Tag Archives: Caroline McCaskey

Contra Dance November 12

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Talent: Kelsey Hartman calling to the music of Tartan Suite (Caroline McCaskey and Patti Cobb)
Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022 (second Saturday)
Time: 7:00–10:00 pm, with newcomer’s orientation at 6:30 pm
Location: Coloma Community Center, 4623 T St, Sacramento, CA
Cost: $12 for adults; $8 for college students with ID; $5 for dancers under 18; $25 maximum for families (cash or check)

Kelsey Hartman, caller, Tartan Suite: Caroline McCaskey & Patti Cobb

Caller Kelsey Hartman is a “contraholic,” who can often be found dancing or calling a contra dance. Her inspiration comes from Nils Fredland, whose workshop in 2012 spurred her down the caller’s path. When calling, she considers herself a conduit between the dancers and the band, helping to channel the joy of the music through flowing, interesting dances.

Tartan Suite is fiddler Caroline McCaskey and pianist Patti Cobb. They are also two of the three members of the contra band StringFire.

A newcomer’s orientation is offered at 6:30 pm, perfect for people who have not contra danced before, or who could use some refresher. Experienced dancers are invited to partner with newcomers during the orientation and early dances to help integrate them into the community.

March 14 Caroline McCaskey Concert

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Mark your calendar for our next online concert, with Caroline McCaskey, on March 14th, at 4 pm Pacific time. Daylight Savings Time starts the night before this concert, so remember to set your clocks forward an hour, or you’ll miss it.

Caroline McCaskey

Caroline McCaskey began classical violin lessons at age nine, and at age 11 she joined the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers and went to Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School. She began playing regularly for dances with The Fiddlerats while a Music Composition major at University of the Pacific. Caroline also became a Suzuki certified teacher while getting her master’s in performance at University of Denver, and today she makes her living teaching string lessons online. In 2019, Caroline released her first solo album, and returned to her roots as a Scottish fiddler by winning the 2019 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship. She misses playing for dances as a member of the band Stringfire!, and is looking forward to reconnecting with the dance community! Expect to hear plenty of contra dance classics, as well as some of Caroline’s original compositions. 

Tip jar:
paypal.me/carolinemccaskey (may show up as AltStrings, LLC)
Venmo: @Caroline-McCaskey

Please share this information with anyone you know who might be interested. To receive email announcements of SCDS events, sign up at https://groups.io/g/SactoCDS.

Upcoming concerts:
April 11 – Turnip the Beet
May 9 – The Whoots