Art Form: old-time fiddling
Location(s): Remus and Big Rapids (Mecosta County)
Bruce Bauman
Portrait of Bruce Bauman
Bruce Bauman is a Southern Michigan native who settled in Remus after college in 1972. Bruce helped found the Wheatland Music Organization (WMO) in 1974 with, among others, 2016 MHA awardees the Costabella Cloggers. He served as the manager for the Wheatland Music Festival for two decades, produced by WMO, which will celebrate its forty-fourth anniversary in 2017. Nominator Marcia LeClear puts it, “As a founder and guiding force of the WMO since 1974, he has been the impetus to preserve and present traditional music and arts to the thousands that attend the yearly festival and Traditional Arts Weekend.” Bruce’s advocacy work extends throughout the state and country. He helped found the Hiawatha Music Co-Op in Marquette, the K’zoo Folklife Organization in Portage, and the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance. He is one of the founders of the Earful of Fiddle Music and Dance Camp in Rodney, Michigan, which provides opportunities for youth and adults alike to explore traditional music and dance since 2009.
Bruce picked up the fiddle in 1974 and, although through his work with the festival he has come in contact with traditional music from around the globe, he prefers to play music of Appalachia, the British Isles, and the Midwest. Aside from teaching and organizing, Bruce can be found performing and playing for dances with multiple bands, including The Rhythm Billies and The Palooka Brothers. His over forty years of experience have left him with a vast repertoire and an ability to teach and perform with ease. In his own words, “It’s the right and best thing to do.”
- Micah Ling, 2017
Josiah Hedman
Josiah Hedman began playing fiddle in 2019 at age 9, through a program coordinated by the Wheatland Music Organization. Bruce was his first teacher, and the pair have continued working together. Josiah appreciates the connection between his own family heritage and traditional music. His great-great-grandfather immigrated to Michigan to work in the Civilian Conservation Corps camps in the Upper Peninsula, which often included vernacular music of those living in close proximity. Music offered an opportunity for gathering and social dance. When Josiah began playing the fiddle, his great grandmother recognized some of the tunes that her own mother played on records after immigrated to Michigan from Ireland. Josiah particularly likes the intergenerational aspect of traditional music, offering opportunities for community building in an informal setting. Through this apprenticeship, he will expand his knowledge of Irish and Scottish tunes that connect to his heritage, and participate in events with local organizations like the Original Michigan Fiddlers Association.
