SUMMIT SCHOOL OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND CULTURE
2nd Annual
April 13, 2024
MUD SEASON SPECTACULAR
An afternoon and evening of Swedish music and dance, youth performances, informal jamming and general conviviality
2:30 pm - 5 pm:
Workshop in Swedish music and dance
Hosted by Heidi Wilson, Jeremy Carter-Gordon, and Aaron Marcus
$25-$35 sliding scale, scholarships available
Join Heidi Wilson, Jeremy Carter-Gordon, and Aaron Marcus for an afternoon of Swedish singing, tunes, and dancing! Start by learning introductory Swedish social dances, focusing on movement quality and musicality. Then, after we get the feel of the music in our bodies by dancing, we’ll learn to sing and play the music together, bringing the whole process to life in just one afternoon!
All ages, abilities, voices, and acoustic instruments are welcome in this workshop. Bring soft-soled clean shoes that you can pivot in, and an open mind to new approaches to dance and learning music together.
5 pm - 6:30 pm:
Community meal and tune jam
$10 donation (at the door)
6:30 pm - close:
Youth musician showcase, dance, and session
Hosted by Joanne Garton, Heidi Wilson, Jeremy Carter-Gordon & Aaron Marcus
$5 - $15 suggested donation in advance or at the door
All events take place at the Capital City Grange Hall, 6612 VT Rte. 12, Berlin, VT
Aaron Marcus (they/them) is an extraordinary pianist, concertinist, tune-writer and practitioner of traditional community dance styles, touring across the US with bands Frost & Fire and The Turning Stile. They believe in the deep emotive healing power of music and their infectious exuberance, Earth grounding, and subtle lyricism all connect with the strong rhythms of the dance floor.
Heidi Wilson’s (she/her) passion is to share songs in service to community and the wild world and has been leading community singing groups in Vermont for the last 15 years. Along with creating new music, Heidi also studies the traditional music of her Swedish ancestors and loves to share old songs of the forests and fields.
Jeremy Carter-Gordon (he/him) grew up in New England immersed in traditional song and dance. He holds an MA in Dance Knowledge, Practice, and Heritage, and spent a year studying Swedish folk dancing at the Eric Sahlström Institute in Sweden. Jeremy sings with Windborne, a vocal quartet that studies and performs polyphonic singing.
Joanne Garton (she/her) mixes her pervasive passion for Scottish culture with the drive and rhythms of the New England dance floor. She performs, teaches, and records traditional music and dance from Scotland and Cape Breton with big influences from Ireland, England, Quebec, Appalachia and New England. Joanne also steps out on the dance floor at contra, Scottish, and English dances.
The Mud Season Spectacular was started in 2023 to bring youth musicians together and honor long-time mentor Pete Sutherland. Pete was an avid supporter of youth musicians of all ages and impacted the lives of both student fiddlers and teachers throughout his home state of Vermont. The traditions carry on through fiddle jams, trad band classes, singing, composing, and dancing, all alive and well in the community.
