Contra talent in Texas

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Austin

Marc Airhart

Marc started calling in 1998, and calls occasional dances at the Hancock Wednesday series. He has a lots of enthusiasm and a strong sense of fun, so we hope he'll develop into a fine caller.
Contact at mairhart@earthsky.com, (512) 407-9425

Babs Didner

Babs had several years dance experience under her belt when she started calling in 1998. She calls occasional dances at the Hancock Wednesday series, and sometimes elsewhere. Babs has shown temendous promise, and we have every expectation that she'll rapidly become a staple of our local dances.
Contact at BabsDid@aol.com or at (512) 450-1248.

Chris Kelly

Started calling in 1995. Calls regularly in Austin, and has called in Houston. Husband Gary Graves plays with Duck Ruckus.
Contact at (512) 441-4419.

Rich MacMath

Started calling in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1976. He has written a number of dances that have reached both coasts, including Jim's Whim and Summers in Maine. His wife Jacqui Wooley plays with The Pine Needle Runners.
Contact at (512) 454-0086.

Dale Rempert

Started dancing and calling in the early 80's. He has published a collection of his dances, Hill Country Contras. Calls contras monthly in San Antonio and Austin. Also calls English Country dances monthly in Austin.
Contact at drempert@ix.netcom.com, (512) 453-4225.

Chuck Roth

Learned contra calling in the 60's from Ralph Page, Ted Sannella, et al. Calls monthly in Austin. He has called one contra weekly for the Austin International Folk Dancers for 30+ years.
Contact at croth@austin.rr.com, (512) 453-8936.

William Watson

Called his first dance in November 1992 at Lost Pines. Calls contra dances monthly in Austin.
Contact at williamjwatson@bigfoot.com, (512) 452-1181.

Armadillo on the HalfShell

A band playing traditional New England contra dance tunes and modern creations. The band has played for a number of dances around central Texas (Austin, Dallas, Houston, Bryan, etc.) in the past 2 years, also was the featured contraband at the Ozark Folk Festival in Arkansas. Visit their website
Features: Chris Peterson (fiddle), Sylvi Salinas (piano, guitar), Roy Wilhite (mandolin, bass) and other guests.
Contact: Sylvi at (512) 389-3990, sylvi@mindspring.com.

Au Contraire

A band playing traditional New England contra dance tunes and modern creations, some their own. Plays in Austin, Bryan, Houson, and Dallas.
Features: Rowena Caldwell (piano), Max Cappleman (fiddle), John Hunt (concertina, flute) and Mike Voss (flute, concertina, percussion).
Contact: Rowena at (512) 419-9547, rodancr@io.com or Mike at (512) 328-1487, mikevoss@io.com.

Blunn Creek

A band playing traditional New England contra dance tunes and modern creations. They have played for dances in Austin, Bryan and Dallas. Sylvi, a native Texan, also played contra piano with a band in Florida for a few years.
Features: Sylvi Salinas (piano, guitar), Max Cappleman (fiddle) and Tim Wooten (harmonica, fiddle).
Contact: Sylvi at (512) 389-3990, sylvi@mindspring.com.

The Double Eagle String Band

An "Old-Time String Band" which occasionally plays regular (non-dance) gigs around town. They know a number of songs as well as tunes. Elizabeth also plays and sings with the DeciBelles.
Features: Elizabeth Bradshaw (fiddle), Walter Winslet (bass), Angie Wooten (banjo) and Tim Wooten (fiddle, harmonica).
Contact: Tim or Angie at (830) 825-3108 or Tim at Tim.Wooten@cpa.state.tx.us

Duck Ruckus

An Austin trio, with very talented musicians, and their own their own WWW page.
Features: Gary Graves (guitars), Joel Hobbs (mandolin, guitar, etc.), Chris Peterson (fiddle) and Roy Wilhite (bass, mandolin).
Contact: Joel at (512) 833-5529, hobbs@topdrawer.com.

The Kaubells

A husband-and-wife duo who play monthly in San Antonio and occasionally in Austin. Their website has sheet music written by Matt and Holly.
Features: Holly Bell (fiddle) and Matt Kaufmann (piano).
Contact: Matt at kaufmann@cs.utexas.edu.

The Local On-Call Orchestra (LOCO)

This is the name for the "open band" which plays for the weekly Wednesday night dances in Austin at the Hancock Recreation Center. You'll note that the musicians listed below play in other bands in Austin. Quite a few other musicians show up to play, but I don't know all the names.
Features: Max Cappleman (fiddle), Jon Polacheck (guitar), Angie Wooten (banjo), Tim Wooten (fiddle, harmonica), Chris Peterson (fiddle) and Roy Wilhite (bass, mandolin).
Contact: Tim Wooten at (830) 825-3108, Tim.Wooten@cpa.state.tx.us or Dale Rempert at (512) 453-4225, drempert@ix.netcom.com.

