written by Jennifer Phistry

What happens away from the Main Stage at Sugar Maple? You might be surprised. At the Roots & Reasons Stage, you can participate in workshops, informative talks, demonstrations, and more. Check the schedule for details.

ROOTS & REASONS STAGE

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5TH

6:00 Blue Moon of Wisconsin – Fellow band members, Art Stevenson and Bruce King (Art Stevenson and High Water) join WORT radio host, Chris Powers, to discuss how Kentucky bluegrass made its way to Wisconsin.

7:00 Songs for Kids – Madison’s Dave Landau sings silly songs, tells jokes, and gets everyone involved in his interactive show.

7:45 Mastering the Masters – The Music City Doughboys of Nashville demonstrate country, Western swing, and everything in between. Get ready for some twin fiddle!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6TH

12:30 Little Fiddler Workshop – Just learning to play fiddle? If so, local musicians, Tina Thompson and Rin Ribble, have something to show you.

2:00 Mike Finders Workshop -Learn how to write songs with award-winning songwriter, Mike Finders (Finnders and Youngberg) and Madison’s Evan Murdock (Evan Murdock and the Imperfect Strangers).

3:45 Exploring the Old, Weird America – Join Eli Smith of the Down Hill Strugglers and Colin Bazsali of Madison’s Cajun Strangers as they discuss the musical visionaries from Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music.

4:45 Songs for Kids – Madison’s Dave Landau sings silly songs, tells jokes, and gets everyone involved in his interactive show.

5:30 Rotating Carousel – What happens to the music when musicians play musical chairs? Find out when Cajun trio, Ed Poullard, Jesse Legé, and Charlie Terr, spice things up by swapping instruments.

6:45 Piedmont Blues 101 – New York’s Piedmont Bluz acoustic duo discusses and demonstrates the Piedmont style.