Traditional Arts in Upstate New York. Traditional Arts of Upstate New York
53 Main Street
Canton, NY 13617
(315) 386-4289

On that subject...

in

The Board of Directors of TAUNY is pleased to... (MORE)

TAUNY’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce... (MORE)

We are pleased to announce that TAUNY has... (MORE)

It’s Not Too Soon To Think About Gingerbread... (MORE)

TAUNY Presents New Video "Cooking with Helen... (MORE)

TAUNY Presents New Video "Feeding Community:... (MORE)

 Folk Arts All Around Us Exhibit at The... (MORE)

  Public Information Meeting About... (MORE)

Seed-Saving Walk and Talk with Dan Kelleher and... (MORE)

 New Exhibit at The TAUNY Center “Wool and... (MORE)

TAUNY & littleGrasse Community Farm Host... (MORE)

TAUNY Presents New Video “Tending the Wild Edible... (MORE)

TAUNY 35th Anniversary Raffles Three Barn... (MORE)

TAUNY Grow and Tell Kitchen Demonstration Okra... (MORE)

TAUNY Invites Individuals Around the North... (MORE)

Selections from the Morgan Collection on Display... (MORE)

TAUNY Garden Tour 8/17 with Jean Williams at Blue... (MORE)

A Great Kickoff to the Grow & Tell Garden... (MORE)

TAUNY Garden Tour at Jane Desotelle’s... (MORE)

TAUNY Grow and Tell Kitchen Demonstration ... (MORE)

New Personal Collection Exhibit at The TAUNY... (MORE)

TAUNY Summer Fundraiser Underway ... (MORE)

TAUNY Grow and Tell Kitchen Demonstration ... (MORE)

New Exhibit at TAUNY Features Fiberistas’ Recent... (MORE)

TAUNY Presents New Video “Never Tire Farm: Hope... (MORE)

In their garlic plot featuring over 100... (MORE)

Maple Syrup Production Focus of New TAUNY... (MORE)

The next exhibition at The TAUNY Center will... (MORE)

  This December, TAUNY brings the... (MORE)

TAUNY is hosting a raffle for a Compass Sunflower... (MORE)

With the holiday season upon us, TAUNY is... (MORE)

TAUNY’s annual Sugar & Spice Gingerbread... (MORE)

TAUNY invites the community to visit the “St.... (MORE)

TAUNY invites the community to experience a... (MORE)

TAUNY invites the community to see a new... (MORE)

For the months of August and September, customers... (MORE)

In partnership with SLC Arts, TAUNY is... (MORE)

TAUNY’s North Country Folkstore in Canton will... (MORE)

In cooperation with state and federal guidelines... (MORE)

TAUNY invites the community to the opening... (MORE)

The final day to see the North Country Wall of... (MORE)

TAUNY invites holiday shoppers to shop for... (MORE)

TAUNY’s September Folkstore Artist Spotlight... (MORE)

TAUNY invites the community to stop by The TAUNY... (MORE)

A sweater made by Lamar Bliss, Madrid, has... (MORE)

TAUNY, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York,... (MORE)

TAUNY, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, will... (MORE)

Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY)... (MORE)

On Saturday, April 29th from 10:00am - 12:00pm,... (MORE)

The latest Personal Collection Series Exhibit at... (MORE)

Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY) will... (MORE)

An exhibit at The TAUNY Center of Sara Lynch’s... (MORE)

Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY) will... (MORE)

Traditional Arts of Upstate New York (TAUNY) has... (MORE)

Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY) will... (MORE)

The Annual TAUNY Folkstore Holiday Showcase will... (MORE)

On Friday, November 4th from 7:00-8:30 pm TAUNY... (MORE)

A live band, community contra dance will be held... (MORE)

This year TAUNY is celebrating it’s 30th... (MORE)

On Saturday, October 1 at 1:00 pm Folklorist ... (MORE)

Area needleworkers are stitching a signature... (MORE)

Several weekends ago, I was able to accompany... (MORE)

Another of TAUNY’s selections for the 2016... (MORE)

Molly Hyde is originally from Woodstock, New York... (MORE)

TAUNY has teamed up with littleGrasse Foodworks... (MORE)

TAUNY, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York,... (MORE)

Canton resident Nancy Wilder Palmateer loved art... (MORE)

TAUNY invites the community to help create a... (MORE)

TAUNY has received $20,000 to support an... (MORE)

 TAUNY's 2015 Sugar and Spice gingerbread... (MORE)

 TAUNY's annual open house on Saturday,... (MORE)

The TAUNY Center will host Lee Knight's show... (MORE)

For the 2015 Sugar and Spice competition, you’re... (MORE)

Calling musicians! This coming year, TAUNY will... (MORE)

TAUNY's 2015 North Country Heritage Award... (MORE)

