NHMC BOARD & MISSION STATEMENT
OUR MISSION
Established in 2005, Northeast Heritage Music Camp (NHMC) is now a 501(c)3 non-profit, group-run organization. The week-long camp, located in the heart of Vermont's Green Mountains, celebrates and promotes the acoustic music and folk dance traditions of New England and eastern Canada, along with related traditions from Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales, France, the southeastern United States, and other parts of the world.
NHMC is dedicated to fostering lifelong musicianship and love of traditional music through an immersive week-long educational program for musicians of all skill levels. Intensive, workshop-style classes encourage musical growth by both challenging and supporting students to take their musicianship to a new level.
Our goal is to create a vibrant and dynamic musical community in which students and faculty learn from one another and enjoy playing together in formal and informal settings - during the week of camp and beyond.
Northeast Heritage Music Camp was founded in 2005 by Peter Langston and Ken Perlman, who co-directed the camp from 2005-2011. In 2012 they passed the camp to the Board of Directors who started it anew in 2013. What a wonderful vision Peter and Ken had, and what a special camp they created. We are most appreciative and thankful to them for all they have done to make NHMC such a warm, musical community and, in continuing the camp, we strive to maintain that vision.
Our dedicated board members include staff and enthusiastic campers.
Others, too, have volunteered their time and skills toward the re-birth of NHMC. Thank you!
MEET THE BOARD
Our dedicated board members include staff and enthusiastic campers.
Others, too, have volunteered their time and skills toward the re-birth and continued growth of NHMC.
Thank you!
Others, too, have volunteered their time and skills toward the re-birth and continued growth of NHMC.
Thank you!
Rose Jackson - President
Montague, MA
Montague, MA
Back before the dawn of time (okay, perhaps only a couple decades ago), when cars still had tape decks and parents entertained their children by buckling them into car seats and turning on the stereo, Rose already knew exactly what she liked from her parents’ massive tape collection: Warren’s Zevon’s Excitable Boy and Nightingale’s The Coming Dawn. Fast forward a few years to when 9-year-old Rose, yet to play her first scratchy and out-of-tune note, met Becky Tracy, that oft-heard Nightingale fiddler, and realized that recordings were made by real live people, one of whom lived nearby! Warren Zevon didn’t stand a chance. From then on, it was all trad and only trad.
The folk scene of Western Mass was rife with opportunities for a young devotee, and in addition to taking up the fiddle under Becky’s tutelage, she was introduced to contra dancing at her elementary school. She began Morris dancing and step dancing soon after, and was a regular at the local pub sing long before she was allowed anywhere near the bar.
As a teenager, Rose became involved with the Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group, then under the artistic leadership of Pete Sutherland, who convinced her to come to “Nahumca.”
There was no looking back. After a few years as a camper, and charmed by promises of camp for free and hanging out with all the cool people, she joined the board in 2017, and became its president in 2020.
In addition to her work with NHMC, Rose wears many professional hats as a wilderness trip leader with Outward Bound, a gardener, a sewing assistant, and almost anything else she can get her hands on (she’s been a lift attendant, farmer, van driver, writing tutor, tall-ship deckhand and dog-sled guide). She toured nationally with the contra dance band Polaris and currently can be found playing dances around New England with various combinations of musicians she admires. She also loves linoleum block printing, knitting, and various other handicrafts which she occasionally sells to support her craft habit.
The folk scene of Western Mass was rife with opportunities for a young devotee, and in addition to taking up the fiddle under Becky’s tutelage, she was introduced to contra dancing at her elementary school. She began Morris dancing and step dancing soon after, and was a regular at the local pub sing long before she was allowed anywhere near the bar.
As a teenager, Rose became involved with the Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group, then under the artistic leadership of Pete Sutherland, who convinced her to come to “Nahumca.”
There was no looking back. After a few years as a camper, and charmed by promises of camp for free and hanging out with all the cool people, she joined the board in 2017, and became its president in 2020.
In addition to her work with NHMC, Rose wears many professional hats as a wilderness trip leader with Outward Bound, a gardener, a sewing assistant, and almost anything else she can get her hands on (she’s been a lift attendant, farmer, van driver, writing tutor, tall-ship deckhand and dog-sled guide). She toured nationally with the contra dance band Polaris and currently can be found playing dances around New England with various combinations of musicians she admires. She also loves linoleum block printing, knitting, and various other handicrafts which she occasionally sells to support her craft habit.
Oliver Scanlon - Vice President
South Burlington, VT
Inspired by Pete Sutherland and his contradance band at the Lake Champlain Waldorf School, Oliver began playing traditional music when he was in fourth grade. His early training included a stint playing viola with the Vermont Youth Orchestra, in addition to some years in various Young Tradition Vermont programs including Fiddle Heads and the Touring Group.
