Bruce Molsky

Alone or with fellow musicians; guitar, fiddle, or banjo in hand, Bruce Molsky has been exploring traditional music from an astonishingly broad range of cultures over the past two decades – synthesizing them and refracting them through his own evolving sensibilities to the point where the sources of his inspiration transform themselves into a sound that is uniquely his. While most identified with traditional American old-time music, Molsky’s influences range from the Appalachian soul of Tommy Jarrell to Delta blues; from the haunting modal strains of Irish music to the rhythmically nimble music of Eastern Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hot Seats

The Hot Seats play stringband music with simple intentions: to keep the role of traditional musician as entertainer and commentator alive and kicking. Homer and Jethro, The Skillet Likkers, George Formby, Harry Reser, Woodie Guthrie, Gus Cannon, Phil Ochs, Tommy Jarrell, Arthur Smith, Uncle Dave Macon, Frank Zappa – these are pools from which The Hot Seats draw. Their original music is simultaneously hard to classify and instantly identifiable, combining the virtuosic soloing and tightness of bluegrass, the band-driven rhythm of old time, the jerky bounce of ragtime, and the swagger of good old rock and roll.

 

While striving to push tradition forward, the band takes great pride in their ability to play within a tradition style as well as without. When it’s bluegrass, they bring you back to the 1960′s era of Flatt and Scruggs or Jimmy Martin; when it’s old-time, they try and channel the Camp Creek Boys; when it’s time for a bit of satire, it’s the images of Frank Zappa or the Fugs towards which they gravitate. Ultimately, the Hot Seats are most concerned with making the music that they want to hear and playing in the manner that is most entertaining to themselves; the fact that audiences and critics alike have embraced it is almost a wonderful coincidence.

 

Yann Falquet and
Pascal  Gemme of Genticorum

Yann Falquet is a truly active and creative acoustic guitar player on the Québécois music scene. He has explored many styles of music and completed a Bachelors degree in Jazz. Since then, he has developed a personal guitar style for Québec folk music, inspired by the playing of the accompanists of different cultures (Brittany, Scandinavia, Ireland, North America, etc). Yann had the opportunity to teach at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in Limerick, at the Goderich Celtic College as well as at the Alasdair Fraser's Fiddle Train and Sierra Fiddle Camp.

 

Inspired to take up the fiddle by the playing of his grandfather,  Pascal Gemme developed a solid technique and acquired a wide repertoire through the years. He gave some master classes in the USA in recent years and since 2003 has taught fiddle in Montreal’s folk music school (École des Arts de la Veillée), the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in Limerick, the Goderich Celtic College as well as at the Alasdair Fraser's Fiddle Train and Sierra Fiddle Camp. Pascal is also a great singer of Quebec folk songs with a rich and interesting style and repertoire, mostly learned from older singers. Pascal does most of the arrangements for Genticorum.

 

Dede Wyland

Dede Wyland’s pure and compelling voice has enchanted audiences around the globe, and her driving rhythm guitar has powered the sound of many a bluegrass band including the popular Tony Trischka & Skyline and ’Grass, Food & Lodging. As a teacher, she uses her profound knowledge of the human voice and her inspiring and supportive manner to help amateurs and professionals alike realize their vocal potential. Bluegrass Unlimited, in a January 2001 feature article, said that Dede’s “gifts of vocal virtuosity, musical expression, and sheer positive force of personality have made her a valued presence in modern acoustic music.” She is often described as “a singer’s singer.”

 

Best known for her 8 year stint with Tony Trischka & Skyline, one of the leading progressive bluegrass bands of the 1980s, During her many years as a touring musician Dede graced the stage of America’s most prestigious bluegrass and acoustic music festivals, and has performed in Canada, Australia, France, England, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Sicily, Italy, Scandinavia and Japan. Radio listeners have heard Dede on the nationally broadcast shows A Prairie Home Companion and Mountain Stage, and on Chicago’s The Flea Market.

Photo credit: Michael G. Stewart

 

Orrin Star

Orrin Star is an award-winning guitarist and mandolin player who combines hot picking, cool singing and good humor. Once described as 'Arlo Guthrie-meets-Doc Watson', he was
the 1976 National Flatpicking Champion, has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, and boasts a repertoire ranging from bluegrass standards to little-known folk gems, Celtic
fiddle tunes to fingerstyle blues.

 

He is also known for his skill as a music teacher, with two instructional DVDs, a book, and a column in Flatpicking Guitar magazine to his credit. He has led guitar & mandolin
workshops throughout the United States and in Europe.

 

 

Tomchess

NYC based multi-instrumentalist/ improviser/composer,  Tomchess,  has made an extensive study of the Near Eastern and North African traditions.   He incorporates the tonal palettes, rhythms, and forms of these traditional music genres while never losing sight of his American roots as well as the importance and freedom of improvising. He has played on Grammy nominated recordings,  has been awarded grants from the Turkish American Society and The Maryland Council For The Arts and in 2012, was nominated for an Independent Music Award.

 

Laura Cortese

At home in any number of styles, Laura Cortese has traveled the world as a solo artist and as a supporting musician (on fiddle, vocals, and bass) including appearances with Rose Cousins, Jocie Adams (of The Low Anthem), Uncle Earl, Tao Rodriguez Seeger, Band of Horses, Patterson Hood, Michael Franti, and as part of Pete Seeger’s 90th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden.

