Lissa Schneckenburger (fiddle and vocals) Bethany Waickman (guitar)
Influences
Greg Boardman
Alasdair Fraser
David Kaynor
Liz Carroll
Martin Hayes
Joni Mitchel
Joan Baez
Kate Rusby
Paul Simon
Paul Brady
James Taylor
Billie Holliday
Nightingale
Metamora
Naftule Brandwein
Hankus Netsky
and ALL my wicked amazing musician friends
Sounds Like
Alison Krauss, Kate Rusby, Alasdair Fraser, Natalie MacMaster, Martin Hayes, Liz Carroll and you name it!
“Schneckenburger’s playing is… quietly virtuosic…her voice is pure and clear, full of simple emotion…”
All Music Guide
“World class fiddler …. far from just offering one dance tune after another, simple settings allow the true beauty of the music to shine through.”
Sing Out
The traditional music of New England can be as warm and comforting as a winter fire or as potent and exhilarating as a summer thunderstorm. Fiddler and singer Lissa Schneckenburger is a master of both moods, a winsome, sweet-voiced singer who brings new life to old ballads and a skillful, dynamic fiddler who captures the driving rhythm and carefree joy of dance tunes old and new.
Raised in a small town in Maine and now living in Vermont, Lissa grew up with music. She began playing fiddle at the age of six, inspired by her mother's interest in folk music and a family friend who was a professional violinist. Soon she was studying with influential Maine fiddler Greg Boardman and sitting in with the Maine Country Dance Orchestra. By the time she was in high school she was playing concerts on her own, specializing in the sprightly New England dance tunes that combine influences from the British Isles and Quebec with homegrown twists that have been evolving since Colonial days. Another of her major influences was the diverse musical community that she found at fiddle camps, where she had a chance to play with and learn from a wide variety of musicians including noted Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser. In 2001 she graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music with a degree in contemporary improvisation, and since then has been performing around the US and internationally for a growing audience of enthusiastic listeners. She has recorded seven CDs, (four solo and three with various groups).
Lissa's fiddling is uplifting and lively, and her singing is gentle and evocative. Both in concert and in the studio she is regularly accompanied by some of New England's best musicians, including guitarists Keith Murphy and Matt Heaton and double bassist Corey DiMario.
Recently she has been closely studying the roots of the Downeast traditional music that she first heard as a young girl. Her latest project is a pair of CDs dedicated to reintroducing some wonderful but largely forgotten songs and tunes from New England that she uncovered through archival research at the University of Maine and elsewhere. “Song”, to be released in April 2008, contains ten timeless ballads that go back as far as the eighteenth century that she set to carefully crafted modern arrangements, while “Dance”, scheduled for 2009, will feature fiddle tunes. "There is currently a lot of focus on traditional American music from the South", she explains, "and many bands are exploring and recording that repertoire, but no one is getting to hear the amazing repertoire of traditional music from the North. This is my first attempt at getting some of that music out there for people to enjoy."
Whether playing for a folk club audience or a hall full of dancers, Lissa brings to the stage enthusiasm, energy, and the bright future of New England’s musical traditions.
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After you've finished here, you may like to hear this poem sung on myspace...
Poem 2 of 230, WalkaboutsVerse (please see my blog): WALKABOUT WITH MY PEN
Once drove an old sedan, up north, From a place in Sydney to Cairns; Then to Kuranda I went forth, By train, to look without set plans.
I browsed through the trendy market, With fresh fruits of tropical kind; Walked to the creek through lush thicket - Nature’s hand giving peace of mind.
I dined in a scenic cafe; Then, outside, as I wrote for yen, Some passing Kooris called-out: “Hey, You go walkabout with your pen.”
Request or question, I don’t know - Assured voices, elderly men. That’s now several years ago, And I’ve seen the world - with my pen.
Hi Lissa. Just wanted to say thanks again for the terrific performance at the Riverfolk Festival on Saturday night! It was delightful to see you play again after just over 2 years, and I'm looking very forward to seeing you in October when you pass through Michigan again. Safe travels and best wishes in the meantime! ~Kristen
Just a Reminder that the Live Free Art and Music Fest Starts at 4:20 this friday at live free Fields in Lorraine NY. 30 bucks for an amazing weekend of music, art demos, camping and fun. Hope to see you all out there.
Thanks for the add!
Fiddler's Bow on sale this month $40 off! Every bow comes with a FREE cake of Fiddler's Rosin!
http://fiddlersbow.ning.com to order
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