2026-02-07 – Lost and Found: Norwegian-American Fiddle Tunes – Favorites from Bill Sherburne and the Highlandville Dance (Online)
Schedule:
February 7 (1:00-2:30 pm CT)
Instructor:
Beth Rotto
Location:
This is an online class hosted on Zoom.
Bill Sherburne (1903-1991) claimed that he could hear a tune once, pick up his fiddle and play it. It’s no surprise then that he had an enormous repertoire. He came from a musical family and lived in the fiddle hotbed of Spring Grove, Minnesota. Bill played for barn dances and house parties and at dance halls within a 50-mile radius of Spring Grove. He could play whatever people asked for: Norwegian, American, and popular tunes. In his later years, he became noted for playing dances at the Highlandville Schoolhouse in northeast Iowa.
Beth Rotto learned from Bill Sherburne through an Iowa Arts Council apprenticeship program and has continued to research his music in the Mills Music Library in Madison, Wisconsin. Part of her mission is to carry on the traditional repertoire from Bill Sherburne and the schoolhouse. This session includes learning two tunes and access to a recording of the workshop.
Level of Instruction:
Intermediate – all tunes will be in first position and taught by ear.
Supplies:
Students will need to provide their own instrument as well as a computer, laptop, or tablet with a camera and mic as well as a fast, reliable internet connection.
Special Instructions:
When registering for the class, please make sure to use the email address you'd like the Zoom meeting invitations sent to. You will receive links to the Zoom sessions by email sometime during the week prior to the class. If this class is a gift, please sign up with the recipient's email address or be prepared to forward all communications.
Enrollment Deadline:
January 23, 2025
Click here to learn more about instructor Beth Rotto.