Oliver first appeared at Northeast Heritage Music Camp in 2006 at 11 years old with his red fiddle case in hand and bright green Crocs under foot, ready to be inspired by the immense talent of the camp’s faculty. NHMC’s inspiration turned out to be a success as in 2008 Oliver and a few talented middle school friends formed the group which became the The Irregulars and in 2013 he co-founded Pete’s Posse and became the youngest member of Sutherland’s long running dance band The Clayfoot Strutters.
Oliver was recruited to join the NHMC board in 2016 and became its vice president in 2020 where he continues to serve today. Presently Oliver teaches private fiddle and mandolin lessons, performs at concerts and contradances, provides live sound reinforcement in and around Vermont, and works at local violin shop Vermont Violins. He is also a proud cat dad of two of the loveliest kitties on the planet, Azalea and Monroe.
Oliver first appeared at Northeast Heritage Music Camp in 2006 at 11 years old with his red fiddle case in hand and bright green Crocs under foot, ready to be inspired by the immense talent of the camp’s faculty. NHMC’s inspiration turned out to be a success as in 2008 Oliver and a few talented middle school friends formed the group which became the The Irregulars and in 2013 he co-founded Pete’s Posse and became the youngest member of Sutherland’s long running dance band The Clayfoot Strutters.
Oliver was recruited to join the NHMC board in 2016 and became its vice president in 2020 where he continues to serve today. Presently Oliver teaches private fiddle and mandolin lessons, performs at concerts and contradances, provides live sound reinforcement in and around Vermont, and works at local violin shop Vermont Violins. He is also a proud cat dad of two of the loveliest kitties on the planet, Azalea and Monroe.
Gianna Marzilli Ericson - Secretary
Arlington, MA
Gianna has been a fiddler for nearly half her life and a musician for almost all of it. At age 7 she taped numbers to the keys on her step-dad’s piano, attempting to teach herself songs. Her mom took the hint and signed her up for lessons. A few years later Gianna’s step-mom brought her to a Pioneer Valley contra dance, where she fell in love with dance music and promised herself she’d learn to play it. It took awhile, but she eventually traded classical piano for fiddle.
In 2008 - a few years after her first fiddle lessons - a friend invited her to Fiddle Hell, where she learned about NHMC. In what was perhaps the most fortuitous musical decision of her life so far, she gifted herself a week at camp upon finishing grad school in 2009 and thus found herself connected to a community of musicians, mentors, and friends across Massachusetts and Vermont who have enriched her life ever since.
In particular, Gianna owes a debt of gratitude to David Kaynor along with many associated Montague MA and Montpelier VT musicians, and to her stepdad Glenn - her first musical partner. Without them she would’ve had far fewer opportunities to practice messing up in front of people and know far less about many important things in life, including not only how to play music but also the value of joyfully sharing it with others.
In recent years, Gianna has played for contra dances around the northeast, been a frequent coffee shop, church, and community musician, and taught fiddle tunes and harmony workshops at camp, online, and at Fiddle Hell. Gianna joined the NHMC board in 2020 with much excitement and gratitude. In addition to playing fiddle and piano, Gianna sings, writes tunes, and likes to mess around on any instrument tuned GDAE. Outside of music, she works as a UX designer and researcher in the field of healthcare technology, bikes a lot, grows vegetables, and spends a ton of time with her family, including her two kids.
In 2008 - a few years after her first fiddle lessons - a friend invited her to Fiddle Hell, where she learned about NHMC. In what was perhaps the most fortuitous musical decision of her life so far, she gifted herself a week at camp upon finishing grad school in 2009 and thus found herself connected to a community of musicians, mentors, and friends across Massachusetts and Vermont who have enriched her life ever since.
In particular, Gianna owes a debt of gratitude to David Kaynor along with many associated Montague MA and Montpelier VT musicians, and to her stepdad Glenn - her first musical partner. Without them she would’ve had far fewer opportunities to practice messing up in front of people and know far less about many important things in life, including not only how to play music but also the value of joyfully sharing it with others.
In recent years, Gianna has played for contra dances around the northeast, been a frequent coffee shop, church, and community musician, and taught fiddle tunes and harmony workshops at camp, online, and at Fiddle Hell. Gianna joined the NHMC board in 2020 with much excitement and gratitude. In addition to playing fiddle and piano, Gianna sings, writes tunes, and likes to mess around on any instrument tuned GDAE. Outside of music, she works as a UX designer and researcher in the field of healthcare technology, bikes a lot, grows vegetables, and spends a ton of time with her family, including her two kids.
Todd Taska - Treasurer
Montpelier, VT
Todd grew up with his mom playing cello and with classical music (especially Pablo Casals and Jacqueline Dupre) often in the background. He took piano and then French horn lessons, but didn’t much like to practice. It was as a teenager, while incessantly listening to the progressive rock bands of the day that he began to play piano a lot on his own. This continued through college and beyond.
