Front Porch Visit with The Druckenmillers and Norm Williams – Sunday Matinee of Old-Time Tunes, Heartfelt Stories, and Front Porch Charm

Spend a spring afternoon immersed in the warm sounds of old-time music with The Druckenmillers and Norm Williams at Godfrey Daniels. Tom, Betty, and Nathan Druckenmiller—alongside longtime collaborator Norm Williams—bring a front porch feel to the stage, sharing traditional Appalachian tunes, rare folk songs, and a story or two with banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, and guitar. As co-founders of the beloved Maidencreek Old-Time Music Festival, these artists are dedicated keepers of musical tradition and community. Join us for a relaxed and inviting session in our Live Music Listening Room, where music is shared the way it used to be—up close, personal, and from the heart.

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.

Tom and Betty, with their son Nate, began performing and recording in the 1990s. With Norm Williams and others, they have made six recordings, most recently "Bound to Change."  

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 older tunes 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.

Tom and Betty, with Norm Williams, Paula Taylor and Mike Andrews, are founders of the Maidencreek Old-time Music Festival, held in July every year in a lovely picnic grove in Berks County, Pennsylvania. It's a hands-on learning and teaching event, one day only, with concerts, crafts and a great community of old-time musicians and fans in attendance.

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, gospel songs, tunes, and 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 news and folk programming host at WDIY 88.1FM, Lehigh Valley Community Public Radio.