Join us to play some traditional American music: old time, songs, fiddle tunes, bluegrass, string band tunes, and other music making. All voices, instruments, and levels are welcome. Fiddle tunes are not just for fiddles!
We will meet on Monday evenings from 6-8 PM. We’ll be in the BGSU Moore Musical Arts Center, room 1004 unless otherwise noted. Note: we will be taking some weeks off as we get into November and December. The next meeting is tentatively November 17th, 2025 (based on end-of-semester scheduling).
Parking is available in many of the lots around the music building (lots 1 and 16) starting at 6 PM. Feel free to be a few minutes late if you want to pull in at or after 6. See the campus map for locations. Note that the first two rows just north of the music building are their own lot (lot C) and you’ll get a ticket for parking in one of those before 7:30 PM!
Here are some links that might be helpful:
Getting started in the local communities
The group is open to community and students alike. We have some instruments you can borrow if you want to try something new, but you are welcome to bring whatever you might play! Or don’t bring anything and sing.
Guitars, banjos, fiddles, mandolins, autoharps, dulcimers, and other things with strings are great. Stuff to hit or drag around (washboards, washtubs, bones, other sticks) are welcome too. So are things that you may not think are at home in old time, country, and Americana traditions: we’d love to hear some bluegrass trombone or Western Swing tin whistle if you’re up for it. Acoustic instruments will be easiest, but we’re pretty open.
There’s no expectation of previous knowledge. We will be learning different styles together based on the interests of the folks who join us. Drop in, play some notes. Some weeks we might lean into Carter family singing, or old time fiddle traditions, or some honky tonk. We’ll find out.
Interested students at BGSU (and UT, perhaps?) have the option of participating as part of an independent study with Dr. Witulski or Dr. Meizel. This would likely be able to count toward our World Music minor.
Cool. Reach out to Chris Witulski at [email protected] with any questions.