Kelly Marie Martin
Old time fiddling and music
Old time music is a unique form of American folk music rooted in fiddle music from England, Scotland, and Ireland, with the blending of the banjo from Africa. It is dance music– through community square dances and clogging–and is played acoustically. Old time music is an oral tradition, passed from player to player in real time. A big part of learning this music is coming together with other musicians in the tradition to learn and teach tunes by playing together.
Los Angeles-based Triple Chicken Foot is an old time trio playing fiddle and banjo tunes and songs, with Ben Guzman on fiddle/mandolin, Mike Heinle on banjo, and Kelly Marie Martin on guitar. They all three sing. For over five years, playing old time music in Los Angeles has brought them to backyard bbqs, the 100th anniversary of a Danish church, the Autry National Center, LACMA, weddings, numerous clubs around Southern California, and NPR. They have also performed at numerous local festivals throughout the West Coast. Honoring the tradition of the roots of this music as an oral and community-based experience, Triple Chicken Foot hosts monthly jams, quarterly square dances, and produces the annual Los Angeles Old Time Social.
In 2012, as a participant in ACTA’s Development Program, Triple Chicken Foot’s Kelly Marie Martin attended the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention, allowing her to both fully participate in the festival as an individual musician, as well as network for Triple Chicken Foot’s own annual festival.