi's specialty is jamming 'til the wee hours of the morning!

Howard plays fiddle and mandolin, and Jodi plays piano, melodica and fiddle. They play with the bands Wily Milo and Hey Diddle Diddle, both contra dance bands who play in New York and Pennsylvania, and sometimes into Canada and Vermont.

Tina Czajkowski

Tina is a classically trained violinist/violist and a fine celtic fiddler as well. She has played with the Nittany Valley Symphony from middle school through college, and has been teaching violin and fiddle for 16 years.

Currently she is the fiddler for Callanish, a celtic band from State College.

Connie Ingram

Connie Ingram is a classical piano player who has in recent years has developed a passion for folk music and jamming. She has been collecting tips and tricks that she looks forward to sharing.