Linda Littleton
Karen Hirshon
Rachel Hall
| March 29, 2008 [Saturday] | |
| 8 pm | |
| http://www.simplegiftsmusic.com/ | |
| Three women playing twelve instruments perform Romanian, Klezmer, Greek, Irish, Scottish, Appalachian, and more | |
| Linda Littleton | |
| Simple Gifts founding member Linda Littleton began her musical studies with classical violin lessons at age seven. Over the years, she has studied with Joanne Zagst Feldman, Ray Montoni, and Geoffrey Michaels. As a student at Princeton University, Linda majored in philosophy, with a minor in music and a specialty of Philosophy of Music. Throughout her college years, she studied music theory and composition with professors like Paul Lansky, Claudio Spies, and J.K. Randall. During the past 15 years, Linda’s musical interests have turned toward folk music, and she’s learned hammered dulcimer, bowed psaltery, and recorders. She particularly enjoys leading workshops on folk music and composing traditional-sounding tunes. In addition to her work with Simple Gifts, Linda serves as Principal Second Violin in the Nittany Valley Symphony. | |
| Karen Hirshon | |
| Karen Hirshon was raised in a family that emphasized church music, and she grew up singing and easily harmonizing hymns. At age 10, she began violin lessons, and three years later, her fascination with blues and American folk music lead her to study folk guitar. As a student at Grinnell College in Iowa, Karen designed her own specialty “Traditional Music in American Culture” within the field of American Studies, combining history, anthropology, and music. She studied and was influenced by ragtime, classical, American string band music, African drumming, blues, gospel, and jazz. During the 1970’s, Karen toured nationally with the bluegrass band Whetstone Run and helped found the American old-time group, Rustical Quality String Band, which released a self-titled album in 1977. Over the years, Karen has picked up baritone fiddle, mandolin, banjolin, banjo-guitar, and a variety of percussion instruments. | |
| Rachel Hall | |
Originally from Cincinnati, Rachel Hall grew up in a musical family, with her mother playing hammered dulcimer and her father on concertina and accordion. Rachel began piano lessons at age 6 and landed her first paying gig as a teenager in a contradance band. She started playing English concertina about fifteen years ago and has quickly become recognized for her excellent technique and the unusual styles she plays. After graduating from Haverford College, Rachel was awarded a Watson Fellowship to study and collect traditional music in Scandinavia and the British Isles. As part of that grant, she spent six months in the Shetland Islands and three months in Norway and visited Ireland and Scotland. Before joining Simple Gifts in 1995, Rachel was a member of the folk-rock band Broadside Electric and appears with them on the album With Teeth. |
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| Need more information about this concert? | |
| Call 304.415.3668 | |
