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Deborah Greenblatt has been performing, teaching, composing, recording, and writing professionally since 1971. She received her degree in violin performance from Boston University School of Fine Arts.
Deborah was the first woman to win the Nebraska State Fiddling Championship as well as the Mid-America Fiddle Championship. She was inducted into the Mid-America Old-Time Fiddler’s Hall of Fame and is a past President of the Nebraska American String Teachers Association.
Deborah sings and plays a wide variety of styles of music from various cultures on fiddle, violin, viola, recorders (sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, and bass), nyckelharpa, guitar, banjo, mandolin, hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, baritone ukulele, crwth, and upright bass.
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.
“In my dreamy way I did a little of a number of things fairly well --
sang, played the guitar and violin, acted, painted signs and wrote poetry.”
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He was warned against the womern-- |
“The poet of the people should wear overalls.”
“The bobolink plays first fiddle all the time.”
Poems in this show include: “When the Frost is on the Punkin”, “Little Orphan Annie”, “Uncle Sidney’s Logic”, “Give Me the Baby”, “My Fiddle”, “The Raggedy Man”, “At Aunty’s House”, etc. (30-60 min.)
Also available through the
Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau
Available as a virtual presentation only.
This entertaining, musical journey explores a diversity of bowed string instruments from the mid-1100’s to today. Enjoy the history, stories, and unique sounds of instruments including the crwth (Welsh bowed lyre), nyckelharpa (Swedish keyed fiddle), violin, viola, pochette (kit violin), viola pomposa (5 string), and Stroviols Resophonic Viola (with 2 horns).
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”). (45-60 min.)
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.” (30-60 min.)
This Concert/Lecture 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! (30-60 min.)
Debby is also available through the Nebraska Arts Council’s
Artist-in-the-Schools/Communities Residency Program as a master artist.
Check out Fiddler Magazine’s article on Deborah.
