The first recording of the "Westphalia Waltz," by the Lone Star Playboys, 1946

What:
Joe Weed is screening several chapters of “The Waltz to Westphalia,”
his fascinating documentary about the history of “The Westphalia Waltz. ” Following, there will be a question/answer session.

When:
The workshop is Saturday, February 21, 2009, from 3:00 - 4:00 PM

Where:
in the Weber Ballroom, downstairs in the Murano Hotel

The session is open to all WinterGrass ticket holders.

Hank Thompson, whose 1955 Capitol recording of the "Westhalia Waltz" reached a national audience

Where do fiddle tunes and folk music come from? How does traditional music become traditional? These questions have long intrigued me, and I felt that by studying some case histories closely, I could perhaps learn about how that process works.

As I researched the history of the “Westphalia Waltz,” I decided to make it the first that I would develop into a DVD documentary.  It’s primarily a 20th-century story, so some of the principals are still alive.  And the children and grand-children of others preserve their ancestors’ stories, pictures, and instruments, and have been forthcoming in sharing information and materials with me to help make “The Waltz to Westphalia” a compelling and fascinating story.

At our session, I will show several chapters from the DVD and tell behind-the-scenes stories about the people and places I’ve seen during my travels around Texas, New England, and the upper Midwest.  I’ll ask for input from the audience regarding composition, substance, and style, and happily answer your questions about the story and the DVD production.

            Joe Weed is a fiddler, recording artist, writer, and producer on the national acoustic music scene.  He has released six albums of his own, and has composed music for movie sound tracks at The Lincoln Museum and the National Steinbeck Center, as well as for many other films and locations.  His music productions have been used by Ken Burns, PBS, the Martin Guitar Company, and at Arlington National Cemetery.  Additionally, Joe has written many fiddle tunes that are played at contra dances, festivals, and jam sessions across the country.