Janie Rothfield

Int/Adv Old Time Fiddle

Janie Rothfield is an award winning clawhammer banjo player and fiddler who has been playing old-time music “forever.” She has toured professionally for over 35 years, during which she has also been a composer, recording artist, band leader, teacher, and event organizer, with fans around the world. Her clawhammer banjo style borrows heavily from both the traditional and inventive aspects of her fiddle style, and is characterized by great power, drive and in-the-pocket rhythm.  Her teaching method combines an easy to learn technique that combines strategies for learning to play by ear quickly with a focus on musicality and rhythm!  Janie performs with numerous old time and dance bands, and currently tours with the duo, Hen's Teeth.  Her latest solo CD, “Out of Thin Air,” features 15 of her own compositions.Two of her tunes have won the Best Non-Traditional Tune at Clifftop Appalachian Stringband Festival!  Her newest solo CD, OUT OF THIN AIR, features all of her own compositions and songs, and in 2016 she release both wonderful CD of Fiddle/Harmonica duets with harmonica master, Brendan Power called PUFNSAW, and OFF THE CUFF AND ON THE FLY with her duo Hen's Teeth (With Nathan Bontrager)!    Jane performs with numerous bands, including Coracree, Hen's Teeth, The Janie Rothfield Old Time Trio and with daughter Shona Carr as Little Missy.

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Janie has taught clawhammer banjo and fiddle for over 35 years, privately and at camps and festivals such as Banjo Camp North,  Midwest Banjo Camp, Old Songs Summer Camps, Janie's Jumpstart, Heart of the Alleghanies Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Folk College and the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, FOATMAD Weekend (Wales), in England, Scotland, Germany and the Netherlands, and Australia.  

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www.janerothfield.com

"Janie came highly recommended so I had high expectations.  They were met and exceeded.  I've been playing fiddle for years, trying to learn from books and the internet.  After Janie showed me the proper way to hold the fiddle and bow, and proper bowing technique, all those tunes I know became so much easier to play.  Then she showed me the most important thing about playing any instrument; the difference between playing notes and making music.  And the whole time I never feel like I'm taking lessons.  I feel like I'm just hanging out playing music and learning new things.  Most importantly, I'm excited about learning because it has become fun again."  Jamie McCracken- Janie's Fiddle student

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“Janie has shown me how to pull the melody out of old time tunes on my banjo… to make them less busy and more musical. I had developed some poor habits throwing every banjo cliché I ever learned into each tune I played.  Janie showed me how to strip out all of the unnecessary stuff… to concentrate on the melody and rhythm which ultimately “pops” the tunes and makes them more beautiful.”  Tim Wade-clawhammer banjo (Doylestown, PA)

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Video from an episode of Get Up In The Cool: Playing Bentons Dream. https://youtu.be/OIHvClIV16I

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Video of Janie Fiddling Hell Broke Loose in Georgia  https://youtu.be/BllDgHZ-BRM

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Video from Midwest Banjo Camp staff concert: No rehearsal fiddle banjo duet with Roy Andrade of Indian Et a Woodchuck and Ducks on the Millpond  https://youtu.be/ZnqSFe7zp8k

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