Band bios . . . Donna | Josée | Liza | Alan

CONTACT - Donna Hébert: info at dhebert dot com OR Josée Vachon: josee at mapinternet dot com

Donna Hébert Donna Hébert was recently named a 2008 Massachusetts Artists' Fellow in the Folk Arts by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, recognizing a lifetime of work in Franco-American music. Donna learned her fiddling skills from greats like Louis Beaudoin and Gerry Robichaud in the early 1970s, even producing a CD of Robichaud's music in 1977. Since then, Donna has played French tunes for thousands of concerts and dances and taught Franco-American fiddling to hundreds of students, including six NEA-sponsored apprentices. Adjunct fiddle instructor at Amherst College since 2001, Donna is also a 2008 national ASTA fiddling clinician, presenting "Fiddling with a French Accent" at the national conference in Albuquerque. She is releasing her teaching DVD of the same name this summer. In addition to playing with Chanterelle since it's founding in 1993, Donna, fiddler George Wilson and Beaudoin family members started another Franco group in 2005, the Beaudoin Legacy, named to the NEA's American Masterpiece Roster by the Vermont Arts Council last year. Four of Donna's fiddling apprentices are involved in the Beaudoin Legacy (one is Louis Beaudoin's grandson!) and a fifth student plays both fiddle and bass with them. In 2007, Donna was named a Creative Teaching Partner in fiddling by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She is working on a regional pilot program with string teachers to incorporate fiddling into their classrooms. In school residencies, she specializes in hands-on fiddling demonstrations that empower students to learn how to make their own musical decisions in the context of an ensemble. In partnership with Massachusetts string teachers, Donna and Groovemama are creating a pilot program designed to integrate fiddling into established string curriculum. Donna also authored "Fiddling Demystified for String Players," a 70-page manual for string teachers, fiddlers and string players. Scored for violin, viola and cello, each fiddle tune demonstrates an authentic regional style of fiddling. In collaboration with Old Songs Festival, Donna created the Great Groove Bands for young musicians age 6-18 at the festival, and in 2006, expanded the program to include the Philadelphia Folk Festival as well. Donna also directs three summer camp weeks at Old Songs Community Center for children, adults and string teachers. An important fiddling pioneer in the national contradance renaissance, Donna played in the 1970s with callers Dudley Laufman, Ralph Page Duke Miller and Ted Sanella. She started the Concord MA Scout House contradance series with caller Tony Parkes and Yankee Ingenuity in 1975. Donna has played since then for countless dances with Rude Girls, Chanterelle and Groovemama.	AWARDS: 2008 Massachusetts Artists' Fellow (Massachusetts Cultural Council), six NEA-funded Master-Apprenticeship Awards since 2001 in Franco-American fiddling from NH, VT, CT, RI arts councils; Mass Cultural Council's 2007 Creative Teaching Partner Roster, Artists' Fellowship Finalist - 2006;. NEA American Masterpiece Roster with the Beaudoin Legacy - 2007, VT Arts Council. RESIDENCIES: 2008 Creative Teaching Partner in Fiddling in Yarmouth MA; Amherst College - adjunct fiddle instructor since 2001; Director of: yearly Fiddling Demystified for Strings Camp, Old Songs Fiddle & Strings Camp. Great Groove Band at Old Songs and Philadelphia Folk Festivals. 2008 ASTA National Fiddling Clinician; 2001-02 Wesleyan Univeristy fiddle instructor; 2006 Mark O'Connor's San Diego Strings Conference; 2007 John C. Campbell Folk School; 2002 Hartt College Summerterm; 2003-4 Groove Camp.. FESTIVALS: Philadelphia Folk Festival - every year; Old Songs Festival - every year, 2007 Lowell Folk Festival, 2008 American Folk Festival, 2002 & 2007 Mystic Sea Music Festival, 2006-2009 Champlain Valley Folk Festivals and major festivals and concert series in the U.S., Canada and Europe since 1975 with Chanterelle, The Beaudoin Legacy, Groovemama, Rude Girls and Yankee Ingenuity,
