| Popular European and American dance rhythms of the 19th century. Most of our current American music is in 2/4 time, quite easily understood. To some degree we hear a bit of 3/4 time waltz rhythm now and then, but the dances of our forebears often went beyond the simple. Presenting with music and a demonstration of dance steps, Tim can show some of the many variations of both duple and triple time in traditional music from Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, as well as home-grown in America. There will be among others, the various forms of jig, the strathspey, the reel, the hornpipe, the schottische, the polska, the springar and gangar, and several different kinds of waltz. |
| The intersection of classical and folk music. Tim is not a classical musician himself, but recognizes the two-way street connecting folk music with classical music. He will show the difference between violin and fiddle techniques, and help demonstrate the bond between the "trained" and "untrained" virtuoso. He will also play folk tunes from various countries that show strong classical influence. |
| Swedish folk music: a lesson in musical dialects in small regions. Sweden is a relatively sparsely populated country, with a population the size of Los Angeles spread over an area the size of California. Its old provincial boundaries are remarkably cultural boundaries, also, and this is exemplified in the traditional music of the country. Tim will play tunes from many different areas in Sweden, showing the similarities and differences in styles and melodies from place to place. Wonderfully rich melodies - from wedding marches to dance tunes - will keep any group enraptured. |
| Music recording: preserver or destroyer of real music? What is real music? Just the sound of various instruments and voices moving around in different rhythms and pitch? Or is real music something that comes from within a musician and goes directly to a listener? Using many musical examples, Tim explores how the world's musical audience has changed its attitudes towards music as a whole as a result of the recording and broadcast industry. No conclusion is drawn, but there is much food for thought, considering how the musicians and listeners of the ages before the phonograph compare with the musicians and listeners of today. |
| A sampling of concert/lectures appropriate for college level or general audiences |