The Pine Needle Runners

An "Old-Time String Band" with considerable overlap with The Double Eagle String Band and the Local On-Call Orchestra.
Features: Jon Polacheck (guitar), Susan Spruance (bass), Jacqui Wooley (fiddle), Angie Wooten (banjo), Terry Wooten (guitar), Tim Wooten (fiddle, harmonica).
Contact: Tim & Angie at (830) 825-3108, Tim.Wooten@cpa.state.tx.us.

The Speedway Flyers

A new "Old-Time String Band," which played their first paying dance gig as an organized band in October 1996.
Features: Earl Hunt (guitar, mandolin), Susan Spruance (bass, guitar), and Meredith ______? (mandolin).
Contact: Earl at (512) 451-7180 or ehunt@austin.rr.com.

The Suspenders

The Suspenders include some wonderful talent. Matt used to play with the Fiddle Puppets, and had an extended performance tour in England. In addition to their musical talents, they single-handedly made significant contributions to the atmosphere of Austin's third Friday dance series.
Features: Matt Gordon (fiddle) and many others.
Contact: Matt at (512) 443-8670.

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Bryan /College Station

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Dallas

Joe Barziza

An enthusiastic caller, who started the vocation in 1993.
Contact at jbarziza@airmail.net, (214) 381-8872.

Donna Howell

One of the founders of the Tucson contra dance, and often booked for calling gigs on the California coast.
Contact at dhowell@wendylopez.com, ph. (214) 741-7777.

Kat Krone

Currently retired from calling. Another member of Dallas' 1993 crop of callers, Kat finds herself too busy running her store to make many out-of-area commitments.
Contact at (214) 320-3683.

Linda Mrosko

Linda has called in the Dallas area for several years, and has called for dances in Austin, Denton, and Houston. Of late, she's started taking Modern Western Square Dance calling classes. Linda lives in Mabank, about an hour SE of Dallas.
Contact at (903) 887-1274.

Martha Quigley

Martha is perhaps Dallas' caller of longest standing. She has often served as a member of the NTTD board. She's also a member of the Dallas area Morris side, and married Ray Quigley in June of 1996.
Contact at rquigl@mednet.swmed.edu.

Free Range Chickens

Happensdance

Mimi pushes towards new musical heights and spins off new tunes along the way. Allison provides a strong, yet playful anchor, drawing from a very broad repertoire of material. Fortunately, they seem to have strong enough ties to Texas that we needn't worry too much about another part of the country stealing them away from us. Mimi and Allison, individually and together, are often called on to back musicians visiting Texas from other parts of the country, including Becky Tracy, Bob McQuillen, Amy Richardson, and Peter Barnes.
Features: Allison Hicks (piano) and Mimi Rogers (fiddle).
Contact: Allison at hicknloop@aol.com or Mimi at mrog@juno.com.

Lone Star Ceili Band

The newest contradance band in Dallas.
Features: Mimi Rogers (fiddle), Allison Hicks (piano), Kevin Alewine (irish flute, tenor banjo and bodhran), Ken Fleming (button accordion and tenor banjo), Peggy Fleming (fiddle).
Contact: Allison at hicknloop@aol.com or Mimi at mrog@juno.com.

M & M

The M & M band is composed of fiddler Mimi Rogers from Dallas and pianist Marilyn Cooper from Houston. The band's inaugural performance was May Day 1999 at a HATDS dance, although the duo has jammed together since the 1996 "When in Doubt, Swing" Dallas weekend. Mimi has played for contra dances since 1985 and is interested in several styles which include Irish, New England, Old Time, French Canadian, and Cape Breton. Performing in several bands, Mimi can be heard with "Happensdance," "The Ragged Edge," and "Idle Road." Marilyn has performed with "Frogs in the Skillet" since 1995 and has often been a guest with the "Young Family Strings" since 1997.
Features: Marilyn Cooper (piano) and Mimi Rogers (fiddle).
Contact: Mimi at mrog@juno.com or Marilyn at macfrogs@aol.com.

Pig Ankle

PIGANKLE started out as a get together of Dallas area old-time musicians back in the mid-80's. Similar interests in music of the Southern mountains, as well as the Ozarks and the Midwest, brought David, Richard and Kirk together playing the "old tunes" primarily for their own enjoyment. Eventually word leaked out about the trio and invitations were accepted to play at church socials, weddings, company picnics, community events, festivals and dances.

