Studies show that when kids learn music their brains work harder, they have higher test scores and their concentration improves. Not to mention, making music is just plain fun. If these studies are to be believed, Madison’s youth string ensemble, MadFiddle, is doing its part to create a generation of joyful geniuses. Led by Shauncey Ali, MadFiddle is receiving the first Sugar Maple Music Festival Scholarship, awarded by the Four Lakes Traditional Music Collective, the volunteer-led nonprofit that puts on the annual Sugar Maple Music Festival.

The Collective strives to make roots and traditional music accessible to people of all ages throughout Dane County and beyond. The $500 scholarship supports MadFiddle’s work in fostering musical passion and creating performance opportunities for young people.

“MadFiddle brings roots music to the next generation of players. Music is something they will be able to play and share their entire lives,” says Bob Batyko, president of the Four Lakes Traditional Music Collective Board of Directors. “Making the arts available to kids is more important than ever, and Shauncey’s ongoing commitment to doing just has touched the lives of countless young people and families.”

Buy Tickets
The scholarship will be presented during MadFiddle’s final show of its spring season, to be held at the Stoughton Opera House April 30. Learn more and buy tickets at the box office before or the day of the show.

Early bird tickets for the 14th annual Sugar Maple Music Festival, to be held Aug. 4 and 5, will be on sale May 1 – June 1. Early bird tickets are almost half the cost of the door price. Buy tickets on Brown Paper Tickets starting May 1.

This scholarship was made possible thanks to a donation from the Francis Johansen Memorial Fund.

About MadFiddle
Founded in 2011, MadFiddle is a youth violin ensemble that explores and performs fiddle music from around the world. The repertoire draws largely upon the traditions of old-time, Appalachian, Celtic, bluegrass and Scandinavian folk tunes, but also includes music composed by some of today’s most influential acoustic artists. MadFiddle meets weekly and performs with an energetic backing band called Highway 151. MadFiddle is directed by Shauncey Ali, an award-winning teacher, fiddler, violist and composer who created the program as a way to nurture the alternative string scene in and around Madison, Wisconsin.

The 2017 line-up for Sugar Maple Music Festival keeps getting better and better! We’re thrilled to announce that Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands will be performing at the festival on Saturday, August 5^th.

For decades, California native Laurie Lewis has been one of the most sought after bluegrass and American roots music makers. Lewis is a singer, songwriter, fiddler, guitarist, banjo player, teacher and producer. She took home a Grammy for True Life Blues: The songs of Bill Monroe in 1997 and won the California’s Women’s Fiddling championships—not once—but TWICE! Laurie has also been named Female Vocalist of the year at the International Bluegrass Music Awards in both 1992 and 1994.

“It’s not too much of a stretch to suggest that if the “Americana” format wasn’t invented for her, it should have been.”- Sing Out! Magazine

Laurie’s band, the Right Hands, is loaded with talented and versatile musicians, including Tom Rozum, Chad Manning, Andrew Conklin, Patrick Sauber, Todd Phillips, Craig Smith and Scott Huffman on guitar. Their list of accomplishments is long and impressive, and you can read about them here.

When the band plays Sugar Maple Music Festival this summer, expect to hear tasteful harmonies, the twang of banjo and transcendent fiddle playing—all touched by Laurie’s fresh spirit and West Coast style. Their sound will deliver you to a place where old memories and new dreams live side by side. If you’re familiar with Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands, you already know you’re in for a treat. If not, watch the videos linked below, or visit Laurie Lewis for more videos and a full list of performance dates.

Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands – Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow

Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands – The Crooked Miles

“Laurie Lewis’ true songs make this planet a better place. They help us grab what’s important in our lives. Over the years her original voice has consistently carried the torch of tradition, beautifully updating it with a rare care and responsibility.”  —Tim O’Brien

–written by Jennifer Phistry and Daniel Seifried

“The group highlights the haunting underbelly of the sounds of traditional Americana and early country music… Glass Mountain’s music stuns in its ability to capture the past with elegance and triumph.”    -Chicago Tribune

Sugar Maple Music Festival is proud to announce that Glass Mountain is in our 2017 lineup! Glass Mountain is a Chicago-based band that brings old-time and early country music to life. The American folk trio includes Heather Malyuk, Sara Leginsky, and Ari Bolles. They are three dedicated singers and multi-instrumentalists who came together to create a mixture of mountain ballads and love songs that will touch a part of your soul.

Glass Mountain released their latest album Restless Mind, in 2106. The album highlights Glass Mountain’s devotion to their craft and the band’s ability to add their own creative touches to make music that sounds both traditional and new.

–written by Daniel Seifried

“It’s the start of a brand new adventure…” sings Gary Louris on “Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces,” the opening track on The Jayhawks’ new album Paging Mr. Proust. The band itself is not brand new, having formed in Minneapolis in 1984, the album shows a commitment to adventure and forward motion which makes this collection of songs exciting and instantly memorable.

Join us in welcoming the Jayhawks to Madison on Friday, April 28.

T’Monde is French for little world, so it’s not surprising that bandmates, Drew Simon (accordion/vocals), Kelli Jones (fiddle/vocals) and Megan Brown (guitar/vocals) have created their own musical world where old French, Creole, and Cajun styles fuse with country music to form a new Acadian sound.

Anyone who loves old Cajun music by the likes of Joe and Cléoma Falcon, Iry LeJeune, Belton Richard, and Lawrence Walker, or old country tunes by Webb Pierce, Lefty Frizzell, and The Davis Sisters, is bound to enjoy T’Monde.

Got you curious? Click the link below to watch T’Monde videos and look for their 2015 release Yesterday’s Gone. Discover this remarkable trio in their new reality that holds both Louisiana’s past and present.

Don’t miss T’Monde at the 2017 Sugar Maple Festival on August 5th. These accomplished musicians are bound to impress—they’ve got 10 GRAMMY nominations between them!

“a creative fusion of classic country and out-of-the-way Cajun” -Offbeat Magazine

–written by Daniel Seifried