The Reel Thing, a western Connecticut-based musical group specializing in contra dances, live, costumed, authentic 18th century colonial dances and concerts, traditional dance workshops for children and adults, and family or community "barn" dances, is made up of experienced, professional musicians who have a passion for folk music, dancing and performing.
Exciting news!! The Reel Thing, with caller Patricia Campbell, was featured in the Executive Pursuits column in the Business section of the May 3, 2008 Saturday edition of the New York Times! Be sure to check it out!
In 2007, we appeared on Time Out with Kevin Gallagher, a public access TV show, where we discussed contra dancing, played some music that we do for dances, and had a demonstration of some contra dance moves with caller Patricia Campbell and friends. Check out our other videos from past colonial event performances.
Bill Campbell is our guitarist. In addition to his many years of experience, Bill also teaches beginner guitar to adults and children. His musical career began in the '60's with formal instruction from the Rudi Lionetti Studio in Stamford. He played with bands in high school and college, and he has performed with groups at NOMAD. His other musical passions include the harmonica and bodhran (Irish drum), and singing with the Newtown Choral Society. Bill collects any instruments he sees and hangs them on the wall or makes them living room art. He actually plays some of them. His collection now includes multiple harmonicas, violins, guitars, bodhran, stringed pennywhistle, nose flutes, tambourine and mountain dulcimer, along with his wife's grand piano.
Gwen Glasser plays fiddle, guitar and piano. She has been teaching music locally for twenty years. Although rooted in classical training, her love for alternative styles of playing has led to a growing passion for Celtic, International Folk genres and contradance music. Gwen is our primary fiddler for colonial and family events and concerts.
Sue Hill took up the fiddle in September of 1999 and discovered her love for traditional music. Nine months later she entered the New England Fiddle Contest and joined the Old Tyme Fiddlers Club. Growing up in Bristol, CT she played fife in Carey’s Cadets and later learned to strum the guitar. As an adult, she sang in a church choir where she learned to site read and harmonize. She was influenced by her father who played the harmonica and trumpet and her aunt and grandparents who played the piano. Sue has studied and taken classes with Becky Tracy, Donna Hebert, Jane Rothfield, Jay Ungar, David Kaynor and George Wilson. In September, 2006 she won first place in the Intermediate Division at the Blandford Fiddle Contest. Sue also runs a bi-monthly jam in Bristol and gives fiddle lessons. For the past five years, Sue has been holding square and contra dance classes for intellectually challenged adults. Sue joins the Reel Thing as a fiddler for contra dances. She is also a member of the Barn Band, Pot Luck and Connecticut’s Bristol Old Tyme Fiddlers as well as a guest member for various other bands.
Fran Hendrickson has been a dance musician since 1977. She enjoys playing tunes for Colonial Social Dancing and Traditional Dancing on either piano or accordion, and has recorded with Connecticut groups Jackson Pike Skifflers and Spring Fever. Working with her husband Chip, they formed the Hendrickson Group in 1988 focusing on research and publication of 18th-century dance, music and song from primary sources. Fran has recorded several albums of 18th-century dance music to accompany the choreography in Chip's books. The Hendricksons taught and performed up and down the East Coast, for Loyalist Days in Saint John, N.B., and in France. Their specialty was the Minuet. Fran continues to give lessons in the Minuet. Since 1979, Fran has been the Coordinator of the Danbury Senior Center where, among her duties, she has successfully organized and maintains a musical band of senior citizens age 60s through their 90s called The Cellmates, est 1984, so named because the senior center was, at that time, in the Old Jail historic building. Their focus is pre-1940's music. Fran conceived, organized and managed the NOMAD Festival for its first nine years, fulfilling a dream to bring an all volunteer, participatory event to life, to share with others and to carry on the various folk traditions to the next generation.
Julie Sorcek, who plays flute, piccolo, saxophone and occasionally bodhran for The Reel Thing, has over 40 years experience as a musician. Aside from experience playing with high school and college symphonic bands, Julie has performed with the Danbury Community Orchestra, with various groups at the NOMAD Festival, and as a soloist at the First Congregational Church of Bethel, CT. She has been a guest musician with the contra dance bands Jane's Gang, Groovemama and Out on a Whim. Julie also performs with the folk groups Fairfield Crossing and Chicks 'n Sync, and can be seen on a regular basis performing with other area musicians at restaurants and coffeehouses in the greater Danbury, CT region. Julie is currently the band director at Immaculate High School in Danbury, and also runs a monthly acoustic music jam in Sandy Hook. Her repertoire on flute includes contra dance, Celtic, Colonial, jazz, classical, bluegrass and folk music.
The Reel Thing has a long list of groups and venues for whom and at which they have performed over the past 6 plus years. The list includes the Danbury, Mystic, Wethersfield and New Haven contra dances; elementary school residencies at Great Plain of Danbury, Highland School of Wallingford and Anna Norris of East Hartford (among others); Danbury, Windsor and New Milford DARs; Keeler Tavern in Ridgefield; Landmark and Antiquarian Society events throughout Connecticut; Ridgefield 225th anniversary Rochambeau Ball; Union, New Jersey's 2008 bicentennial celebration reenactment weekend; town concerts in Bethel, Danbury and Newtown; Warren Public Library, Booth Library of Newtown and Gunn Library of Washington; New Pond Farm of Redding; the Connecticut chapter of the Nature Conservancy; Bethel, Greenwich, Naugatuck and Norwalk Historical Societies; Ellington and Granby Congregational Churches; Meetinghouse Hill Elementary School in New Fairfield, Longmeadow Elementary School in Middlebury, and many other elementary school family dances and private functions as well. Please contact us at thereelthing (at) charter.net to discuss our availability and rates for your event! We will work with you to give you a great experience, whether you are looking for a dance or a concert.
