Hot new bluegrassers, The Timber Rattlers, are at Longstaff House February 2nd.
Inspired by her Norwegian roots, Rachel has built a career around her love of music, performance, teaching, and Scandinavian tradition. She earned her BA in Music and Norwegian from St. Olaf College in 2007, followed by a master’s degree in Violin Performance and K-12 Teaching Certificate from Central Washington University in 2011. Rachel completed additional studies in both classical and jazz violin at the Music Conservatory of the University of Stavanger, Norway, also using the opportunity to polish her Norwegian language skills. Although violin is her main jam, Rachel is an avid Hardanger Fiddler (the national folk instrument of Norway), an aspiring violist, an enthusiastic conductor, and a novice improv actor!
Rachel’s love of playing music includes her dedication to teaching. She absolutely loves coaching summer camps such as the Seattle Rock Orchestra Summer Intensive, Icicle Creek Summer Symphony, and Pipestone Music Camp. Always inspired to wear many different hats, she also conducts the West Seattle Community Orchestras’ Debut Symphony. The group is a fun, full orchestra that consists of players of all ages (youngest age 8 and oldest 80!) who have 1-3 years of experience playing their instruments.
BIO
Fellow Pynins is an award winning contemporary folk duo with a keen and bucolic sense of vocal harmony and song craft. The live performance is a whimsically emotional escapade through the chasms of our, yes, feelings.. Dashed with spontaneous and clever banter, mirth and woe, you will probably cry and quite possibly laugh, a lot. Wielding claw-hammer banjo, Irish bouzouki, mandolin, and acoustic guitar the duo sings predominantly original music as well as reworked traditional ballads gathered from their travels.
Photo by Betsy Mobbs
TRAVELING, CREATING, AND SHARING ORIGINAL LIVE MUSIC ARE A FEW ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS FOR THE ENRICHMENT OF HUMANITY. NORMAN BAKER AND HIS BAND PLAY HOMAGE TO THIS FACT BY INTRODUCING NEW AND OLD SONGS TO AS MANY COMMUNITIES AS POSSIBLE. THEIR NEW ALBUM UTILIZES UNDERTONES OF PEDAL STEEL, MANDOLIN, BANJO, UPRIGHT BASS, CLARINET, AND OF COURSE AN ONSLAUGHT OF ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC GUITARS TELLING STORIES OF LOSS, LOSS PREVENTION, CAMPING, DRIVING WITHOUT CELL PHONES, CHILDLIKE INNOCENCE, HOME TOWNS, AND WALKING TILL YOUR SHOES WEAR THROUGH.
BAKER’S RESPECT OF FAMILY VALUES, ROOTS, AND TRADITION IS EVIDENT THROUGHOUT HIS MUSIC. HIS DEBUT RELEASE, “THE ART OF NOT KNOWING,” FEATURES HIS MOTHER ON FIDDLE, FATHER ON KEYS, UNCLE ON DRUMS, HIMSELF ON MANY OTHER INSTRUMENTS, IN ADDITION TO SEVERAL OTHER SEATTLE MUSICAL STALWARTS. THE ARTWORK FOR HIS NEWEST RELEASE, “PRESENT DAY,” FEATURES A SERIES OF PHOTOS FROM A 1970 HOUSE CONCERT OF HIS POPS PERFORMING, HIS MOM IN ATTENDANCE, AND COPS BUSTING THE PARTY.
http://www.normanbaker.com/
