The Bishop Hill Heritage Association is holding a free Scandinavian Folk Music Instrumental Workshop on January 21, 2024, at 1 PM. Minneapolis-based string duo, The OK Factor, and award-winning Swedish quintet Jaerv will give the two-hour workshop at the Dairy Building, located at 410 North Erickson Street. The workshop is open to all ages and preregistration is not required so bring your instrument of choice and learn Scandinavian Folk Music. Jaerv and The OK Factor will perform at the Bishop Hill Creative Commons later in the evening. For more details, contact the BHHA at 309 927-3899 or at [email protected].
They first met in 2017 when The OK Factor opened for Jaerv at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. Finding much in common, they stayed in touch and are now starting their second US tour. Both groups are inspired by classical, folk, and pop music. Jaerv is a Swedish quintet that presents an energetic take on traditional music with jazz and pop influences. The group is made of members Joel Hagen, Markus Gustavsson, Tobias Hedlund (not part of the January 2024 US-tour) , Harald Nilsson, and Anders Bergsten. Collectively the quintet performs with instruments like flute, fiddle, pump organ, nyckelharpa, and vocals.
The OK Factor is the duo of cellist Olivia Diercks and violinist Karla Colahan. They celebrate a decade of writing, performing, and touring. They share their love of music throughout communities by hosting outreach activities and workshops.
This free workshop is sponsored by the Bishop Hill Heritage Association and funded by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, and the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation. Special thanks to John Taylor for his assistance in organizing this workshop.
