Art Form: old-time music

Location(s): East Lansing (Ingham County)

Pretty Shaky String Band

Members of the Pretty Shaky String Band performing at Iris Farm

Members of the Pretty Shaky String Band perform c. 1975

The Pretty Shaky String Band (PSSB) formed in in mid-1970s as a weekly music party; fifteen to thirty people would show up. Musicians of all skill levels would play old-time tunes and songs together, learning as they went. This was during a big folk music boom in the greater Lansing area, with many “Shakys” working at local fretted instrument store Elderly Instruments and participating in the local contra dances and folk concert series at the Ten Pound Fiddle. In fact, it was Elderly owner Stan Werbin that coined the group’s name. After a fairly ragged rendition of an unfamiliar tune, Werbin stated “pretty shaky,” everyone laughed, and the name stuck. While the decades of experience now see the group’s leaders as much less shaky on their instruments, the legacy of inclusion lives on. For more the four decades, the group meets every Wednesday for tunes and socializing. In addition to the weekly session, members of the PSSB often play local concerts and community events, including the Bath and East Lansing farmers markets, the East Lansing Art Fair, Ingham County Health Care Facility, and Woldumar Nature Center. Because of their proximity to MSU’s campus, the group often serves as an entry point for young musicians interested in traditional music. The group is very intergenerational, which exemplifies the way community music can bridge gaps between people of varying identities.

A point of pride for the PSSB is its welcoming spirit. Rather than solely having the fiddle player select tunes like many sessions do, this task is shared by all in a round-robin arrangement. This allows beginner players to pick common tunes they know well and affords more experienced players the opportunity to share new tunes with the group. Through this practice, the group has built a strong repertoire of tunes that are recognizable to regulars and combines “chestnuts” (or old standards played around the region) with some original tunes and less common favorites sprinkled in. Many participants have notable musical careers outside (or alongside) their involvement with the group, including Joel Mabus, Sally Rogers, Wanda Degen, Kitty Donohoe, members of Scarlet Runner String Band, Top Drawer String Band, Lost World String Band, Hardtack & Pigs Feet, Bosom Buddies String Band, and GRAMMY winner Marcy Marxer. Though the jam itself usually has about 15-20 participants, the group’s Facebook page has over 450 members. These include people who no longer live in the area but wish to remain connected to this musical community as well as people who have never participated in the group but like to keep up on goings on. This embodies the adage “once a Shaky, always a Shaky.” To honor that phrase, the group hosts a reunion each August and welcomes all Shakys to join in music making together. 

- Micah Ling, 2023