Deborah Greenblatt has been teaching, performing, composing, recording, and writing professionally since 1971. She received her degree in violin performance from Boston University School of Fine Arts in 1973. Deborah was the first woman to win the Nebraska State Fiddling Championship, the first woman to win the Mid-America Fiddle Championship and is a member of the Mid-America Old-Time Fiddler’s Hall of Fame. She is a master artist with the Nebraska Arts Council’s Artist in the Schools/Communities Program and a past President of the Nebraska American String Teachers Association.

“Fiddle Fables”

With the help of her fabulous five-string fiddle Deborah Greenblatt explores some of the trials, tribulations, and lessons that fiddlers often have in common. There is advice for the beginner (“It Starts With Your Feet”), advice for the fiddler’s families (“Have Mercy”), for the growing fiddler (“Shopping For a Fiddle Blues”), for the brave fiddler (“I’m Gonna Fiddle In a Contest”), as well as the fiddler who plays the viola (“Out of Fiddle, Out of My Mind”). There are also inspiring stories of real-life fiddlers (“Cactus Pete”), teachers (“Alice Johnson’s Jig”), and students (“Mary Ann the Fiddler”).

“James Whitcomb Riley
the Fiddling Children’s Poet”

Using Riley’s own words, Deborah Greenblatt has woven together a whimsical glimpse into the world of this famous Hoosier poet. This show features musical settings of Riley’s poems composed by Greenblatt, as well as portions of Riley’s lectures and memories.

Poems in this show include:
“When the Frost is on the Punkin”, “Little Orphan Annie”, “Uncle Sidney’s Logic”, “My Fiddle”, “Give Me the Baby”, “The Raggedy Man”, “At Aunty’s House”, etc.

“Tales of Avoca”

Deborah Greenblatt, shares some of the repeatable stories, in song, verse, and prose, about living in the Old Schoolhouse in this charming Cass County village. Stories include “The Old Gym Floor.” “When the Superintendent Wasn’t In,” “Avoca Polka,” Pencils Down the Floor.”

“Fiddle Styles”

This Concert/Lecture by past explores the great folk traditions of the fiddle, including Irish, Cajun, Klezmer, American, original tunes, etc. Techniques include the famous double shuffle, pizzicato, twin and triple fiddling, cross-tuning, as well as singing, playing, and dancing at the same time!

“Residencies”