 

Known for her velvety vocals, endless creative energy, and highly visible work as a supporting musician, the San Francisco-born, Boston-based performer has embraced the constant travel of the modern troubadour. In fact, she maintains, it is the people she meets who are her greatest inspiration, including her newest songs. Cortese’s current arrangements echo the vivid emotion of her songs in a cinematic blend of British Isles folk, bluegrass, vintage R&B, and fresh Americana on fiddles and cello.

 

Mariel Vandersteel

Mariel Vandersteel, who was born and raised in Northern California, got the opportunity to study traditional Irish music in Dublin, attended and graduated from the Berklee School of Music, moved to Norway where she took up the Hardanger fiddle. (Using eight or nine strings compared to the usual four found on a traditional violin, its used mainly in the southwest part of Norway, whereas the ordinary violin (called ‘flatfele’ – ‘flat fiddle’ or ‘vanlig fele’ – ‘common fiddle’) is found elsewhere. The Hardingfele is used for dancing, accompanied by rhythmic loud foot stomping.

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Sleigh

Richard has been exploring the harmonica from the inside out for over 30 years. He has performed with Taj Mahal, Maria Muldaur, Bo Diddley, Susan Werner, and many others. His studio work includes award winning films, TV, radio, and theatre soundtracks, and other projects. As a soloist, he combines his fluid and highly developed rack playing with soulful vocals, guitar, and intricate solo harp flights. Richard’s music is American roots - ranging from rural and urban blues, fiddle tunes, swing, country, gospel, to early rock and roll. He has three solo releases - “Steppin Out”, The Joliet Sessions”, and his most recent collection titled “Celtic Instrumentals”. You can also follow Richard on his blog.

 

Simple Gifts

Folk College's host band Simple Gifts is three women (Linda Littleton, Karen Hirshon & Rachel Hall) playing twelve instruments, with styles that range from old time to Celtic to Klezmer and beyond. Karen Hirshon plays fiddle, mandolin, guitar, 6-string banjo, bowed psaltery, doumbek, and spoons. Linda Littleton plays fiddle, hammered dulcimer, recorders, and bowed psaltery, and she's starting to learn banjo. Rachel Hall is recognized as one of the leading English concertina players in the U.S., and she also performs on piano, accordion, and tabla. Based in State College and Philadelphia PA, Simple Gifts members designed Folk College and work with the Huntingdon County Arts Council to make it a reality. They have a strong philosophy that everyone can play music, that music is best when shared, and that above all, music is about communication, not competition.

 

Jerry Trusty

Jerry grew up in Mississippi where he learned and played traditional music at an early age. He has a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in music performance (French horn). Jerry was a high school band director for several years, and he is now a professor in counselor education at Penn State. His current musical passions include playing, researching and building clawhammer and old-time banjos.

 

 

 

Henry Koretzky

Henry Koretzky is a mandolinist/ guitarist/singer from Harrisburg, PA, who has performed in a wide variety of styles and groups, from bluegrass with Cornerstone, Sweetwater Reunion, and High Strung, klezmer with The Old World Folk Band, old-time with the duo Rootbound, as well as swing, celtic, contemporary folk, and contradance music. He has taught at Folk College in previous years as part of The Keystone Rebels and as part of a duo with singer/songwriter/ guitarist Kevin Neidig, and has also been a staff regular at Greenwood Furnace Folk Gathering.

 

Bob Nicholson

Bob is a Folk College tradition, making our annual Saturday night contradance truly special. Bob is in demand as a contra and square dance caller who is known for his relaxed teaching style, patience, energy, and ability to make the dance fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wendi Bourne

Wendi Bourne is a singer and guitarist. Her work is known to the Swing Dance world through her work with Girls from Mars. “Folkies” and western swing fans know her from her work with The Coyotes and Beat’s Walkin’. Students who have attended Blues & Swing Week at Augusta know her as the Co-Coordinator of this wonderful week long music camp for adults held in Elkins, WV each summer.

 

 

 

Gordon Bonnet

Gordon Bonnet is multi-talented and multi-faceted: a novel writer and science essayist, a high school teacher of biology and environmental sciences, and a gifted musician. Gordon plays flute and bagpipes, and can often be seen with the Ithaca area bands Crooked Sixpence and Alizé.  His specialties include music from central France, Brittany, the Balkans, and any music with non-standard rhythms.

 

 

 

 

Debbie Rifkin

Debbie Rifkin is an award-winning music theory and sight-singing teacher at Ithaca College in upstate NY. She started out as a classical violinist, earning prizes and prestigious seats in regional orchestras in her youth. Now, she is an avid fiddler. Her main specialty is klezmer music, but she dabbles in French-Canadian, New England, and Scandinavian styles as well. She has played in several klezmer bands, directs the Ithaca College Klezmer Band, and occasionally performs at Scandinavian folk festivals.

 

 

Ira Gitlin

Ira Gitlin is part of Washington, DC's vibrant bluegrass scene. He is multi-talented instrumentalist, music teacher, and writer. He has had the pleasure of performing with many fine musicians, played on dozens of recordings, and helped countless amateur musicians to express themselves on the banjo, guitar, and bass. Along the way he racked up a National Bluegrass Banjo Championship (1992) and a shelf full of “Wammies” from the Washington Area Music Association.

 

Although bluegrass is at the core of his musical identity, his playing ranges far and wide over what’s often called “roots music.” In addition to traditional and progressive bluegrass, Ira also is involved in western swing and older country music styles, with excursions into jazz, blues, folk, and rock ‘n’ roll.