PART OF A NEW SERIES, TAUNY KIDS COOK!To... (MORE)

Alex Smith in Concert Saturday, September 12... (MORE)

Saturday, September 19th 3-8pm OR 6:30-8pm TWO... (MORE)

Join us for this free open house!TAUNY's Welcome... (MORE)

SeaComm is the latest addition of community... (MORE)

TAUNY received $1,000 from the St. Lawrence... (MORE)

As maple season begins to glimmer in the near... (MORE)

The building of the hydroelectric dam facilities... (MORE)

Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY) is a... (MORE)

As we dive into the winter's work here at The... (MORE)

TAUNY is extending an invitation to area knitters... (MORE)

TAUNY's 2014 gingerbread contest, with the theme... (MORE)

At the annual meeting of TAUNY supporters on... (MORE)

QUILT DOCUMENTATION by appointment through the... (MORE)

Each year TAUNY recognizes legends who have... (MORE)

TAUNY Heritage Award winner Ermina Pincombe had... (MORE)

Following the announcement that Mohawk... (MORE)

On Saturday, August 2nd, the Panache Quartet will... (MORE)

Last week the National Endowment for the Arts... (MORE)

Following its debut at the Grasse River Heritage... (MORE)

Canton—A documentary about Adirondack song... (MORE)

The foot traffic was heavy at The TAUNY Center... (MORE)

Stop into The TAUNY Center  this Saturday... (MORE)

Do you have a favorite recipe that includes... (MORE)

Science, Art, and Music in the Mountains is a... (MORE)

This Friday, April 25, at 5 p.m., farmers and... (MORE)

Adults and children are invited to join Flip... (MORE)

North Country fishermen were once able to... (MORE)

Registrations are being accepted for TAUNY’s... (MORE)

Want to join your community in celebrating a... (MORE)

Opening at The TAUNY Center on Saturday, February... (MORE)

TAUNY – Traditional Arts in Upstate New York –... (MORE)

Following a break for planning and replenishing,... (MORE)

A classic gingerbread theme garnered the public’s... (MORE)

The TAUNY Center  will remain closed until... (MORE)

The holiday season isn’t complete until you’ve... (MORE)

“Health and happiness shall come to thee, should... (MORE)

The TAUNY Center and North Country Folkstore will... (MORE)

A TAUNY tradition for more than a decade, the... (MORE)

TAUNY’s recognition of SLU’s chapel bell ringers... (MORE)

Are you new to the North Country? Do you want to... (MORE)

Tickets are available for two traditional music... (MORE)

You can catch the second in the series of ... (MORE)

Some of the North Country’s finest artists are... (MORE)

TAUNY will host a reading and book signing for... (MORE)

Do you have an old house you’d like to restore? A... (MORE)

Two Master Gardener volunteers will be at The... (MORE)

ALBANY—The Preservation League of New York State... (MORE)

On Saturday, May 11, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon,... (MORE)

Traditional dancer and fiddler Jacob Brillhart... (MORE)

This Thursday, March 21, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.... (MORE)

Elizabeth (Libby) Brandt of Canton has been... (MORE)

TAUNY and ANCA – the North Country Adirondack... (MORE)

Looking for something unique, creative, and fun... (MORE)

TAUNY will mark the re-opening of The TAUNY... (MORE)

After the close of business on Saturday, December... (MORE)

The People's Choice award in this year's Sugar... (MORE)

Join perennial favorites Barb Heller and Danny... (MORE)

At TAUNY’s December First Friday Music Jam, board... (MORE)

Rebecca Weld (left) and Felicity Palmer judge... (MORE)

This holiday season, we are once again offering... (MORE)

This year TAUNY celebrates the 20th anniversary... (MORE)

The TAUNY Center and North Country Folkstore... (MORE)

Two local authors will be available at TAUNY on... (MORE)

On Wednesday, June 27, at 7 p.m., at The TAUNY... (MORE)

TAUNY will be at Mare's Wares Arts Fest - and we... (MORE)

Visit The TAUNY Center on Saturday, May 19, for a... (MORE)

Anyone with a song to sing or a story to tell is... (MORE)

TAUNY's spring mini-exhibit, “Pictures in Wool,”... (MORE)

The final “Folk Art in the Afternoon”... (MORE)

Maple sugaring time is coming to the North... (MORE)

Diorama artist Michael Cousino and his images of... (MORE)

Anyone with a song to sing or a story to tell is... (MORE)

Decoys and decoy carvers will be the subject of... (MORE)

TAUNY's winter “Critters & Mittens”... (MORE)

Even if you missed the introduction session of... (MORE)

On Tuesday, January 31, at 3:30 p.m., NCPR’s... (MORE)

Ring in the new year at TAUNY's First Friday... (MORE)

The TAUNY Center and North Country Folkstore are... (MORE)

