EMILY SCHAAD with music partner Cecil Gurganus ON FIDDLE

Enjoy an early summer evening’s soft mountain breezes in a gorgeous meadow setting at the Ramble’s Longmeadow outdoor covered pavilion!  ASO’s own violist, Emily Schaad, along with music partner Cecil Gurganus, will grace us with delightful toe-tapping traditional fiddle music interspersed with old mountain lore. In keeping with the music, a dinner of barbecue, sides, desserts, wine and local beer will be served.

Old-time musician Emily Schaad plays a strong, rhythmic fiddle, clawhammer banjo, and a solid back-up guitar. She came to Southern Appalachian music as a classical violist, having studied at the Curtis Institute and Juilliard. At Appalachian State University in Boone she gained knowledge of the Appalachian culture and music. She is sought after as an instructor for old- time music camps and workshops, where she blends Appalachian tradition with instrumental pedagogy.

Since the 1970’s, Cecil Gurganus has been an active member of Watauga County’s old-time music and dance community. He plays music, teaches, mentors, and gives presentations on traditional music. He has been an instructor at the Swannanoa Gathering Old-Time Music Week at Warren Wilson College and teaches in the Junior Appalachian Musicians program in Watauga and Ashe counties.