"Donna gets it all right! I suspect that the general level of fiddle knowledge and playing will take a major uptick soon after [Fiddling Demystified] is published, just as other great music books such as Earl Scruggs’ original banjo book, O’Neill‘s great Irish fiddling reference, and the infamous jazz Real Book influenced the course of musicians’ lives and work." String wizard Darol Anger in his foreword to Fiddling Demystified "Donna Hébert is an outstanding performer and world class teacher. I consider her at the forefront of the developing field of fiddle pedagogy." Dr. Alan Jabbour, Dir. (ret)., American Folklife Center, Library of Congresss "Donna is a recognized master of New England French fiddle styles, learning from many of the older players who excel in these styles, and in turn, teaching numerous younger players the intricacies of the music." Andy Wallace, folklorist, former program director, National Council for the Traditional Arts (National Folk Festivals) "Donna's fiddle speaks fluent français!" Scott Alarik, NPR's Hear and Now
Josee Vachon Born in Québec and raised in Maine, Josée Vachon has been sharing her Franco-American upbringing for over 25 years through traditional and contemporary folksongs from Québec and Acadia and through her own compositions. Though she often entertained at family gatherings, she began singing publicly with the support of the Franco-American Center at the University of Maine, where she discovered others who shared her rich heritage. After receiving her BA in Romance Languages in 1984, she continued to perform, quickly gaining recognition as a new Franco-American voice through early performances at state festivals in Maine and at schools and parish soirées. Last fall she was inducted into the French-Canadian Hall of Fame Class of 2007 for the American-French Genealogical Society. In 1999 she received the National Culture through the Arts Award from NYSAFLT, the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers. On Bonjour!, from March 1987 to April 1998, Josée hosted more than 500 editions of the most widely-seen French-language television show in the US, airing on cable and public television stations in Louisiana, the Northeastern US and Canada Her music was included in: La Bolduc, a documentary for Canada's History Channel, MicroSoft's AutoMap Trip Planner software Smithsonian Folkways CD Mademoiselle voulez-vous danser: Franco-American music from the New England Borderlands. The song Entre moi, originally performed with Chanterelle. In July 1993, she co-founded the folk group Chanterelle with award-winning fiddler Donna Hébert and singer/guitarist Liza Constable, often joined by bass and cajun accordion player Alan Bradbury. The group released the CDs French in America (1994) and Soirée Chez Nous (1996). Ms Vachon has 12 solo recordings to her credit, and continues to perform and record the music that best represents her love of Franco-American culture.	RESIDENCIES: Franco Voyageurs Tour, Women's Singing Traditions Tour, AWARDS: 2007 - Inducted into the American-French Genealogical Society's French-Canadian Hall of Fame; 1999 - National Culture Through the Arts Award - New York State Assn. of Foreign Language Teachers. 199? - Key to the City of Woonsocket Rhode Island for contributions to Franco-American culture. FESTIVALS: Philadelphia Folk Festival, Old Songs Festival, Lowell Folk Festival, Constitution Hall, Washington D.C.; Women's Singing Traditions of New England Tour, 1994; Champs Elysées, Antenne 2, Paris France, as part of the Tour du monde de la francophonie with Radio-France; Les démons du midi, Société Radio-Canada, Montréal; Coup d'oeil, CBC, Moncton NB
