School Programs • Fiddling With Traditions
••School Programs••
“Our K-12 students were completely enthralled, and left with a deeper appreciation for music, culture, and history. We highly recommend this outstanding duo to any school.”
••School General AssemblY••
Imagine you were to compose a tune that felt as warm as freshly baked bread, or a melody as cold as ice being cut from a frozen lake… or music with the energy of a thousand stitches on a quilt…. That is what filled the imagination of fiddler and tunesmith Gretchen Koehler as she composed “Fiddling With Traditions” ~ a new collection of tunes inspired by North Country Folk traditions.
Fiddling With Traditions: A Musical Journey Through New York’s Folk History
Tailored for grades K–12 | 45–60 minute assembly
Designed to support social studies and arts education, this high-energy program engages students through live music and film while connecting them to the folk traditions of their region.
Award-winning fiddler Gretchen Koehler and pianist-composer Daniel Kelly lead a multimedia journey into the heart of Northern New York’s cultural heritage. Their original music, sparked by traditions like quilting, blacksmithing, silversmithing, and beekeeping, is performed live alongside vivid film footage of local artisans at work. This engaging assembly brings history to life as students learn stories of everyday life in their region, discovering how everyday people shaped culture through creativity and craft.
“This is, hands down, the highest quality show I’ve ever seen in my teaching career. Every student needs to experience this. Wow!”
School performance highlights!
••OPTIONAL Workshops offered••
Interactive Folk Traditions Workshop for General Classrooms
Tailored for grades K–12 | 45–60 minutes
This workshop gets students moving, making music, and learning history, all without needing any prior musical experience.
By nature, folk music is highly engaging and participatory. Fiddler Gretchen Koehler and pianist Daniel Kelly bring New York State history alive with the sounds of the fiddle, taking students on a music romp through history. Along the way, students will try their hands at traditional “kitchen instruments” (spoons, triangles, washboards and more), and move their feet in the rhythm of traditional foot percussion and step dancing (tap dancing). Gretchen can even “call” a folk dance for the students to live music, something that always is a highlight.
Masterclass in Folk Styles for Instrumental Music Students
Tailored for grades K–12 | 45–60 minutes
Designed for students already learning an instrument - whether in band, orchestra, guitar, or recorder - this masterclass explores folk traditions with a focus on New York’s rich regional music history.
Fiddler Gretchen Koehler has been teaching preschoolers- great grandparents to “fiddle from scratch” for 45 years. Pianist Daniel Kelly has worked with thousands of children across the country. Together they will introduce young musicians, on any instrument, to traditional fiddle traditions, including learning a tune by ear, playing musical improvisation games, exploring folk genres, and fostering a connection to local folk music history. In addition, students will learn the traditional step dancing/foot percussion that often accompanies regional music traditions.
“Fiddling With Traditions” brings a folk music “petting zoo” into in the classroom.
Gretchen Koehler teaches an advanced fiddle tune masterclass.
Daniel Kelly leads a sound exploration with elementary/middle school instrumental students.
••PRAISE••
“I just watched your program. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.”
~Elementary School Principal
“Fiddling with Traditions” is an amazing work of art, and Gretchen and Daniel
are fabulous musicians and educators. I’d have them back in a heartbeat.”
~Middle School Teacher
“The videography was excellent. It really helps the students to hear the sounds
of these individual crafts that you are portraying in your music.”
~Elementary School Teacher
“That was SO awesome and fun!”
~Middle School Student
“I want to be a boat builder and work in the boat shop!”
~Elementary School Student