After college, some friends took him to the contradance at the Cambridge VFW and it was a revelatory experience…in many ways. Once in Vermont, he eventually joined the Contradance Umbrella, the organizing group of the Montpelier contradance, and he served on this board, booking callers and bands, and creating innumerable flyers, for 25 years. Through this he met many dancers, callers, and musicians.
In 2012, Todd went to the two meetings held by people interested in restarting something like NHMC, after Ken and Peter ended their run with it. He became a part of the new board, which re-booted a camp of the same name, having many of the same features (and faculty), as a non-profit.
Since 2010, when Todd bought his second accordion, he has taken many lessons and classes (particularly with Jeremiah McLane), and attended a variety of camps and workshops. He still has a love of music which fuses elements of different genres…whether those be traditional dance music, classical, rock, or jazz.
In his life outside of music, Todd is dad to two grown kids and now the proud grandfather of a one-year old granddaughter (who is already “playing” pianos and keyboards). He loves to hike, run, Nordic ski, and study and learn languages…among many other interests.
NHMC has been an incredible project for him to be involved with, and he has contributed to all the work of the board in many ways.
After college, some friends took him to the contradance at the Cambridge VFW and it was a revelatory experience…in many ways. Once in Vermont, he eventually joined the Contradance Umbrella, the organizing group of the Montpelier contradance, and he served on this board, booking callers and bands, and creating innumerable flyers, for 25 years. Through this he met many dancers, callers, and musicians.
In 2012, Todd went to the two meetings held by people interested in restarting something like NHMC, after Ken and Peter ended their run with it. He became a part of the new board, which re-booted a camp of the same name, having many of the same features (and faculty), as a non-profit.
Since 2010, when Todd bought his second accordion, he has taken many lessons and classes (particularly with Jeremiah McLane), and attended a variety of camps and workshops. He still has a love of music which fuses elements of different genres…whether those be traditional dance music, classical, rock, or jazz.
In his life outside of music, Todd is dad to two grown kids and now the proud grandfather of a one-year old granddaughter (who is already “playing” pianos and keyboards). He loves to hike, run, Nordic ski, and study and learn languages…among many other interests.
NHMC has been an incredible project for him to be involved with, and he has contributed to all the work of the board in many ways.
Chris Knippenberg - Member at Large
Hartland, VT
A series of fortunate events brought Chris to the NHMC board. She had been a dabbler in music, with self-taught piano as a youngster, some intensive classical guitar study in Australia (in the John Williams era!), and then a long hiatus with only folk guitar and erstwhile singing to fill the hollows.
As yet another Vermont winter night loomed long and silent, she finally decided that she simply HAD to play music again. Her dad had played accordion, and she loved the sound. Jumping at the chance to study with Jeremiah McLane, she never looked back. A friend mentioned the Northeast Music Heritage Camp in Johnson, Vermont. Though in way over her musical depth, she discovered a vibrant, wonderful music and dance universe and was warmly welcomed to it.
One thing led to another and soon she found herself part of the original group who re-invented NHMC as the non-profit it is today. She credits that work with sealing her commitment to helping create a musical community where everyone belongs. On the board for over 10 years, she has worked in a variety of capacities toward this goal.
When not playing tunes on accordion, or picking out chords on the ukulele, Chris is a mostly-retired occupational therapist, avid cyclist, and sometime artist and spoonmaker.
As yet another Vermont winter night loomed long and silent, she finally decided that she simply HAD to play music again. Her dad had played accordion, and she loved the sound. Jumping at the chance to study with Jeremiah McLane, she never looked back. A friend mentioned the Northeast Music Heritage Camp in Johnson, Vermont. Though in way over her musical depth, she discovered a vibrant, wonderful music and dance universe and was warmly welcomed to it.
One thing led to another and soon she found herself part of the original group who re-invented NHMC as the non-profit it is today. She credits that work with sealing her commitment to helping create a musical community where everyone belongs. On the board for over 10 years, she has worked in a variety of capacities toward this goal.
When not playing tunes on accordion, or picking out chords on the ukulele, Chris is a mostly-retired occupational therapist, avid cyclist, and sometime artist and spoonmaker.
Don Houghton - Member at Large
Craftsbury, VT
Don has been in love with playing the guitar for a good many years; as a camp counselor on Long Island he would arrive at a campfire with a guitar strapped to his back and get everyone to sing along with his favorite Kingston Trio songs. It wasn’t long before he got his own guitar and was figuring out Peter, Paul and Mary songs from the records he’d bought.
