Wild West Fiddle Project: Discover Arizona’s Musical Heritage Through Music, Dance, and Story
The Wild West Fiddle Project: a participative musical talk about Arizona’s folk heritage
Experience Arizona’s history in a way, the attendees can hear, feel, and join. The Wild West Fiddle Project is an interactive musical journey through the diverse traditions that have shaped the Southwest, bringing together fiddle tunes, songs, dance, storytelling, and fascinating historical insights from across the region.
Led by folklorist, musician, and researcher Dr. Kate Rose, the program explores the rich meeting of Indigenous, Mexican, Anglo, African American, European, and other cultural traditions that have influenced Arizona’s musical landscape. Audiences discover forgotten melodies, surprising historical connections, and the stories of the people who carried these traditions across generations.
Dr. Kate Rose is a Flagstaff-based fiddler and tradition-bearer. Having spent two years studying with fiddling farmers in County Clare, Ireland, Dr. Rose brings a deep sense of music as rooted in landscapes and the rhythms of rural life. Her research and unique performing style reveal and revive the cross-cultural music and dance traditions of the American Southwest. The music naturally intermingles with the deep roots of others’ traditions.
Her talks, which present history through true stories of Arizona musicians from the past, are often accompanied by master rhythm expert Armand Ramirez. He is a guitarist, a master multigenre player with decades of professional musicianship, an amazing ear, and a creative, danceable flair. His wide-ranging experience includes jazz, Celtic, classical, flamenco, folk traditions, and Latin music. He is also a passionate researcher of local history and his own family’s rooted Arizona connections, bringing a multidisciplinary approach to cultural storytelling and music.
More than a concert, the Wild West Fiddle Project invites everyone to participate. Learn a simple community dance, clap rhythms, sing along, ask questions, and experience the joy of traditional music as a living, shared experience. Whether a lifelong Arizonan or new to the state, all will leave with a deeper appreciation for the cultures, histories, and communities that continue to shape Arizona today.
This program and speaker combine scholarship, performance, and participation to celebrate the remarkable diversity and enduring spirit of Arizona’s living traditions.
This exciting presentation will be held on Wednesday, October 21 in the Hopi-Pima Room of Rec 2. Leisure World Foundation in cooperation with the Rec Dept are pleased to start the season with this special speaker.
Desert Financial will be present to answer questions about wills and trusts. They provide the cookies, which are served at the end of the presentation.
There will be no speakers for November or December. Look for information on January 6, 2027, speaker in December issue of newspaper.