The members of PIGANKLE are not only knowledgeable about the history and background of the music they play, but are also sensitive to the traditions. The music you hear presented by PIGANKLE is about as close as you can get to the "old way."
Features: David M. Allen (banjo, mandolin), Richard Chance (guitar) and Kirk P. Hunter (fiddle).
Contact: Kirk at khunter@walib.tstc.edu.

Squirrelheads in Gravy

Dallas' best-known "Old-Time String Band" plays regularly for Dallas area dances. Their regular day jobs prevent many gigs on the road.
Features: Joe Izen (banjo), Neia Izen (guitar), Ray Quigley (fiddle), Gary Washmon (fiddle), and Leon Peek (string bass).
Contact: Ray at rquigl@mednet.swmed.edu.

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Denton

Jenny Streit

Started calling in 1998, and calls regularly in Dallas.

Steve Horne

Steve Horn has been calling since 1998. He calls regularly at the Dallas and Denton dances and plays banjo with the Band With No Name.
Contact at darjon@gte.net.

The Band With No Name

The Band With No Name hails from the north, from Denton county, and is currently the house band for the second Saturday Denton dances. This band actually has many wonderful names--it's just that the members can't agree which one is the best. The members have grown so fond of contemplating the possibilities, that it seems there may never be a name for this group, except for the Name of the Evening, usually coined extemporaneously by their illustrious bassist. If you have an idea for a Name of the Evening, you can email it to our webbaron. If we actually use your suggestion, we'll let you and your partner lead off the last waltz to the applause of all the watching dancers. The Band With No Name's styles vary from celtic to old time from southern to New England Appalachian with an occasional arrangement from one of their own members.

Features: Mark Cordova (fiddle), Deborah Cosimo (spoons, whistle), Mark Davis (bodhran, bones), Jackie Fritts (guitar), Steve Horn (electric and acoustic banjo), Leon Peek (concertina, bass).

Contact: Steve at darjon@gte.net

The Old Time String Band

The Old Time String Band is based in the Fort Worth area and was the house band for the (temporarily) defunct Fort Worth contra dances held once a month in various locations in the city. Now homeless, this band travels to other cities in the area to play. The hefty repertoire features a variety of styles: celtic, Appalachian, old time, and Cajun music. All members figure prominently as the band's custom is to hand off the melody to allow each member their "30 seconds of fame". The Old Time String Band can be heard two to four times a year at the Dallas dances and as often in Denton on 2nd Saturdays. Members are often found playing in various sessions in the area. When you hear their robust sound, you'll surely join those who already know them and pine for the return of the Fort Worth dances.

Features: Mark Forrester (melody guitar and rhythm guitar), Larry Sonntag (mandolin (melody and rhythm), rhythm guitar, and bass), Mike Sonntag (fiddle and rhythm guitar), Jayleta Heflin (pennywhistle), Pete Cyr (rhythm guitar) Austin Glaze (bass and guitar).

Contact: Mike at michael.a.sonntag@lmco.com or at home sonntag@zone2000.net. Phone: (817)444-1792 - home, (817)777-4694 - work.

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Fort Worth

Reel Time

Fort Worth's contra dance band, formed in 1998, Features: Mike Sonntag (fiddle, guitar), Larry Sonntag (bass, mandolin, guitar), Mark Forrester (guitar), Jayleta Heflin (pennywistle).
Contact: Mike at
  home
    (817) 444-1792, sonntag@zone2000.net
  work
    (817) 777-4694, michael.a.sonntag@lmco.com.

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Houston

Mike Head

Back in 1986, Mike called for the first dance of the series that became the Houston Area Traditional Dance Society that we know today. Mike plays fiddle, dances with the Houston Morris team, and composes dances and tunes. He calls both contra and English Country Dances. Mike and his wife Alice Bohlae are perennial members of the HATDS board. Mike has published at least one collection of his own compositions.
Contact at (713) 861-4185, michead@aol.com.

Keith Holmes

Keith has called in Houston for several years, ofttimes serves as an HATDS officer, and does international folk dancing in his spare time. Keith's calling & teaching have been described as having a style that addresses form and flow, adding to the skill as well as enjoyment of his dance crowds.
Contact at tkholmes@tenet.edu.

Barb Smith

A caller since 1989, Barb incorporates variety and humor into her evening programs. She has a large repetoire of dances she has collected at dance events from coast to coast, and sponsors public demonstrations of traditional contras in and around the Bayou City. The first Bayou Bedlam weekend was one of her creations.
Contact at (713) 868-1297, barbsmth@tenet.edu.

