Most people who have heard me play music were dancing at a contra dance somewhere around the mid-western United States.
The first dance I played was a Tuesday night at the Indianapolis Contra Dance with Critter du Jour, probably in late 1988. The dance was located at 421 E. Vermont St. The other Critter’s were Tom Van Cleeve, fiddle and Fred Haver, piano. That was fun.
I still play dances with Fred, and we still go by Critter du Jour.
I also play dances with the Ultralight Dance Orchestra, which is my Macbook and me. My recording studio “Sweet Owen Sound” provided the opportunity to learn how to arrange music in audio software with virtual instruments. These are flexible enough to start and stop with a caller and bring a bit of finesse that reminds me of the LP recordings I admired when I first starting learning dance tunes.
Looking forward to the next dance.
Tom Yeiser, October 15th, 2024