Skunk Misery Ramblers:

 

What’s a Skunk Misery Rambler? Our own fiddle club, made up of students and adults of various abilities, from beginners to really good pros. We play violins, mandolins, guitars, banjos, whatever. We’re not just old-time, but also Western Swing, Bluegrass, Scots, Irish, and yeah, we throw in a little classical here and there.

Next Skunk appearance:

Umm… well this virus thing got in the way, but we’re rehearsing again in backyards with lots of distance and masks, so if you want to join in, let us know! This Sunday, the 14th, it might just be at the Guilford Green at 4 for a little rehearsal under the trees.

MEETING TIMES: ALMOST EVERY SUNDAY AT 4. AS THINGS CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY, IT’S BEST TO GET ON THE EMAIL LIST, SO EMAIL CHARLIE AT workdog(at)mindspring.com. Sorry for the write-out, but spam-bots have hit.

 

It’s all part of our mission to get everyone playing, regardless of skill level, and enjoying the community feeling that you get when you play with friends. When you add in the goals of performing, it gets even better. It doesn’t matter how well we play, it’s that we do play, and bring joy to the audience wherever they may be, on a green, in a nursing home or even at a parade. We’ll play anywhere, anytime, with anyone!

Some frequently asked questions:

1: So what sort of music do we play? All of it. Irish, Scots, old-time, bluegrass, maybe even sneak in a cool classical piece.

2: How hard is it? Well, we try to make it interesting. If it’s too easy, it’s boring. That said, we’ll work out easy parts for anyone at any level. Complete beginner? Great, we’ll help you along, you just need to be willing to try. We want you to be a part of the fun, regardless of age and ability. Part of the fun of playing is to get better, impress yourself and your friends! 

3: Are rehearsals mandatory? Of course not. It’s a busy world out there. But, the more you come, the better you get, the more fun you have.

4: Is practice mandatory? See above. Of course not, but you get out what you put in. 

What does all this goodness cost? The weekly rehearsals, the half-hour workshops, the performances? (I’m trying to build up a little drama here, so bear with me…) At a normal music school, it could be hundreds each semester! Maybe thousands for the year! But here, it’s….FREE. Why? Well, if you read our missions page, or some of the blogs, you’ll quickly realize that this 100% all-volunteer community outreach program is solely committed to showing how playing music together, no matter the skill level, is the ultimate community-builder. It brings joy to everyone. It teaches creativity. It provides a life-long outlet for stress-relief, meeting new people, confidence building, and on and on. 

Do we care if we produce an army or professional musicians? Not in the least. But if our members can go off to college with a fiddle, and find some like-minded friends, and fit into a group of peers more easily, we’ve won. If it means a mom or dad can come home from a rough day at work, pull out their guitar or mandolin and relax by playing a bit, we’ve won. 

We want to tear down the walls of those who categorize music by genre or skill level of the player. We want to destroy the notion of needing an expensive instrument to be able to create beauty. That’s why our tune sets may go from Sibelius to some Scots piping tune to and old-time rocker. If there are a few errors during a performance, we don’t care. Just play.

So that’s the Skunk Misery Ramblers in a nutshell. We’re here, it’s fun, and you can come. What more do you need?