Big Hair Serenaders

Houston's "Old-Time" string band, featuring Barry Cooper (banjo, fiddle), Marty (guitar, piano), Joyce (bass), and ??? (banjo). Temporarily on hiatus, while certain members of the band keep busy at NASA.
Contact: Barry at handcoop@neosoft.com

Contra Dan's Pickup Band

A pickup band in Houston, but I don't know more.

Dance Party

Barry Cooper's "new" band, consisting of Barry and Doug Stickle. Barry plays fiddle, banjo and guitar and so does Doug. Doug lives in San Antonio and is an officer in the U.S. Army. They play old-time music, predominantly from Appalachia.
Contact: Barry at handcoop@neosoft.com

Frogs in the Skillet

This band plays traditional music and new compositions for lively contra dancing! Band members hail from both Houston and Austin.
Features: Mike Head (fiddle), Barry Cooper (mandolin), and Marilyn Cooper (piano), Willie Simmons (electric bass), and occasionally Austin residents Mike Voss (flute, concertina, percussion), Gary Graves (guitars) make an appearance.
Contact: Marilyn Cooper in Houston at (713) 871-9640 or macfrogs@aol.com.

M & M (see Dallas)

Permanent Wave

Permanent Wave is the latest evolutionary step of Houston's regular New England Contra Band. They have a CD recording, and their own WWW site.
Features: George Eggleston (mandolin), Cora Bigwood (flute/conga), Kate Murray (hammer dulcimer), Jackie Dodson (bass), Frances Newton (guitar), Eden MacAdam-Sommer (fiddle), and Amy Price (fiddle).
Contact: Cora at morgan@tenet.edu or (281) 334-3554.

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Huntsville

Dana Nicolay

Dana is Huntsville's first contra dance caller, and teaches in the Sam Houston State University dance department.
Contact at DNC_DXN@shsu.edu.

The Young Family Strings

"The Young Family String Band plays predominantly tunes and songs General Sam Houston would have listened to during those early frontier days. We like fiddle and banjo reels and hoedowns mostly from the Nineteenth Century but occasionally you might catch us playing something from the turn of the previous century."

"We are dad, mom, daughters, son-in-law, and cousin."

Features: Dr. Gene Young (fiddle and guitar) - Huntsville, Marynell Young (banjo and fiddle) - Navasota, Rachel Young (fiddle) - Austin, Jenny Young Tribble (fiddle) - Austin, Greg Tribble (guitar and bass) - Austin, and Marilyn Cooper (keyboard) - Houston.
Contact: Marynell Young at mnellyoung@msn.com for more information about the band.

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San Antonio

Lissa Bengtson

Former Tulsa, Oklahoma caller. Contact at (210) 738-1291.

Jamie Blount

Some contra calling experience on the East Coast and in San Antonio.
Contact at jblount@thealamo.net, (210) 692-0209.

Jim Thompson

Formerly of Austin, Jim has called dances since 1990.
Contact at jimt@prodoc.com, (210) 659-1988.

The Cactus Canyon Contra Band

San Antonio's local contra band of long-standing, with over ten years playing under the same name. They usually play for the second Saturday dance in San Antonio.
Features: Brian Schill (fiddle, mandolin), Jim Veale (fiddle, banjo), Joel Pierce (fiddle), Steve Richards (guitar, spoons, kazoo), John Roby (guitar, button accordian), Maria Larson (guitar) and Mary O'Keefe (piano).
Contact: Brian at (210) 980-3380.

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Talent by name

Bands:
Au Contraire
Armadillo on the HalfShell
The Band With No Name
Big Hair Serenaders
Blunn Creek
The Cactus Canyon Contra Band
Contra Dan's Pickup Band
Dance Party
The Double Eagle String Band
Duck Ruckus
Free Range Chickens
Frogs in the Skillet
Happensdance
The Kaubells
The Local On-Call Orchestra
M & M
Old Time String Band
Permanent Wave
Pig Ankle
The Pine Needle Runners
Reel Time
The Speedway Flyers
Squirrelheads in Gravy
The Suspenders
The Young Family Strings

