Musicfestivalperformers(Inalphabeticalorder)

WDCANNUALASSEMBLY2016

MusicFestivalPerformers(inalphabeticalorder)

July30,2016 - 7-9 pm

BethelCollege, North Newton, KS

DaveAnderson

ThishammerdulcimerplayerlivesinHesstonwithhiswifeSharon,andhastwochildren,BenKatie. HeworksatMidlandNationalBankinNewtonandisamemberofWhitestoneMennoniteChurchinHesston. DavefirstbecameinterestedintheHammerDulcimerwhenintheearly'90sheheardonebeingplayedbyRichMullins,acontemporaryChristianartistwhowrotethesongs,"OurGodisanAwesomeGod"and"StepByStep". Davehasastrongappreciationformusic,buthadneverpursuedlearninganyinstrumentsuntilheheardthedulcimerbeingplayed. Hewasintriguedbythewonderfulsoundsthatcamefromthisoddlyshaped,hollowwoodboxwithstringsstrungfromoneendtotheotherthatishitwithstickscalledhammers. Nowafterplayingthehammerdulcimerfor18years,sharingmusicwithothersisoneofhisfavoritepastimes,andisalwaysopentonewopportunitiesinprovidingthatserviceforothers.

Atchisons

BobandMelissaAtchisonhavebeenplayingold-timemusictogetherforover30years. Bothlearnedtheirrespectiveinstrumentsandtunesfromavarietyofold-timefiddlersandmusiciansinColumbia,Missouri,wheretheyreceiveddegreesinforestryfromtheUniversityofMissouri. TheytooktheirfirstforestryjobsinMountainView,ArkansaswhereBobwonthe1984 state fiddling championship. Duringthe80stheyperformedattheOzarkFolkCenter,theGrandpaJonesFamilyDinnerTheaterandatregionalmusicfestivals. TheirrepertoirestillhasacoreofOzarkandAppalachiansongsandtunesthatdatebacktotheearly20thcenturybeyond. MelissaandBobcurrentlyliveinManhattan,Kansaswithtwooftheirfourchildren. BobworksforKansasStateUniversityasaforesterfortheKansasForestServiceandMelissaservesashomemaker,keepsbees,andworksonrenovatingtheir1908homeandiscurrentlyworkingonaMastersofDivinitywiththeAnabaptistMennoniteBiblicalSeminary. BothhavebeenactivemembersatManhattanMennoniteChurchsince1995wheretheyperiodicallyprovidemusicforworshipwithfiddle,guitar,banjo,mandolin,harmonicapennywhistle.

BookofJEBB

Showcasingstrongvocals,blazingsolosandtightharmonies,theBookofJebbhasbeenentertainingandastoundingaudiencessince2007. Comehearbluegrass,gospelandfolkmusicplayedwithtasteandskillbyBethanyAmstutzSchrag,BenRegier,EricSchragandTimRegier.

Flannelbacks

TheFlannelbacksareabluegrassandfolkbandthathailsfromBethelCollege.Formedinthefallof2014,thegrouphasfoundenjoymentandsuccessinrecreatingfavoritetunesandperformingoriginalsongs.Withamixofguitar,banjo,mandolin,uprightbass,harmonica,dobro,andharmonyvoice,theFlannelbacksappealtooldandyoungalike.ThegroupiscomprisedofBradenUnruh,MatthewGraber,ChaseStucky,andTimRegier.

FourTimesHarder

FortheHarderfamily,makingmusictogethermaybe“fourtimesharder,”butit’salsofourtimesmorefun.TomHarderhasadoctorateinclassicalguitarperformancebutisequallyathomeplayingfolk,bluegrassandjazz.LoisHarderhasadegreeinmusiceducation,andasopranovoicethatsoarsinavarietyofstyles.Theyhavebeenperformingtogethersincetheyfirstmetin1982They’vebeenplayingwiththeirmusicaldaughterssinceTomandLoisnoticedthegirlswerealreadysingingalongontheirduogigs.Nowtheyaddtheirinstrumentalprowessandsparklingpersonalitiestothemix.Madeline(cello,electricbass)andAnna(violin)aremembersoftheWichitaYouthSymphonyandWichitaCommunityChildren’sChoir.Thefamily’srepertoireisanentertainingmixtureofsecularandsacred,humorousandpoignant,drivingbluegrassgospelandlyricalfolkballads,withatasteofclassicalandjazz.

RosewoodWinds

RosewoodWindsisawoodwindtriobasedinNewton.Thetriohasperformedinawidevarietyofvenueswithalarge,variedrepertoire.TheirmembersareAmandaFriesen,flute;KristinKliewer,oboe;andValerieKlaassen,clarinet.

SzambeckiJazzEnsemble(ortheClaytonCrawfordFanClub?)

Theensembleincludes:TobyTyner,masterof“beat”guitarandvocalprowess.Well-knownNewtonn'er-do-wellandreadytorideinabigcar;TomMcMillan,the“beatdoctor”forClaytonCrawfordandnumerousothergroups;DeeStarkey–It'sallaboutthebasswithDee,afret-lessartistandthebottomforClaytonCrawford;TomSzambecki,pianobeaterandClaytonCrawfordadmirer,WesternDistrictdelegate,andknownforsayingyes;ClaytonCrawford,vocalist,electricguitarplayerintheband,BuiltforComfort,NotforSpeed. He'sopenedforactsincludingBuddyGuy,TajMahal,RobertCrayandmore. He'salsoperformedpoetryreadingsandsuchspeakingartistryasAaronCopland's“LincolnPortrait.”

VenegasDuo

LuisFranciscoandElizabethVenegashavealwaysenjoyedexploringmusictogether,whetherthat'straditionalSpanishmusic,Classical,Irish,Jazz,orsimplyimprovisingtovariousstylesthatmusicallymovethem.BeingoriginallyfromColombia,LuisFranciscospecializesinfolkloremusicfromhiscountry,andhaswrittenandarrangedmusicfortheguitar,guitarensembles,aswellasviolin/voiceandguitarduets.ElizabethisoriginallyfromOklahoma,wheretheycurrentlyreside,andhasalwaysenjoyedpushingtheboundariesofwhataclassicalviolinist/vocalistcanperform.Withanextensiveexperienceinchamber,vocalandorchestralensembles,Elizabethhasdevelopedarefinedandtastefulsoundbothforleadingandaccompanying.AsaduetFranciscoandElizabethsimplyhaveablastexpandingtheirmusicaltastes,andhavingagoodtimegoingwherevertheirmusictakesthem.

Y2OK

ChrisGarneau,apunkrockerturnedsociologyprofessor,andKristenSwartley,aclassicalflutistandteacher,accidentlyendedupinOklahomaCity. Comeheartheresultsoftheirmusicalcollaboration.