“…thank you for a wonderful concert…we all enjoyed your music and learned a lot about Franco-American history and songs.. You have many new fans here in Boston.!” - WUMB-FM, Boston “spirited, moving and just plain fun.” - Club Passim, Cambridge , MA “…l’ambassadrice de la chanson franco-américaine…” - L’accent Acadien, Moncton, New Brunswick "…Josée Vachon sait amuser et attendrir... " - Chansons d’aujourd’hui, Montréal, Québec " ...a delightful, entertaining and educating repertoire...fine performance, both in French and Spanish...terrific to work with...a real enhancement to our language curriculum. " - Nashua High School, Nashua, NH “Elle assume sa double culture avec tendresse et autodérision. " - France-Soir, Paris " A true chanteuse whose flying feet will heat up the hall while her voice melts your heart. " - The Valley Advocate, Amherst , MA “Une ‘show-woman’ de classe...”- Le Vermontois, Burlington , VT “…a beautiful voice…a music that invites you to sing along, filled with energy and joie de vivre.” -Coup d’oeil, CBC, Moncton, New Brunswick
Liza Constable Chanterelle's jazz and blues guitarist and singer, Liza Constable has been accompanying and singing French music for 25 years. A Cajun singer/guitarist, she is also master of French-Canadian rhythms and chord patterns. Liza sings harmonies and response lines on the French songs and is featured on French and English language jazz numbers. Recorded solo and with Chanterelle, The Sevens, OK Bayou and others, Liza also plays jazz and folk music with fiddler and husband Nat Hewitt.	RESIDENCIES: Franco Voyageurs Tour (VT), Salon d'été Indien (France), Mass. Cultural Council's Artists' Roster, NEFA Touring Roster FESTIVALS: Philadelphia Folk Festival, Old Songs Festival (NY), LEAF Festival (NC), Falconridge (NY), Champlain Valley Folk Festival (VT)
“I love Liza’s singing, and I’ve loved it for years!….swinging, groovy, expressive…the real thing.” -Matt Glaser, fiddler, String Department Chair, Berklee College of Music “Liza has the very rare ability to play and sing a variety of styles, and never sound affected - a genuine, soulful musician who is completely at home with whatever music she chooses, from gutbucket blues, downhome country to sophisticated jazz. She’s my kind of musician!” -John McGann, Berklee instructor, recording artist, Rust Farm, Wayfaring Strangers “This (In My Girlish Days) is a very relaxed blues/jazz recording from a singer who’s got the perfect voice for this style of music. It’s a nice journey through some of the lessser known blues songs - all with tasteful and understated backing on piano, bass, drums and sax. Stylish, sophisticated and so very enjoyable.” -Dirty Linen Magazine
Alan Bradbury Alan has been playing for dancers for more than forty years. Since 1983, he has shared the stage with scores of New england's best contradance musician's and added his talents to Quebecois bands, electric Irish bands, acoustic blues bands, traditional Scottish ballad singers, Cajun and Zydeco bands, singer-songwriters, Morris dancers, sea shanty singers, bagpipe bands, Old Time and bluegrass bands, swing bands, and even the Off-Broadway stage. He has been a member of the Cajun band Magnolia since 1990 and won two awards from the Cajun French Music Association. Alan has played at dance festivals from Santa Cruz,CA to Gainesville, FL, and at festivals in France, Canada, and England. He has played in bars in Jamaica, Key West, Bermuda, and Louisiana. He has performed live on the BBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Network, and National Public Radio. Alan was a staff musician at the Augusta Heritage Center in West Virginia, where he taught bass and played for dances during both Cajun Week and French-Canadian Week. The total sales of the recording projects he has participated in approaches half a million copies. But his favorite singers of all are Donna, Liza, and Josee!	RESIDENCIES: Salon d'été Indien (France), Mass. Cultural Council's Artists' Roster, NEFA Touring Roster, RI Arts Council FESTIVALS: Philadelphia Folk Festival, Old Songs Festival (NY), Rhode Island Cajun and Bluegrass Festival Big Easy Bash. Lagniappe Mardi Gras Bash, Providence First Night. Rhythm and Roots Festival, RI. Grey Fox Bluegrass Festiva, Long Island Traditional Music Association, Fall River, MA Summerfest. New Bedford,MA Summer Festival and many venues on Cape Cod, Block Island, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Key West FL.