Musicians:
Kevin Alewine (irish flute, tenor banjo and bodhran) -- Lone Star Ceili Band
David M. Allen (banjo, mandolin) -- Pig Ankle
Holly Bell (fiddle) -- The Kaubells
Cora Bigwood (flute, conga) -- Permanent Wave
Elizabeth Bradshaw (fiddle) -- The Double Eagle String Band
Rowena Caldwell (piano) -- Au Contraire
Max Cappleman (fiddle) -- Au Contraire, Blunn Creek, The Local On-Call Orchestra
Richard Chance (guitar) -- Pig Ankle
Barry Cooper (banjo, fiddle) -- Big Hair Serenaders, Dance Party, Frogs in the Skillet
Marilyn Cooper (piano) -- Frogs in the Skillet, M & M, The Young Family Strings
Mark Cordova (fiddle) -- The Band With No Name
Deborah Cosimo (spoons, whistle) -- The Band With No Name
Pete Cyr (rhythm guitar) -- Old Time String Band
Mark Davis (bodhran, bones) -- The Band With No Name
Jackie Dodson (bass) -- Permanent Wave
George Eggleston (mandolin) -- Permanent Wave
Ken Fleming (button accordion and tenor banjo) -- Lone Star Ceili Band
Peggy Fleming (fiddle) -- Lone Star Ceili Band
Mark Forrester (guitar) -- Reel Time, Old Time String Band
Jackie Fritts (guitar) -- The Band With No Name
Austin Glaze (bass, guitar) -- Old Time String Band
Matt Gordon (fiddle) -- The Suspenders
Gary Graves (guitars) -- Duck Ruckus, Frogs in the Skillet
Mike Head (fiddle) -- Frogs in the Skillet
Jayleta Heflin (pennywistle) -- Reel Time, Old Time String Band
Allison Hicks (piano) -- Happensdance, Lone Star Ceili Band
Joel Hobbs (mandolin, guitar) -- Duck Ruckus
Steve Horn (electric and acoustic banjo) -- The Band With No Name
Earl Hunt (guitar, mandolin) -- The Speedway Flyers
John Hunt (concertina, flute) -- Au Contraire
Kirk P. Hunter (fiddle) -- Pig Ankle
Joe Izen (banjo) -- Squirrelheads in Gravy
Neia Izen (guitar) -- Squirrelheads in Gravy
Matt Kaufmann (piano) -- The Kaubells
Shirley Koch (fiddle) -- Permanent Wave
Maria Larson (guitar) -- The Cactus Canyon Contra Band
Kate Murray (hammer dulcimer) -- Permanent Wave
Mary O'Keefe (piano) -- The Cactus Canyon Contra Band
Leon Peek (bass, concertina) -- The Band With No Name
Chris Peterson (fiddle) -- Armadillo on the HalfShell, Duck Ruckus, The Local On-Call Orchestra
Joel Pierce (fiddle) -- The Cactus Canyon Contra Band
Jon Polacheck (guitar) -- The Local On-Call Orchestra, The Pine Needle Runners
Ray Quigley (fiddle) -- Squirrelheads in Gravy
Steve Richards (guitar, spoons, kazoo) -- The Cactus Canyon Contra Band
John Roby (guitar) -- The Cactus Canyon Contra Band
Mimi Rogers (fiddle) -- Happensdance, M & M, Lone Star Ceili Band
Sylvi Salinas (piano, guitar) -- The Suspenders, Armadillo on the HalfShell, Blunn Creek
Brian Schill (fiddle) -- The Cactus Canyon Contra Band
Willie Simmons (bass, mandolin) -- Frogs in the Skillet
Larry Sonntag (bass, mandolin, guitar) -- Reel Time, Old Time String Band
Mike Sonntag (fiddle, laud, rhythm guitar) -- Reel Time, Old Time String Band
Susan Spruance (bass) -- The Speedway Flyers, The Pine Needle Runners
John Roby (guitar) -- The Cactus Canyon Contra Band
Doug Stickle (fiddle, banjo, guitar) -- Dance Party
Jim Thompson (piano, flute) -- The Cactus Canyon Contra Band
Greg Tribble (guitar, bass) -- The Young Family Strings
Jenny Young Tribble (fiddle) -- The Young Family Strings
David Tucker (guitar) -- Permanent Wave
Jim Veale (fiddle) -- The Cactus Canyon Contra Band
Mike Voss (flute, concertina, percussion) -- Au Contraire, Frogs in the Skillet
Roy Wilhite (bass, mandolin) -- Armadillo on the HalfShell, The Local On-Call Orchestra
Walter Winslet (bass) -- The Double Eagle String Band
Jacqui Wooley (fiddle) -- The Pine Needle Runners
Angie Wooten (banjo) -- The Pine Needle Runners, The Double Eagle String Band, The Local On-Call Orchestra
Terry Wooten (guitar) -- The Pine Needle Runners
Tim Wooten (fiddle, harmonica) -- The Pine Needle Runners, The Double Eagle String Band, The Local On-Call Orchestra, Blunn Creek
Dr. Gene Young (fiddle, guitar) -- The Young Family Strings
Marynell Young (banjo, fiddle) -- The Young Family Strings

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