TAUNY’s Sugar & Spice exhibit boasts one of... (MORE)

Join hosts Barb Heller of NCPR’s String Fever... (MORE)

TAUNY is joining with other downtown Canton... (MORE)

Don’t forget to register your entry in TAUNY’s... (MORE)

During November and December TAUNY’s North... (MORE)

If you need inspiration and instruction for the... (MORE)

TAUNY is celebrating one of today’s most popular... (MORE)

This past Sunday, more than 100 TAUNY members and... (MORE)

Again this year TAUNY will salute local “legends”... (MORE)

This October TAUNY will celebrate and encourage... (MORE)

TAUNY, the St. Lawrence University Greenhouse,... (MORE)

With great excitement and fanfare, The TAUNY... (MORE)

Canton’s annual celebration of art excellence in... (MORE)

For months people traveling down Main Street in... (MORE)

A crew of St. Lawrence University soccer plays... (MORE)

The creator of TAUNY’s award-winning music... (MORE)

At their July meeting, TAUNY's Board of Directors... (MORE)

TAUNY turns 25 in 2011, and the folklife... (MORE)

TAUNY invites members and friends to celebrate... (MORE)

TAUNY invites members and friends to celebrate... (MORE)

Gray & Gray CPAs, P.C., of Canton are... (MORE)

To accommodate the contractors working on the... (MORE)

The “TAUNY at 25” Auction is just around the... (MORE)

TAUNY will join Canton in welcoming paddlers and... (MORE)

There is still room in TAUNY’s First Thursday... (MORE)

Experienced and beginner shape note singers will... (MORE)

TAUNY’s woodcarving workshop series with Ron... (MORE)

Bottle collectors know that in addition to being... (MORE)

TAUNY is 25 this year, and some friends are... (MORE)

TAUNY, the Sustainable Living Project (SLP), and... (MORE)

Join hosts Gretchen Koehler and Barb Heller at... (MORE)

Imaginary Beasts, a mini-exhibit of iron... (MORE)

Maple sugaring time is coming to the North... (MORE)

News of TAUNY's 25th anniversary is spreading... (MORE)

As January turns into February there's plenty... (MORE)

At the first Board meeting of the new year, TAUNY... (MORE)

Whether you’re an experienced shape note singer... (MORE)

This month master woodcarver Ron Riley will... (MORE)

As TAUNY’s 2010 Sugar & Spice... (MORE)

TAUNY's annual Sugar & Spice gingerbread... (MORE)

Usher in the holiday season with a visit to... (MORE)

TAUNY Communications Director Carol Pynchon peers... (MORE)

It's getting messier and more exciting every day... (MORE)

TAUNY’s First Thursday Program for Kids continues... (MORE)

Construction is underway! In the latest... (MORE)

As renovations begin to the exterior and interior... (MORE)

As The TAUNY Center undergoes renovations, the... (MORE)

TAUNY’s Register of Very Special Places (RVSP) is... (MORE)

“Anatomy of a Packbasket,” a traveling exhibition... (MORE)

The TAUNY Center and North Country Folkstore will... (MORE)

Children ages 7 to 10 are invited to a free... (MORE)

TAUNY’s summer exhibit, Sacred Tools: The Work... (MORE)

TAUNY’s North Country Folkstore continues to... (MORE)

This month’s Featured Artist at the North Country... (MORE)

During the month of February, visitors to TAUNY's... (MORE)

At the close of "North Country Noggins," TAUNY's... (MORE)

The committee charged with raising $1.25 million... (MORE)

Surprise gift - louboutin dames for you

Be sure to stop in to The TAUNY Center for all... (MORE)

Woodcarver Ron Riley of Massena will lead a... (MORE)

WORKSHOP POSTPONED, TO BE RESCHEDULED IN... (MORE)

At the annual Member Reception on Friday night,... (MORE)

If you wish to pick up your balsam wreath on the... (MORE)

Many new artists have work in the TAUNY... (MORE)

TAUNY is now taking orders for balsam wreaths for... (MORE)

November 6 & December 4, 20097 to 8:30... (MORE)

2009 Salute to North Country LegendsBest Western... (MORE)

Saturday, December 5, 1 to 3 p.m.Packbasket... (MORE)

TAUNY Gallery Through December 31, 2009... (MORE)

Allow me to officially introduce myself - my name is Molly Hyde, and I am a senior at St. Lawrence University. This summer, I have been chosen as TAUNY’s SLU Public Interest Corps Fellow, and I am working as a Media Assistant to the Heritage Awards Program. This means that I accompany TAUNY staff when they travel to Heritage Award-related interviews and events, capturing the event through photo and video, and then digitally processing related materials back at the office. I have been enjoying learning more about the North Country and look forward to working with TAUNY for the rest of the summer!


