Commonwealth Speakers:Folk and Traditional Arts
Folk musician Keith Brintzenhoff uses music, dance, and stories to explain the traditions of the Pennsylvania Germans.
The Music, Dance and Instruments of the Pennsylvania Germans
The Pennsylvania German community has a rich tradition of music and dance, and Keith Brintzenhoff, a musician and folklorist, will explain the roles that the guitar, harmonica, mountain dulcimer, banjo and autoharp play in that tradition as he plays them himself. Additionally, audience members will be taught about Hoedowning and the fancy footwork of Jigging, and through dance, songs and stories, participants will explore social aspects of the Pennsylvanian Germans. Requirements: Display table.
Keith A. Brintzenhoff, Musician and Folklorist, Kutztown
Cultural Diversity in Appalachian Music and Dance
Music and dance traditions in Appalachia are more diverse than people might think. Joseph Dinwiddie will ask audiences to discuss their preconceptions of these traditions, and then play instruments and recordings, and teach participants basic Appalachian folk dance moves. Through their active involvement in the presentation, audiences will learn how Appalachian music and dance reflect the diversity of the people who have lived and are living in Appalachia.
Joseph Dinwiddie, Musician and Folklorist, Indiana
Pennsylvania Mountain Voices
The traditional music and song of the Pennsylvania mountains has played a significant role in the history of the Commonwealth, as oral history and as a tool for education and socialization. Bruce Young will perform examples of traditional and period music on fiddle, banjo, guitar and dulcimer to explore the folk music of central Pennsylvania. Requirements: Electricity source.
Bruce R. Young, Folk Musician and Dance Caller, State College
Traditions in Pennsylvania's Eastern European Folk Music
Pennsylvanians have enjoyed Eastern European folk music - from the polka to sacred spirituals - since the late 19th Century. Kenneth Wolensky examines the roots of Eastern European folk music in both Europe and the United States, including several recorded examples, and will present several live examples using the most popular musical instrument of Eastern Europe - the accordion.
Kenneth Wolensky, Ed.D., Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg
Traditional American Folk Music
As a melded culture, the United States is fortunate to have music and instruments that come from around the world. Instrument maker and musician Thomas Jolin will perform a number of traditional songs, and explain the origins of the hammer dulcimer (Iran), the banjo (West Africa), the bowed psaltery (the Middle East), the mountain dulcimer, the button accordion and the harmonica (all Germany).
Thomas Jolin, Musician and Instrument Maker, Orrtanna
Pennsylvania German Fraktur: Art of Faith and Family
The illustrated manuscripts of Western Europe are known the world over, but the art of fraktur - the decorated manuscripts of the Pennsylvania Germans - is something of a Commonwealth secret. Candace Perry, the curator of the Schwenkfelder Center, will discuss the roots and uses of fraktur and the artists who created those intricate and beautiful works in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Requirements: Screen and display table. LCD projector or slide projector preferred.
Candace K. Perry, Curator of Collections, Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center, Pennsburg
North Country Folktales and Tunes
The men and women of the Pennsylvania North Woods whistled while they worked in the woods, mines, and fields. They told tall tales, sang, and were prodigious fighters. They felled and floated the masts for the tall ships and provided the decoration for Victorian architecture. They were the Bucktailed Wildcat sharpshooters of Civil War fame and the women who kept the home fires alight and the farms afloat. They staged the first labor riot in the United States and went on strike with Mother Jones. Bonnie Kyofski shares the stories and songs of the homier, funnier side of this roisterous frontier culture.
Bonnie Kyofski, Ph.D., Storyteller and Retired Professor of Education, Mansfield University, Nelson
Folk Music Is Family Music
Folk music might not be found on the radio, TV or in record stores very often these days, but it still flourishes in family settings. For generations, people all over the world have used songs to teach their children social and motor skills, language, history, and a sense of identity. Participants will learn songs from Africa, Eastern Europe, Iraq, and the United States to discover what they reflect about culture. Requirements: CD/cassette player.
Kelly Armor, Folk Art Coordinator and Education Director, Erie Art Museum, Erie
Pennsylvania's Working Class People
Audiences will have the opportunity to explore the history of coal miners, railroad workers, iron and steel workers, labor heroes and the villains who robbed them through original folk songs that present the true stories of the trials and tribulations of Pennsylvania's working class citizens.
Gregory J. Zaborowski, Folk Musician, Johnstown
Heroes, Fools, and What the Wise Ones Said: Folktales from Around the World
Vicky Town brings international folktales to life through movement, audience participation and humor to explore a cast of characters from around the world. Participants will hear of narrow escapes, ogres, loves true and false, clever disguises and more. Microphone preferred.
Vicky Town, Professional Storyteller, Drexel Hill