Curly Miller and Carole Anne Rose (pictured above with Clarke Buehling, left) play an unusual style of Old Time fiddle and clawhammer banjo, Hillbilly Fiddle Rags, Classic Banjo duets, Irish, Scottish, Celtic, World and historic music, featuring the duo's unique combination of talents. Curly is one of the premier fiddlers in the country today whose tone, texture and abilities, especially in the flatted keys, have broken new ground in exploring the old tunes. Carole Anne's own clawhammer (frailing) technique is combined with unique instruments including a custom-designed, hybrid 6-string, 5-string style, banjo (using the 12 1/2" pot of an 1893 S.S. Stewart Imperial Banjeaurine) and a fretless H.D. Moulton, circa 1870. Her unique clawhammer style captures the spirit and sound of the old recordings. Together, their music recreates the essence and driving force of the great Hillbilly Bands of the 1920-30's including the obscure flatted key Rags of the South Central US. Both players have farm-grown strength that translates into some powerful playing! They have been farming and playing music together since 1987.

Their organic farm, Sweden Creek Farm —where they grow Shiitake Mushrooms, herbs, and Edible Flowers — has kept them incredibly busy but, in recent years, they have managed to get away for concerts, teaching camps, Irish dance (Feis) competitions, and contradances.

Their recent schedule has included: Jay Ungar's Ashokan Southern Week 2005, where they taught fiddle and banjo, The Swannanoa Gathering Old Time Music & Dance 2004 Week teaching fiddle and banjo. The duo has been featured in performances with Phil Jamison, Rafe Stefanini, John Herrmann, The Canote Brothers, Gordy Hinners, Alice Gerrard, Kirk Sutphin, etc. They have taught and performed at the Ozark Folk Center since 1990 at various events with Mike Seeger, Tom Sauber, Brad Leftwich, and Alice Gerrard (Tom, Brad, and Alice), and contradance events with callers Phil Jamison, Beth Molaro, and Kathy Anderson. Their 3 CDs have received rave reviews in The Old Time Herald, The Banjo Newsletter, Fiddler Magazine, and The 5-String Quarterly, and are played on radio stations across the US and abroad. They were filmed for an AETN educational program featuring their music and for a Hollywood production starring Randy Travis and Rob Lowe.

The Old 78's Schedule for 2007

Look for THE OLD 78's in a feature article in The Old Time Herald, an East Coast Dance tour in April 2007 with caller Peter Lippincott, and a collaboration with Clarke Buehling of The Skirtlifters. The collaboration includes Merlefest 2007 on the Old Time stage, the Ozark Folk Center String Band Week, and the Walnut Valley Festival known as Winfield (KS). Plus, they willl begin their next recording together which will feature flatted-key fiddle rags, Classic Banjo orchestra pieces including the Cello Banjo, and Minstrel pieces from Clarke's highly regarded music collection.