Fiddle Workshop, Jam Session & Concert

Description

Instructors: The Wise Geese (George Wilson, Rebecca Weiss, and Becky Ashenden)

Date: Sunday, June 5, 2022

Format: LIVE in Person & Livestreamed to our YouTube Channel at 5 PM

Jam Session: 2 PM EST

Livestream Concert Start Time: 5 PM EST

Cost: Donations greatly appreciated

Experience Level: All are welcome

Instructor Bios

The Wise Geese combines the talent of three engaging and talented musicians:

George Wilson (he/him/his) has performed and recorded with the popular “Fennig’s All-Star String Band,” featuring the late Bill Spence on hammered dulcimer, since 1975. He has performed and recorded with the “Whippersnappers” (Wilson, Peter Davis and Frank Orsini) since 1976. He plays at contradances, festivals and dance camps on both coasts and in between with Selma Kaplan, Groovemama, the Beaudoin Legacy, Bruce and Susan Rosen, and more. Additionally, he performas with the trio Peter, Paul & George (with Peter Davis and Paul Rosenberg), presenting hundreds of dance and music programs in “Homespun Community Dancing” in elementary, middle and high schools.
www.georgewilsonmusic.com

Rebecca Rose Weiss (she/her/hers) has played for contra dances around the country and recorded on multiple albums. She eagerly learns from elder musicians about community music and the old days and tunes, notably as a mentee of David Allen Kaynor, legendary New England dance caller and musician. Lately, she has been following around a variety of other New Englanders in hopes of absorbing not only rock solid rhythm but also winter driving tips. She gets especially excited about harmonizing, teaching, and composing.
www.rebeccaroseweiss.com

Becky Ashenden (she/her/hers) started listening and dancing to traditional music at age 7 when her very dedicated mother started taking her and her two sisters to folk dancing every Friday night. She joined a folk dance performing group at the age of 10 and started a band at the age of 16. For nearly three decades, she has attended numerous Balkan camps in addition to many other traditional music camps, often on staff as a musician and sometimes a band director. This path has led her to try out a long list of instruments such as piano, piano accordion, fiddle, string bass, dumbek and tupan. David Kaynor mentored her for over four decades starting in the late 70s and helped lead her to George Wilson soon after they started playing together. In the early 80s, Cape Breton music drew Becky like a strong magnet, and she spent summers on the Island going to dances and concerts which highly influenced her piano style. She also has a strong love of Swedish fiddle playing, having studied at a weaving school in Sweden for five months in 1981 (thanks to connections of David’s). This inspired her to create her own Vävstuga Weaving School here in the US. Becky currently plays with her Balkan band Orkestar Banitsa in addition to the Wise Geese.
https://orkestarbanitsa.bandcamp.com/album/orkestar-banitsa

Program Description

This afternoon program will be a celebration of music and an opportunity to gather with friends and fellow musicians in the Barn at the Bassett Road Homestead in Shelburne.

At 5 PM, the Wise Geese will play a lively concert with a variety of fiddle tunes, many featuring Becky on the piano.

Join us live on our YouTube channel at 5 PM

This event is part of a series through Fabric of Life to celebrate the life and legacy of the late David Kaynor.

**To address concerns surrounding recent increases in local covid cases, we will be running this event with the option of outdoor seating or seating inside the well-ventilated barn. There will be plenty of room to spread out and we encourage each participant to wear a facial covering as they deem appropriate for their situation.**

Help us spread the word!

Download Program Flyer

Please contact us with any questions at office@fabric-of-life.org.

Our sliding scale fee allows us to keep these programs accessible to a wide range of individuals. The ‘admirer’ option covers the cost of the instructor fee, program support, marketing, and administration. The ‘friend’ option covers all of this and allows for a small profit margin to be contributed towards sustaining Fabric of Life programming for next year. The ‘enthusiast’ option covers all of this and allows for us to begin to sustain Fabric of Life programming for generations to come.

FOL will refund 90% of your fee if you cancel more than 30 days before the beginning of the program. 10% will be retained for administrative services. Cancellation with less than 30 days notice will automatically be rolled over as a credit for another program of your choice within the next year from the date of the original program. FOL will maintain the funds and carry them forward once you determine what program you would like to utilize them for. If there is a balance after paying for the second program, it will not be refunded. If a program does not run due to circumstances beyond our control, participants will receive a full refund of the fees paid.