Kate Lichtenstein loves old-time music and the community that creates and supports it. Over the last decade she has become a staple of the Pacific Northwest old-time scene as a fiddler, guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Trained in classical piano, it wasn’t until her early thirties that she discovered old-time, but once found, she was totally hooked! Kate began with (and continues to love playing) old-time guitar, but quickly realized she was learning all the melodies by ear; fiddle came soon after. Kate has learned fiddle through a mixture of self-study, lessons, workshops and jamming, and her teaching style flows from this organic approach. She performs regularly with Seattle bands including the Barn Owls, $4 Shoe, Rattlesnail, Piney Gals, and Paradise Drifters, and is a sought-after jam leader and dance fiddler. As an adult-learner herself, Kate loves sharing tools, tricks, and tunes that can help people of all ages and abilities make music for their own joy and as part of a thriving old-time music community.
Old-time Fiddle, minimum 2 years of experience
We’ll cover a breadth of old-time fiddle tunes and techniques to expand your knowledge and enjoyment of fiddling, focusing on fundamentals – bowing, rhythm, tone – and applying them to tunes and songs that are accessible, groovy and fun. Modifications will be offered for less or more experienced players, so you can practice the basics and challenge yourself to try something new. We’ll regularly join other classes and work on playing well with others – forming jams, starting and stopping tunes, having each others’ backs, and having fun! Tunes and songs will primarily be taught by ear, with music provided as a learning tool when needed. And remember we already know more than we think we do about music; let’s go from there!