Skolkis: noun (Swedish, slang) A person who skips out on responsibilities, a truant.
Skolkis, four extraordinary musicians from Seattle, WA, pull out all the stops! Fiddlers Emma Anderson, Martha Levenson, Vicki Watt Warshaw, and guitarist EJ Landsman take listeners on a rollicking musical tour of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden and pay tribute to master musicians who inspired them. The quartet features original compositions and traditional tunes, plus selections written by renowned Scandinavian artists. The result is music that lightens the heart and step, lifts the spirit, and prompts an audience to clamor for more.
Skolkis’ music is a cut above - not only for its fine melodies and quality musicianship but also for amazing original harmonies—a Skolkis signature. Their music creates joy that lingers and energy that sends feet to the dance floor. The group’s name, in Swedish, means “playing hooky,” and it’s a good fit for the group’s playful stage presence. Skolkis cut its teeth playing for dances in Seattle and for several years has been a featured group at the Northwest Folklife Festival. A favorite Pacific Northwest dance band, they’ve shown that talent, dedication, and perseverance pay off.
Skolkis’ music is a cut above - not only for its fine melodies and quality musicianship but also for amazing original harmonies—a Skolkis signature. Their music creates joy that lingers and energy that sends feet to the dance floor. The group’s name, in Swedish, means “playing hooky,” and it’s a good fit for the group’s playful stage presence. Skolkis cut its teeth playing for dances in Seattle and for several years has been a featured group at the Northwest Folklife Festival. A favorite Pacific Northwest dance band, they’ve shown that talent, dedication, and perseverance pay off.
Emma Anderson
Emma started out playing classical violin nearly 18 years ago, and began playing Scandinavian music while studying at Stockholm University in 2007. She is crazy about most Nordic music, but is particularly partial to tunes that come from the south of Sweden in the region of Småland. Emma loves to bake, read, and experiment with printmaking.
|
EJ Landsman
EJ got their first guitar when they were thirteen, and it has been true love ever since. Joining Skolkis introduced EJ to a world of Scandinavian music, and is enthusiastically immersed in it through playing with the group, learning tunes on their own, and visiting Swedish spelmansstämmor (musicians' festivals). EJ is also an artist, illustrator, and mediocre acrobat.
|
Martha Levenson
Martha is passionate about fiddling, and in particular loves to play for dancing. While she focuses musically on the area of Sweden known as Western Dalarna, she enjoys music from all the Nordic countries. When not fiddling, you might find Martha in her garden, hanging out with her dog, or building her endless supply of utterly corny jokes.
|
Vicki Watt Warshaw
Vicki has family roots that stretch to the north of Sweden in Jämtland, which sparked her interest Scandinavian music. She lives in Seattle with her husband and two daughters, and enjoys knitting in her spare time.
|