Well-known fiddler will begin band tour at Skye
CARTHAGE – New England-style traditional fiddler and folk singer Lissa Schneckenburger and her band will kick off a spring tour in Maine with a concert Wednesday, April 29, at The Skye Theater. This will be followed by a performance Thursday, April 30, at Lakeside Theater in Rangeley.
Both concerts, presented by New England Celtic Arts, will begin at 7 p.m. There will be a preshow jam at 6:15 p.m. at Skye. Concertgoers are urged to bring their musical instruments to play with the featured artists.
Lauded for her uplifting and lively fiddling and gentle vocals, Schneckenburger is regularly accompanied by guitarists Keith Murphy and Matt Heaton and double bassist Corey DiMario.
She studied with influential Maine fiddler Greg Boardman; and while in high school, she played concerts on her own, specializing in the sprightly New England dance tunes that combine influences from the British Isles and Quebec with homegrown twists that have been evolving since colonial days.
In 2001 she graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music with a degree in contemporary improvisation, and since then has been performing around the United States and internationally. She has recorded seven CDs – four solo and three with various groups.
Her most recent release, “Song,” contains 10 timeless ballads, which trace as far back as the 18th century, set to modern arrangements by Schneckenburger. “There is currently a lot of focus on traditional American music from the South and many bands are exploring that repertoire, but no one is getting to hear the amazing wealth of traditional music from the North,” she said.
The CDs ‘Song’ and ‘Dance,’ scheduled for release in 2010′ are “two halves of a whole that describes a musical heritage I am very proud of,” Schneckenburger’s said. For more information, log on to www.lissafiddle.com.
Concert tickets are $10 at the door. Skye is at 2 Highland Drive off Winter Hill Road and U.S. Route 2 in Carthage. Lakeside is on Main Street in Rangeley. Call Skye at 562-4445, Lakeside Theater at 864-5000.