I accompanied TAUNY’s Camilla Ammirati in early June to speak with the members of the Adirondack Playboys, a 2016 Heritage Award recipient, and it got me thinking about my own musical experiences. As a classically-trained musician, I learned to read music at age 6 and have relied upon this skill throughout my musical career; whether I was performing in piano recitals, competing in county and state festivals, playing in school and community ensembles, collaborating with other musicians, or learning the more nuanced details of music theory, I always utilized my implicit knowledge of notes on a staff and the mathematical relationships between them. Most recently, I have begun to learn to play jazz music, and have even tried my part at improvisation, the act of creating a solo on the spot. The departure from written music, for me, has been difficult; I am used to having a detailed, step-by-step set of instructions in front of me at all times, but with jazz, all I have (at best) is a road map telling me where I have to go, but not necessarily how to get there. Luckily, my ingrained musicianship has allowed me to anticipate the actions of other talented musicians and effectively groove with them, sometimes abandoning the need for sheet music.


It was no surprise to hear about the same experience from the members of the Adirondack Playboys Band. Otherwise known as the Streeter Boys or, simply, the Streeters, the Adirondack Playboys are a longtime family band native to the Adirondack foothills and Northern New York area. Founded in the mid-1940s by brothers Duane, Ralph, and Cliff Streeter, the band is now in its second generation of Streeter musicians, upholding its tradition of old-time country music and square dance calling. Bassist Shelly Streeter Anderson and drummer Rick Petrie (the only non-family member in the band) both point to the other’s presence as a grounding musical force; they say that they’re always right with each other, knowing what the other is going to do, and they struggle in the event of the other’s absence. Shelly loves how playing with Rick means she doesn’t have to think. “It’s just so fluid,” Rick agrees. The two of them, Rick says, are like “spaghetti and meatballs, or macaroni and cheese” - they belong together.


The outstanding chemistry between the players in this band is vital, due to one of the things that sets them apart as a musical group but aligns them with traditional ways of learning: they don’t use any written music. Cliff, the only founding member who still plays with the band, never even learned how to read music. Shelly used to read music in school, but has since forgotten how. The band learns all of their songs by listening, or “by ear,” and learned their instruments by watching their family members or by teaching themselves.


Rick Streeter, current fiddler in the band, learned to play the mandolin in his youth by watching his dad, Ralph, play fiddle in the Playboys. “I played mandolin along with him, and I learned to play the mandolin pretty much the way he played the fiddle,” Rick says. “So the left hand was ready for fiddle when I wanted to start playin’ that.” Dale Streeter, current rhythm guitarist and vocalist in the band, started out playing his unamplified flat-top guitar in the band when he was 18, but soon taught himself bass guitar. He played bass until his father, Duane, passed away in 2008, and now is back on rhythm guitar. Dale then taught his sister, Shelly, the basics of what he knew on the bass, and she, being very musically inclined, was a natural, improving with every Playboys gig. Although drummer Rick Petrie is not a member of the Streeter family, he attributes much of his musical success to his father playing country guitar and singing to him. Cliff, who taught himself to play ukulele along with his older brothers when he was just 11, soon taught himself the lap guitar, and then the lap steel guitar. In the 1970s and ‘80s, after a break from the band following his father’s death, he taught himself the pedal steel guitar, and has been playing it in the band ever since. He says that he and his brothers were inspired by their mother, Berdina VerSchneider Streeter, who often played the fiddle or piano around the house, and would also play piano at house parties.


The house parties, which usually took place every Saturday night on alternating farms, were attended by neighbors and their children. At these parties, which were marked by square dancing, country music, food, drink, and an all-around good time, the partygoers would listen to each other and pick up new songs or new square dance calls. Along with listening to the popular tunes on the radio, watching these dances were exactly how Cliff and his brothers learned all the classic tunes that the band still play to this day. Dale and Rick Streeter, in turn, learned to call by listening to their fathers, Duane and Ralph Streeter, throughout their tenure in the band. Dale says he learned to square dance at age 5 or 6 while his dad would do the calling, and once he started playing in the band, he slowly started doing parts of the calls with his father and uncle.


Many people who play music, including me, are always hoping to someday find a group of fellow musicians with whom they mesh - and the Streeters have found that in their family band. Dale says that other groups tend to clash over their egos, but the Adirondack Playboys “don’t worry about that,” he says, “‘cause we just enjoy playing. We just come together, and we goof around a lot.” While the Streeters may not have the safety net of using sheet music during their shows, their musicianship allows them to excel at playing by ear and anticipating their bandmates’ actions. Most importantly, their mastery of their art is helping to perpetuate the custom of hand-me-down country tunes and square dance calls in the North Country - unequivocally both a family tradition and a tradition of family.


Related topics:
Technorati Tags:
[where: 13617]

Note: All images, text and other material found in this website © 2024 TAUNY. All rights reserved.