MORE 2024 STAFF
MARY LAUREN FRASER
Mary Fraser (Montague, MA) trained intensively in classical violin for the first decade and a half of her life. Since moving from the classical music world into traditional music, she has traveled to many places with rich fiddle traditions, immersing in the tunes and styles of Ireland, Scotland, Appalachia and New England. She loves the fun of ragtime tunes and sappy waltzes from the 20s, as well as haunting Kentucky tunes, strathspeys from the rocky ledges of northern Scotland, and slippery jigs from West coast Ireland. She has also developed a crankie habit and shares her beautiful, artistic, musical crankies everywhere she can.
LOUISA ENGLE
One of Louisa Engle’s (Brattleboro, VT) fondest childhood memories is dancing through a long tunnel of clasped hands during a contra dance at her elementary school. She grew up to be a fiddler and fiddle teacher who is passionate about bringing together musicians and dancers of different ages and abilities.
Louisa has taught at the Brattleboro Music Center, Maine Fiddle Camp, and Nelson Elementary School, has had numerous private students, and has called and played at family contra dances throughout New England. She has helped run the legendary all-night Brattleboro Dawn Dance for a decade. Her current interests include Maypole dances, claw hammer banjo, family dance calling, and alternate fiddle tunings.
ANDY DAVIS
Andy Davis (Brattleboro, VT) calls traditional New-England-style contra and square dances, specializing in community events welcoming to dancers of all ages and abilities. For over thirty years, Andy taught music and dance in Vermont public schools and summer camps.
He also plays accordion and piano for traditional dances. Andy’s repertoire includes jigs, reels, polkas, marches and waltzes that would be part of a lively and joyful evening of community dance. He has composed a variety of dance tunes and songs.
Andy is a founding member of “New England Dancing Masters,” publishers of dance books and recordings for the teaching of New England traditional dance. For 30 years he was part of the group “Nowell Sing We Clear,” a Vermont based group that performed and recorded mid-winter carols and customs.
For many years Andy and his wife Robin were program directors for Country Dance and Song Society “Family Weeks” in West Virginia, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
PETER SIEGEL
Educator and founding member of The Gaslight Tinkers, Peter Siegel's (Brattleboro, VT) music is deeply rooted in American traditions, yet spans the globe. Over the years he's shared the stage and been mentored by folks like Pete Seeger, Jay Unger and Molly Mason, Utah Phillips, and Noel Paul Stookey. He was a bandmate of bluegrass powerhouse Michael Daves and poet Alicia Jo Rabins in the 90's "New Old Time" band Underbelly, which the Berkshire Eagle called "a supergroup of New England talent." Peter also contributed and recorded on the Grammy award winning Pete Seeger album, "Tomorrow's Children," and has published songs in Sing Out! magazine and the fiddle tune compilation, The Portland Collection.
As as educator, Peter has been teaching in the public schools and writing songs and theatrical productions with children for the last 20 years, as well as being a contributing writer to The George Lucas Foundation site Edutopia on social curriculum and music educational practices. His Symonds School CD Peace Place won a Parents Choice Award in 2012.
AMANDA WITMAN
Amanda Witman is a singer, song leader, instrumentalist, and event organizer. Her love of harmony infuses her singing and playing. She is an advocate for inclusive, community-based music where players and singers at all levels are encouraged and supported.
Amanda leads the monthly 3rd Saturday Brattleboro Pub Sing, which she founded in 2011 with legendary Brattleboro singer, Tony Barrand. She helps organize the annual Northern Roots Festival and teaches at the Brattleboro Music Center. Since 2015, she has performed with Vermont-based quartet Big Woods Voices, presenting detailed, original art arrangements of poetry and other songs. But her favorite thing is just sitting around with a few friends and swapping songs wherever and whenever they happen to be together.
STEVE ZAKON-ANDERSON
Steve Zakon-Anderson has been a caller and organizer for contra dancing for almost 40 years, and in real life has also been a chef at various locations, such as the Dublin (NH) School, Fiddleheads Cafe in Hancock, NH (owned and operated with his wife Bettie) and currently at MacDowell in Peterborough, NH.
Steve has fond memories of cooking at the Northern Roots weekend in the past and at River Jam Romp's first year, both at Green Mountain Camp in Dummerston, VT, which had a certain charm. But Steve is excited that the Romp has landed at Potash Hill where the kitchen is state-of-the-art and somewhat more bear proof. Steve, often with his wife Bettie at his side, always offers up meals that inspire much music-making, singing, and dancing.
RAYNA PALM
Rayna Palm (Belfast, ME) is RiverJam Romp's own Mary Poppins, helping the kids in our community have fun together while their parents enjoy event workshops. Rayna was raised as a homeschooler on a small homestead, spending her days caring for animals, gardens and roaming the woods with her siblings. She has been guiding little ones and teens for 9 years through Village Day, Belfast Adventure Education, White Pines Programs and Maine Fiddle Camp.
In her free time, Rayna she loves weaving, gardening, sailing, singing, and making small silly instruments out of plants. She feels deeply rooted in earth-based experiential learning and believes that life is made richer when we live and play in harmony with both one another and the natural world.