Welcome!  Glad you stopped by.  if you're looking for the contradance band I play in,  you'll want to visit hotpointstringband.com.  And if you're looking for our restaurant, visit restaurantsalaam.com.  But if you're more interested in old-time music, stick around!

A little (auto) biographical info:

My musical roots include a father who is a jazz pianist, a childhood spent in Asia and Africa, an adolescence which included many hours spent with local fiddlers in my Appalachian Ohio hometown of Athens, and countless tunes played with my fiddler husband Mark. A lot of wonderful people have shared their skills with me over the years, and I've been happily passing on what I know about playing the banjo ever since.  I also co-founded and play in a nationally touring contemporary American contradance band called the Hotpoint Stringband, with whom I have recorded four albums.  I also have a "solo" CD (really with various friends, including the Cantrells and Matthew McElroy), a track from which was featured on an episode of the acclaimed HBO series Deadwood.  

   Recently I've collaborated on projects in the works with Jane Rothfield and with klezmer musicians Sruli & Lisa, and play with fiddler Peggy Conant and banjo-uke player (and fellow Hotpoint-er) Mark "Pokey" Hellenberg in a band called Peg & All.  I'll be teaching intermediate banjo at Augusta from August 3rd-10th this year, and also accept private students at my home in southeastern Ohio.  (And if you live some distance away and want to spend a few days with us in one of our comfortable guest rooms, improving your banjo skills and enjoying our hospitality, let me know and we can work out an arrangement.  I'd be happy to supply contact info for banjo players who have come here to study with me in the past!)

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