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There are many people who make up the thriving dance and music community in Bozeman Montana. Check out some of the the articles below republished from the Fiddle and Fife, the newsletter of the Bozeman Folklore Society.

	Caller's Profile: Lindsay
	On the Air with Jerry
	BFS Holiday Recipes - Stuffing & Chutney

A Callers Profile: Lindsay Turnquist By Newsletter Editor Rab Lindsay has been a caller at Bozeman contra dances for over a decade. Great dances, solid teaching and a confident attitude combine to make him a hometown favorite. More than just a caller however, Lindsay has been playing guitar since age fifth grade and plays the mandolin and hammered dulcimer as well. He is a founding member of the Montana Mandolin Society. I had the opportunity to catch up with him on a Sunday evening for a few words.

RC- Lindsay, when did you fist start calling?

LT- I moved to Bozeman in 1986 and started calling a couple of years later, I think it was '88, so 11 years ago, time flies.

RC- How did you get started?

LT- Well, I had been playing with the Broken String Band for a little while and, at one point all the callers except Dave Mogk had left town. Bozeman is kinda like that you know, people turn over here, being a college town and all. Anyway Mitchell Frey and I started calling at the same time. Dave used to practice calling at Hallie’s on Thursday nights while the band practiced and he started me off. After that I pretty much just jumped in with both feet. I got a book, The Caller/Teacher Manual for Contras by Don Armstrong and that was where I got my dances. That book was my whole collection of dances in the beginning.

RC- What motivates you to call?

LT- When I see people dancing they are smiling and having fun. It just feels good to be a part of it, to make that experience happen for people. I love calling for weddings. It was tough at first. I was trying to teach dances that were just way too hard and just not appropriate. After a while I figured out that people were there to see each other, socialize and celebrate a very important event. I just loosened up and learned to help that process along. Most people at a wedding have never contra danced and have no idea what to expect. I love to take them through that first experi ence. It’s just great to have someone come up afterwards and tell me that they have never had so much fun at a wedding. That’s the reward, the motivation, it’s an honor really.

RC- Any highlight experiences?

LT- The first time I called at Folklife in Seattle with the Broken String Band. That was a few years ago. It’s just amazing to see all those people and to feel the energy. I didn’t even call the whole dance, I shared it with someone else. A couple of years later I went back to Seattle again with the BSB as the "Reasonable and Prudent Highway Speed Band" our motto was "Fast but not out of Control." Someone printed up some shirts with the logo on it and then Hallie painted the tires of her truck and drove over them to add a tire tread final touch. That was a lot of fun. There have been a few great weddings as well.

RC- How would you describe the Bozeman folk scene?

L.T.- Strong! Though I don’t have much to compare it to. The little towns I lived in before I came to Bozeman were pretty bleak culturally. I certainly have a lot of fun.

RC- Anything you would like to see in the future?

L.T.- I would love to see something like Bear Hug, a dance camp, a weekend Luccock Park Camp down by Pine Creek would be great. It’s just a matter of time and energy.

RC- Any final thoughts?

L.T.- Yes, and this goes back to that last question about the Bozeman folk scene… The best part about Bozeman is that it is very open. We counted it up once and there have literally been hundreds of people who have played with the Broken String Band. Some folks just got their feet wet and others have stood the test of time but everyone has been welcome. Everyone is welcome to give it a try. That’s how I started calling. I know that is not the case everywhere. Actually it is quite rare in the dance-calling world. I feel lucky that we are in a place where folk music and dance is so accessible.

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On the Air with Jerry Bishop by Newsletter Editor Rab Jerry is a native of Helena, MT. A long time contra dancer and fixture of Baxter Celtic Jam sessions, he holds down the rhythm section of the Broken String Band and is the smooth talking voice of folk and world music Saturday mornings (6-9:00 am) on KGLT, 91.9 FM in Bozeman. RC- What was your first exposure to folk music? JB- When I was about nine or ten years old I somehow acquired a 45 rpm record of Tom Dooley by the Kingston Trio. I remember being inrigued by a song that told a story. Next came Peter Paul and Mary records and on from there.

RC- How did you start contra dancing? JB- I first became aware of the term "contra dancing" through a mail order catalog of folk music called Andy's Front Hall. I had no idea what it was. About eight years ago I saw some folks dancing at Sweet Pea and it looked like a lot of fun. It's a little embarassing now but I went by the Eagles Lodge twice to check out dances without going in--just to kind of check it out. Finally I just said "heck with it" and went in. Now I'm hooked. It is the single most fun thing I do in Bozeman. I love it. RC- How did you get involved in the Broken String Band? JB- I can't recall exactly how I first landed in Hallie's living room but it was about four or five years ago. I play the drum. It is certainly a spin-off from contra dancing and it's a lot of fun. I also play at the Celtic Jam at the Baxter on Sunday nights. RC- Tell me about the radio show. JB- I was curious about how a radio show works so I came up a few times and checked it out. To get anywhere near the equipment at KGLT you have to take a class. One Thursday at Broken String Band practice the band gave me the gift of the class. I was completely taken by surprise, it was wonderful. One thing led to another and now I'm on the air. I just did my 23rd show. I love the exposure to a wide range of music, I never want people to know what's coming up next on the show. I love American folk music of course but I am deep into World, African and Hawaiian genres-- music that springs authentically from the people. I just feel blessed to live in a world with so much culture and music. I also see this as a kind of community service you know, where else cna you hear this kind of music in Montana? RC- How about a highlight moment from the show? JB- I can't think of any one thing, but I have been listening to KGLT for 15 years in this time slot and now I'm hosting the folk show! It's certainly a highlight for me! RC- How would you describe the Bozeman folk scene? JB- Vital, dynamic, certainly one of the things I love about living in Bozeman. I love that it's so open, that we have the Broken String Band, and that there's something going on most all the time. I've made some great friends and look forward to making many more. Back to top