Ever wondered how our ancestors got their music before radio and recordings?
What kinds of songs were passed down through the generations and learned from neighbors and coworkers here in earlier days?
What fiddle music sounded like here in the north?
OF COURSE NOT. Why would you!?
Dave Ruch probably wouldn’t have either had it not been for a chance invitation to join The Hill Brothers back in 1995, a group that went into schools performing traditional (and sometimes local) folk music for elementary students.
Dave was hooked pretty quickly, and have spent considerable time since then researching, recording and documenting, studying, performing and presenting this music to audiences around the state and beyond. (On a UK concert tour in 2009, he was told “we love American folk music over here, but we had NO idea there was this rich legacy in New York State of all places.” Ruch told them “we don’t know about it at home either!”)
For the next few Tuesdays (at least), Dave Ruch will be presenting 30-minute live online broadcasts at Noon, performing and telling the stories of some of this music.
Join him on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DaveRuchMusic/
And if you want to help him out, make a donation at: Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/daveruch
Venmo: @Dave-Ruch-2 (if asked for my last four digits, use 2001)
Please note that Dave Ruch will be performing every day this week via his Facebook page at 12 p.m. (noon) for some songs, stories and laughs. There will be historical and traditional folk music of our region (Tuesday), songs for kids (Wednesday), Grateful Dead tunes and anything else you’d like me to do (Mon & Thurs), and Friday will be a beginners guitar lesson for anybody with a dusty old instrument sitting around unused.
