The Tamburitza Tradition: The book! The event!

Mills Music Library, in conjunction with University of Wisconsin Press, presents Richard March, author of the newly published book The Tamburitza Tradition: From the Balkans to the American Midwest, a lively and well-illustrated comprehensive introduction to a Balkan folk music that now also thrives in communities throughout Europe, the Americas, and Australia. Tamburitza features acoustic stringed instruments, ranging in size from tamburas as small as a ukulele to ones as large as a bass viol. March will talk about the music, play recordings, and perform musical examples.

Richard March was raised in the tamburitza tradition in the Croatian-American communities of Chicago and Los Angeles. He was the state folk arts specialist for the Wisconsin Arts Board until retiring, and was a longtime host of Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Down Home Dairyland” program. Mills Music Library has copies of broadcast tapes and research materials for the Down Home Dairyland radio series (1980s–1990s), which Richard March hosted along with James Leary, in the Wisconsin Music Archives.

This event is part of University Press Week, and is co-sponsored by University of Wisconsin Press, the Center for the Study of Upper Midwest Culture, Mills Music Library, and the Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia.

At a glance:

• What: The Tamburitza Tradition: From the Balkans to the American Midwest
• When: Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
• Where: Memorial Library, Room 126
• Audience: Free and open to the public
• Parking: Read about parking lots nearby and other transportation options here!