Blaine Sprouse is regarded as one of the finest traditional bluegrass fiddlers, having spent most of his life performing and recording with 1st Generation bluegrass artists such as Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, The Osborne Brothers, Jim and Jess, and the legendary country artist, Charlie Louvin of the Louvin Brothers!! Blaine grew up in Berkeley County, West Virginia surrounded by traditional music and started playing guitar at age 6 with his father who played clawhammer style banjo. At 9, Blaine took up fiddling and studied with legendary Bluegrass Fiddler Kenny Baker. His extra ordinary fiddling style was heavily influenced by the greats in bluegrass fiddling-Kenny Baker, Vassar Clements, Chubby Wise, Howdy Forester and Benny Martin. At 17, he left home for Nashville, TN where performed regularly at the Grand Ole Opry, toured extensively with country artists as Alabama, Randy Travis, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Glen Campbell and roots artists Hazel Dickens and Robin and Linda Williams. Blaine is no stranger to contemporary bluegrass, and has played and recorded with Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, Roland White, Mark Hembree and Pat Enright as the Dreadful Snakes and was a co-founding member of The Bluegrass Band! Blaine is currently a member of the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band but also makes special guest appearances with other bands such as The Roland White Band, James Reams and the Barnstormers, as well as his own ensembles and solo appearances.
In addition to his busy touring schedule, Blaine teaches bluegrass fiddle at many music festivals and camps throughout the United States including Festival Of American Fiddle Tunes-Port Townsend WA, Lark Camp-Mendocino CA, California Bluegrass Association Grass Valley Music Camp, Texas JAAM Camp-Austin TX, and Stringfest-Ft. Bragg CA.
Blaine has four solo recordings on the Rounder Records and Cumberland Record labels.
Award winning clawhammer banjo player and fiddler, Janie Rothfield has been playing old time music for over 30 years and has taught clawhammer banjo and old time fiddle to all ages and abilities. Janie's students say "she has magic teaching powers!". She is known for her sweet tone, infectious rhythm and powerful playing and ever present smile. Janie has been playing fiddle since age 6 when she started violin as one of the first Suzuki method taught children in the New York City area! Janie uses the best of her Suzuki Music Training and traditional fiddling experiences to help her students play with better technique, rhythm and musicality to bring the traditional music to life!
As a young teen in Connecticut, she was exposed to traditional fiddling and started going to fiddle contests, and participated in the Bristol CT Old Time Fiddlers Club where she met and played with French Canadien Traditional fiddler, Leo Beaudoin. Along the way, Janie has played with many older generation musicians such as Kentucky fiddlersPaul David Smith and Jimmy McCown and North Carolina native, Eddie Lowe. In addition to her old time music influences, Janie lived in Scotland and toured throughout the UK and USA with her contemporary Scottish/Old Time trio, Hadden, Rothfield and Carr.
In addition to her private students, Jane has taught many group workshops at festivals (Old Songs, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Wheatland) and at music camps around the US (Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Groove Camp, Old Songs Camps, Folk College, Banjo Camp North and Janie's Jumpstart). She is a prolific and award winning tune writer (2x winner of Best Non-traditional Tune at Clifftop Appalachian Music Festival) and she performs with numerous bands including Coracree (with Allan Carr, Bill Quern and Sarah Gowan),Great Big Taters (with Hilarie Burhans and Bernie Nau), Sugar Pie (with Kellie Allen, HIlarie Burhans and Lori Lichtenwalner) and Panache Quartet (with Donna Hebert, Andrea Beaton and Veronique Plasse). Janie has made 9 recordings, and is currently working on a recording of her own original tunes!
Jane Rothfield has been teaching musicians of all levels and abilities for over 30 years, with expertise in multiple musical genre’s-Old Time, New England, Irish, Scottish, French Canadian and Contra. Jane uses the best of her Suzuki Music Training to help musicians play with better technique, improved ear training and the rhythm and musicality that is needed to play for dancers. She has performed internationally and throughout the U.S. at concerts, festivals, workshops and contra/square dances and has made eight recordings that feature her lively, spirited and soulful playing and singing.
Jane has won awards for her original tunes, which are played throughout the U.S. by contra and old time musicians. In addition to playing with Coracree, Jane also performs with Jane’s Gang, Great Big Taters, Sugar Pie and Panache Quartet. www.janerothfield.com
October 31-November 2 2014
Bothell Washington
MEET THE INSTRUCTORS
Janie Rothfield
Blaine Sprouse
Susan Burke
Susan Burke, an award-winning Scots Cape Breton fiddler , performs and teaches throughout the Northwest. After thirty years' immersion in Celtic music, she has developed a commanding repertoire learned from house recordings and tapes of Jerry Holland, her principal mentor, the late great Buddy MacMaster and Carl MacKenzie,. Her fiery and swingy style includes Irish ,Scots and Cape Breton ingredients.
She teaches and performs with numerous bands, including The Homerulers, ( Dan Carollo, Celtic guitar and Bruce Singleton, pipes and flute), Red Crow (Chuck Pliske, piano and concertina, Howie Meltzer, fiddle, and Joe Micheals, guitar and bass), Phantom Power (Marcy Kubbs, piano, Joe Micheals guitar/bass and Betsy Cooper, flute) , The Yes Bees,(Sandy Bradley, guitar), and The Chelanigans, (Ellen and Steve Marx, banjoes and guitars, John Burke, fiddle). Susan played for ten years with the Celtic fusion rock band, Dowry.
Currently she hosts weekly Irish sessions and occasional Cape Breton sessions, and directs a student performing group, Fiddlers Green,
Among her other recording credits are “Celtic Garden” by Bronn Journey and “Gypsy Supper” by William and Alene Bertman. Her debut solo project, Journey Home is a Celtic odyssey, touching on the traditions of Scotland, Cape Breton, and Ireland, among others.
BLAINE SPROUSE
Bluegrass Fiddle
SUSAN BURKE
Cape Breton Fiddle