Fast forward to more recent times. Don and his wife had spent their careers teaching French and Spanish, they had designed and built their house in the suburbs of rural Craftsbury, and Don found himself with time to focus on his guitar music. As a way of re-creating the experience of group singing, he invested in a few dozen copies of Rise Up Singing, and invited folks to join him in song for an evening; he called these events ‘Houghtonannies,’ and while Covid interrupted that practice, the possibility of coming together in song with friends and neighbors still provides him with great pleasure.
Meanwhile, Don and his banjo-playing neighbor Ned discovered a common interest in music and began playing and singing together, to the extent that they now call themselves ‘How Two,’ (Houghton and Houston), and regularly perform in mostly local venues. While Don claims that “neither one of us is an accomplished instrumentalist…what we do especially enjoy, and do well, is blend our voices in harmony.”
Don attended NHMC for two years as a camper, and after having had the amazing experience of working with master guitar teachers Yann Falquet and David Surette, decided to sign on as a Board member to put himself in the middle of things and be involved in the planning that takes place to insure that campers’ experiences are engaging, motivating, and perhaps even life changing. While he has a specific interest in guitar content, he’s looking forward to working within a group representing wide and varied interests, for the benefit of every participant.
Fast forward to more recent times. Don and his wife had spent their careers teaching French and Spanish, they had designed and built their house in the suburbs of rural Craftsbury, and Don found himself with time to focus on his guitar music. As a way of re-creating the experience of group singing, he invested in a few dozen copies of Rise Up Singing, and invited folks to join him in song for an evening; he called these events ‘Houghtonannies,’ and while Covid interrupted that practice, the possibility of coming together in song with friends and neighbors still provides him with great pleasure.
Meanwhile, Don and his banjo-playing neighbor Ned discovered a common interest in music and began playing and singing together, to the extent that they now call themselves ‘How Two,’ (Houghton and Houston), and regularly perform in mostly local venues. While Don claims that “neither one of us is an accomplished instrumentalist…what we do especially enjoy, and do well, is blend our voices in harmony.”
Don attended NHMC for two years as a camper, and after having had the amazing experience of working with master guitar teachers Yann Falquet and David Surette, decided to sign on as a Board member to put himself in the middle of things and be involved in the planning that takes place to insure that campers’ experiences are engaging, motivating, and perhaps even life changing. While he has a specific interest in guitar content, he’s looking forward to working within a group representing wide and varied interests, for the benefit of every participant.
Cynthia Thomas - Member at Large
Leverett, MA
Cynthia loves harmony. And there’s always a tune in her head, always. As a child, the family car trips were always filled with song. Music was everywhere.
Thanks to public schools that value the arts, in fourth grade a fiddle was thrust into her hands, complete with lessons. While she liked classical music, she felt something was missing. After five years and a school change she put down her violin. As she filled the void playing early and baroque music duets on recorder with piano, her violin lay sadly neglected until 2004 when her nephew asked her to play fiddle for his wedding - note fiddle, not violin. It was her rising-of-the-phoenix moment.
Cynthia entered the trad music scene through David Kaynor’s welcoming Monday night sessions. She loves to play harmony and improv. Her current trad favs, any music with a French accent: Quebecois music with French Press, French-Breton music and Balfolk dances with Danse Café, and Balfolk music with Duo Thomas-Fownes. Full disclosure here: the Balfolk music seduced her into learning the diatonic accordion - it’s SO french!
When not making music Cynthia designs and creates a line of fun, women’s clothing with her sister-in-law at First Mountain Design. Other distractions include making art and biking the scenic byways of the Pioneer Valley.
Cynthia attended her first NHMC way back in 2006, its second year. She’s probably its longest attending attendee! With NHMC she has found her vibe, her tribe. She remains grateful for the wonderful music, awesome community, good times, and lovely friends NHMC has given her.
Thanks to public schools that value the arts, in fourth grade a fiddle was thrust into her hands, complete with lessons. While she liked classical music, she felt something was missing. After five years and a school change she put down her violin. As she filled the void playing early and baroque music duets on recorder with piano, her violin lay sadly neglected until 2004 when her nephew asked her to play fiddle for his wedding - note fiddle, not violin. It was her rising-of-the-phoenix moment.
Cynthia entered the trad music scene through David Kaynor’s welcoming Monday night sessions. She loves to play harmony and improv. Her current trad favs, any music with a French accent: Quebecois music with French Press, French-Breton music and Balfolk dances with Danse Café, and Balfolk music with Duo Thomas-Fownes. Full disclosure here: the Balfolk music seduced her into learning the diatonic accordion - it’s SO french!
When not making music Cynthia designs and creates a line of fun, women’s clothing with her sister-in-law at First Mountain Design. Other distractions include making art and biking the scenic byways of the Pioneer Valley.
Cynthia attended her first NHMC way back in 2006, its second year. She’s probably its longest attending attendee! With NHMC she has found her vibe, her tribe. She remains grateful for the wonderful music, awesome community, good times, and lovely friends NHMC has given her.
