Next weekend is the Twin Town Old Time Music Festival – a whole weekend of music, dance, lessons and community. It was great to get a chance to ask the Festival founder, Rina Rossi about the event and her music. You can check out the founder and festival April 17-20 at Celtic Junction in St Paul.
Please tell me about yourself and your music.
I play bass and guitar. For the last few decades I’ve been most drawn to vernacular musical traditions like Old Time, Bluegrass, Cajun music, etc. I’m grateful to get to play these type of music with a lot of friends in various different bands and combinations.
I love that you mention specific locations in songs on your album Sweet Bunch of Daisies. And assuming Keeweenaw in Michigan and Monona County is Iowa (although I know Monona in Wisconsin better), I love it even more that you’re highlighting the Midwest. What impact does the Midwest have on your music? Or how does your hometown and current town influence your music?
I think the where we live can have a large impact on what music we hear around us. I think this was especially true before the centralization of radio and streaming services that has happened of late. What musicians around you play, what radio stations you could hear from your home or car- these things impact musical taste. Growing up in Ann Arbor, my parents were big into community radio and looking back I think those shows really influenced me early on. Minneapolis has been formative for my musical journey too, but in this case more from the musicians I’ve met here and the tunes and songs I’ve learned from them. I think that’s such a fun thing about music – seeing how it travels from one person to another through space and time. And in the midwest I think there’s always been a lot of musical mixing, with influences coming up form the south, down from Canada, traveling with people as they migrated west from the coasts, etc. The midwest has a unique musical history and I think it’s a cool thing to dig into and try to better understand.
I have to ask about your time as a Wild Goose Chase Cloggers and how a background in dance informs the reels and the hornpipe songs you play.
I would say my time as a dancer doesn’t necessarily influence my choices of repertoire, but it does influence the way I play. For some people, improvising, or maybe composing is what they practice and work at. For me, rhythm and feel is what I practice and work at. Being able to place the beat or offbeat right where you want it to go so that the song or tune you’re playing has the feel you want, the pocket you want. It’s so satisfying to achieve and so hard to do. I’m always trying to get better at it. But when a group of people can just lock in on the right pocket for whatever style of music you’re playing, and everyone on the dance floor feels that and responds to it – that’s one of my favorite things.
What inspired you to start the Twin Town Old Time Music Festival?
The Twin Cities and midwest in general have a strong old time music and dance scene. Part of the inspiration for starting TTOTMF was to celebrate and honor that. I also think that we are sometimes tricked into thinking of music as something we’re supposed to listen to other people do on a stage or on a speaker instead of something regular people can do whenever they want as part of everyday life. Part of what drew me into old time music is that it’s built around people making music together in everyday spaces – kitchens, living rooms, front porches, bars, dance halls. People sitting around and teaching each other tunes, dance steps, songs, often by ear, passing melodies and figures through space and time in a personal, relational way. In this context music becomes more than entertainment. It becomes a source of intergenerational connection, friendships, lifelong learning, and other good stuff. I started Twin Town to try and provide access for more people to experience this alternative way of relating to music.
Can you give us some insider tips on planning a visit – maybe for someone bringing kids – or a Bluegrass newbie – or someone looking for something new and different, maybe experimental?
Our hope for the festival is that there’s something to do for people who just want to listen, people who want to dance, people who want to play. When you look at the schedule you’ll see a mix of concerts, dances, hands on workshops, family activities, and jams. Audience members are invited to choose their own adventure, from spectators to participants. Maybe the biggest tip I have, especially if this is a new scene for you, is just to not be afraid to ask questions, whether it’s beforehand or onsite. Our volunteer staff is here to help you navigate it all.
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