Brightest & Best Christmas with the Druckenmillers & Norm Williams – A Warm and Joyful Afternoon of Acoustic Old-Time Holiday Music | Sunday Matinee

Join us for Brightest & Best Christmas with The Druckenmillers & Norm Williams, a warm and joyful afternoon of acoustic holiday music. Tom and Betty Druckenmiller bring their love for old-time fiddle tunes, dance melodies, and parlor songs to the stage, joined by multi-instrumentalist Norm Williams on mountain dulcimer, guitar, and vocals. Together, they share stories, harmonies, and timeless Appalachian traditions that capture the true spirit of the season. Experience the beauty of live folk music in our intimate listening room—your backstage pass to a heartfelt Christmas celebration.

TOM & BETTY DRUCKENMILLER

tomandbettymusic.com

Tom and Betty play old-time music - the dance tunes, fiddle music and parlor songs that people used to entertain themselves and their neighbors before the time of recorded music or radio.

Tom has been a musician for nearly all of his life. As a guitar player he played in a number of Lehigh Valley bands, but around 40 years ago he discovered old-time music and the clawhammer style of banjo playing he's known for today. His first learning experiences at the Augusta Heritage Center Workshops included working with Craig Johnson, Gerry Milnes, and Dwight Diller. They shared their music with him and also the history of the music and the people who played it, giving Tom the strong appreciation for both music and musicians that he passes along to his students today.

Tom also creates and produces radio programs, including "In the Tradition" for WDIY, the National Public Radio station in Bethlehem Pennsylvania, and The SingOut! Radio Magazine, which is nationally syndicated and also available on podcast.

Betty began playing fiddle as a direct result of hearing J.P. Fraley play "Margaret's Waltz" on the Augusta stage one summer evening. In following years, she learned from Rachel Eddy, Dave Bing, the late Bill Hicks, James Bryan and Mike Bryant. Luckily enough, she also spent two master class weeks with West Virginia fiddler Wilson Douglas before his passing in 1999.Betty has especially enjoyed learning unusual oldertunes and those with great stories which may or may not be true. She enjoys playing for farmers' markets and dances, as well as singing songs with great harmonies.

NORM WILLIAMS
awayfarer-normw.com

Norm Williams is a performer/teacher of the mountain dulcimer who also plays guitar, banjo, ukulele, native flute and vocals.  Old-Time Appalachian fiddle and gospel songs and tunes as well as other folk styles influence his playing and singing. In 2017 he released a solo recording entitled “…a wayfarer; songs of hope and encouragement."

He is a co-founder of The Pocono Dulcimer Club and a coordinator of their DulcimerFest held annually in Stroudsburg, PA: a co-founder of the Maiden Creek Old Time Music Festival held annually the 2nd weekend in July. Norm began teaching mountain dulcimer in 2002 and has been faculty at festivals throughout the Northeast (including the Pocono DulcimerFest; Maiden Creek Old Time Festival, the French Creek Music Retreat, DAA Mountain Dulcimer Music Fest, August Dulcimer Days, Ashokan Music Camps & Augusta Heritage Center, WV).  Additionally, he coordinates music for Quiet Valley Historical Farm & Living History Museum in Stroudsburg for their annual Harvest Festival in October, Old Time Christmas caroling in December and their Music in the Valley program in July.

Norm also performs & records with the bands Wayfarers & Company, Tom & Betty Druckenmiller, with Cliff Cole & Rob Yoder in the band, Dulcimer Boys, on occassion with his good friend Russ Rentler ...and in lots of informal old time string bands who jam at Farmers Markets and the like throughout the Lehigh Valley. He is also a volunteer host for news and folk programming at WDIY 88.1FM, Lehigh Valley Community Public Radio.

Norm resides in Emmaus, PA with his wife, Erin.