Negaunee, Michigan – White Water, one of northern Michigan’s most popular folk music groups, will perform two concerts at the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee during a public open house on Sunday, May 19. The open house will be from noon to 4 p.m., and the White Water performances are scheduled at 1 and 2:30 p.m.
The open house kicks off a summer-long series of programs and events at the museum. Light refreshments will be served. Visitors should come early for premium seating in the performance space.
Dean and Bette Premo have made music as White Water since 1985. For much of that time, son Evan (now living in Vermont) and daughter Laurel (now in Kalamazoo) were part of the band. These days White Water takes on several forms (duo, trio, quartet, and more). Bette and Dean have been strong advocates of involving and teaching young musicians.
For the special museum open house concerts, White Water will be joined by Houghton-based “fiddlers” Emma and Carrie Dlutkowski and their mother Susan on piano. Emma and Carrie are long-time members of the U.P. classical music scene, and for the last three years they have been frequent performers with White Water. In addition to old and new White Water favorite tunes and stories, the ensemble will feature the music of Konsta Jylhä (1910-1984), a folk-virtuoso who made the traditional pelimanni-style folk music a Finnish cultural phenomenon. As a special treat, Emma and Carrie will show off some of their French-Canadian fiddling and foot percussion. The White Water ensemble will have at least a dozen instruments on stage including hammer dulcimers, fiddles, mandolins, guitars, piano, and more. Working with Dean Premo, Carrie Dlutkowski built a hammer dulcimer in 2010 and has quickly developed into a fine player.
“These concerts will be great fun. The energy and musical skills of Emma and Carrie add a new dimension to the music. Susan’s harmonium-style piano gives the Finnish tunes an emphatic pulse,” said Bette Premo.
In 1985, Drs. Bette and Dean Premo founded the environmental laboratory and consulting firm White Water Associates. The nationally recognized firm provides services in soil and water testing, scientific consulting, and environmental education. To learn more, go to www.white-water-associates.com.
The museum entrance is located on US-41E, one mile west of Junction M-35, in Negaunee Township. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged.
The Michigan Iron Industry Museum is one of 11 nationally accredited museums administered by the Michigan Historical Center, an agency within the Department of Natural Resources. It overlooks the site of the Carp River Forge, a pioneer industrial site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In May the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Starting in June the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information call 906-475-7857 or visit online at www.michigan.gov/ironindustrymuseum.
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