Resources: Local Musicians: The Druckenmiller Family
The Druckenmiller Family is a Lehigh Valley trio made up of father, mother and son (Tom, Betty and Nathan) who dedicate themselves to the play and preservation of old time traditional music. They pride themselves on authentic recreation of civil war material, Carter Family pieces and other traditional material that might be lost if artists like the them did not exist. The Druckenmillers play at festivals, folk association gatherings and other venues that feature acoustic music. They have numerous recordings that contain lovely arrangements of traditional music with homespun vocal harmonies and instrumental accompaniment.
Tom, who plays several instruments, is most fond of the clawhammer banjo. Betty is a rock solid old-timey fiddler. Nathan is a very talented young multi-instrumentalist who rounds out the family's sound with whatever instrument will contribute the most on a particular tune. Because old time music has so many particular tunings, the stage for any Druckenmiller performance is a cornucopia of acoustic instruments -- ready-tuned in the whole spectrum of tunings that they are likely to need.
Tom is host of radio show, "In the Tradition," on WDIY public radio out of Bethlehem, PA. From 7;00 to 9:00 pm every Wednesday, Tom plays selections of traditional music on frequency 88.1 FM. Tom also teaches clawhammer banjo at Meadowood Music. Betty teaches fiddle at Meadowood. The Drux recordings are available at Meadowood Music.