Artist description In the old days, the Itinerant Fiddler brought much of the music and entertainment to an area. Traveling in a circuit, the fiddler would show up at a house ready to move in for a spell. The arrival of the fiddler was very welcome. The neighbors were told, the barn floor was swept, the dancing shoes were polished. Beverley Conrad is a folk fiddler in the truest sense. Armed and eared with hundreds of familiar tunes she winds her way through crowds at street fairs, museums, parties and festivals fiddling one tune after another. "I play the tunes you all learned in kindergarten or from your grandma and forgot you remember them." As well as music, the traveling fiddler often times heard news or legends, a good tale and a story from the folks at the farm down the road and carried the tales further down the circuit. "Ah! Here's a good one Musser told me. It's about a spirit dog on Hallowing Run just outside of Fisher's Ferry..." Conrad entertains folks, young and old, with her music and stories. She's been playing the fiddle since she was six years old and dresses for the occasion in the garb of the oldtime itinerant fiddler - a handsewn outfit the style of which dates back to the late eighteenth century. Her most recent album, The River Sings Her Song, was released in autumn of 2000. In 1998, she released Tunes From The Family Parlor. Both albums include fiddle and piano music. Conrad’s husband, Greg Burgess accompanies her on the piano. She is a twice published author (Doggy Tales: Bedtime Stories For Dogs" and "Kitty Tales: Bedtime Stories For Cats," Dell Publishing Co., 1980) More recently she has written several original folk tales including "The Fiddler and the Bullfrog" an audience participation story about a fiddler who learns to play the fiddler by imitating the sounds of nature and "Louisy Fiddles up a Storm" a tall tale about a ten year old girl who can perform magic with her fiddle. She writes the Teacher’s Tips page for The National Old Time Fiddlers Association newspaper (Weiser, Idaho.) and pens the Ask Beverley column for that paper as well. Readers are invited to send in questions about playing the fiddle and she will answer them. Fiddler Magazine featured Conrad in their Winter 2000/2001 issue as “The Fiddler Woman, “ by A.D. Wolf and was profiled in the popular regional magazine Susquehanna Life in their Autumn 2000 issue. Conrad lives in Central Pennsylvania down a bumpy dirt lane with her kids, husband and many dogs, cats and chickens. She plays the fiddle that was handed down to her by her Grandpa, Ray Orin Conrad, and there's a big old upright piano in the parlor.

Music Style Traditional Americana

Musical Influences Local fiddlers from around here but you all might not know them; Ray Owen Conrad, my grandfather; Harry D'Adario; Melvin Wine; Charley MacDowell; Red Edwards, Vasser Clements, Stephan Grapelli, Jay Unger, Mark O'Connor, Itzak Perlman

Artist History Beverley Conrad and Greg Burgess, a husband and wife team, have performed together since their marriage in 1980. They appear throughout central Pennsylvania together and separately. Greg performs as a solo piano player of blues, ballads, and boogies. Beverley is most often seen as The Strolling Fiddler at many regional events. Together, they combine their talents to provide a broad range of music, from traditional folk music to swing, popular ethnic songs, and rock ‘n roll. Since 1992 they have performed every Saturday night at the historical Penn’s Tavern at Fishers Ferry between Harrisburg and Sunbury. Beverley charms diners as a strolling fiddler, while Greg dazzles them at an old upright piano. Together they sing and play standards and all manner of requests, always doing a thoroughly amusing and entertaining performance that rides with the pulse of the audience. As a storyteller, Beverley generally has a “really good story” on the tip of her tongue and ready for retelling if coaxed the least little bit. They both work as tour guides for Landmark Tours of Lewisburg, PA. Having got bit by the acting bug, Greg has appeared in several plays with The Valley Players and continues to be a part of their roster. Beverley has been featured in the internationally acclaimed Fiddler Magazine (winter 2000/2001) and profiled in the popular regional magazine, Susquehanna Life (autumn 2000.) She writes the Ask Beverley and Teacher’s Tips column for the National Old Time Fiddlers Association (Weiser, Idaho.) In 1996 the duo’s music was used on the soundtrack of The People’s Bridge, a WHP-21 documentary about the Flood of ’96. Tunes From The Family Parlor, a collection of Americana pieces, was released in 1998. The River Sings Her Song, an album that focuses on the Susquehanna River was released in 2000. It was recorded and aired by George Graham on Homegrown Music at WVIA-FM (PRI) in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Greg also released an album of solo piano pieces, I Am Not Alone (1998), also recorded and aired by George Graham for Homegrown Music. Their music has also been included in several educational computer programs produced by Entrex Software of Van Couver, B.C. Several of their tunes from the Civil War era are inlcuded in the PBS featured film "Gettysburg: The Boys in Blue and Gray" by Luminence Films (2002.) Beverley is originally from the lake effect snowbelt of upstate New York and Greg is a native of the Susquehanna Valley. They met at Grand Central Station in New York City when Greg held the door for Beverley, and have two children. (There’s a story behind that. Ask Beverley. She’ll tell you.)

Group Members Beverley Conrad, The Strolling Fiddler & Storyteller; Duo with Beverley Conrad and Greg Burgess known as Strawberry Moon

Instruments Fiddle; violin; viola; piano; some vocal

Albums Tunes From the Family Parlor (released 1998) Available in Cassette for the same price plus $2.50 shipping and handling. Email from this site for more information.

Additional Info Songs from the album

Location Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania - USA

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