In an age of technological saturation, FRESHWATER strives to rediscover the joy of live acoustic music. Drawing from the ethnic traditions of the British Isles, Canada, and our United States, FRESHWATER creates a simply exuberant musical experience using song, music, and the power of percussive step-dance... Budd Greenman, Nellie Schrantz, Nic Gareiss, and Bill Wiegandt all grew up in mid-Michigan. There, nurtured by the musicians in the local old-time and Celtic music circles, they began to absorb the traditions associated with fiddle music and percussive dancing. Bill learned folksongs from his father, Budd traveled with his mother to fiddle jamborees, Nic learned his first dance steps by watching his parents in their kitchen, and Nellie attended Irish sessions and feisanna. As FRESHWATER, their mission is to use the music they love to connect with people of all ages and especially to bridge the age gap that often separates young people from traditional music. The sound is rootsy and celebratory, conjuring up deep memories of place and time but in a way that is as crisp and renewing as the breeze off of the Great Lakes themselves. An old-time song might follow a set of Irish jigs; followed by a contemporary song, a few crisp Cape Breton srathspeys or some flat-footing. Dancing is a central element in FRESHWATER's performances. Both Nic and Nellie have spent the last ten years absorbing any kind of percussive dance they could. For Nellie this meant delving into the competitive world of Irish stepdance while for Nic it meant gleaning from Appalachian, French-Canadian, and the Irish sean-nos dance traditions. While the fiddle tunes crank and the harmonies blend, their feet become drumsticks, the floor becomes another instrument. Such engaging kinesis, you might find yourself dancing along! "Expect to be out of your seats... FRESHWATER evokes the heartbeat of heritage." - Lansing State Journal, June 2005. Freshwater, Biography Four post-moderns playing raucus dance music, pop-inspired arrangements of folksongs, and lots of free-spirited step-dancing. Budd Greenman, Nellie Schrantz, Nic Gareiss, and Bill Wiegandt all grew up in mid-Michigan. There, nurtured by the musicians in the local old-time and Celtic music circles, they began to absorb the traditions associated with fiddle music and percussive dancing. Bill learned folksongs from his father, Budd traveled with his mother to fiddle jamborees, Nic learned his first dance steps by watching his parents in their kitchen, and Nellie attended Irish sessions and feisanna. As FRESHWATER, their mission is to use the music they love to connect with people of all ages and especially to bridge the age gap that often separates young people from traditional music. Band Members Nic Gareiss, Budd Greenman, Nellie Schrantz, Bill Wiegandt, with special guest Joel Lane. Influences Le Vent du Nord, Solas, Iron and Wine, Bruce Molsky, Kate Rusby, Rodney Sutton, John Faulkner, Gerry McKee, Ian Carr, Simon Mayer, Buddy MacMaster, Brenda Stubbert, Richard Wood, Dean McGraw, John Doyle, Sandy Silva, John Heinzman, Liz Carrol, Andy Carlson, Eileen Ivers.