Interview with Vonnie Estes
Dublin Core
Title
Interview with Vonnie Estes
Date
12/01/2016
Is Part Of
Skidmore-Saratoga Memory Project
Publisher
DS113A: Storytelling Interviewing, Skidmore College
Description
Interview with Vonnie Estes, musician, dancer, and volunteer at The Flurry Festival, a three-day music and dance festival in Saratoga Springs, NY. Estes speaks about growing up, her evolution as a piano player, the history of The Flurry Festival, and her influence over many folk music events around the Northeast.
Language
English
Creator
Clara-Sophia Daly
Subject
Saratoga Springs -- Flurry Festival -- History
Format
Original recording wav file, 16 bit 44.1 khz
Abstract
00:0:26 Header
00:0 20 Explanation of The Flurry Festival and types of music there.
00:1:30 Vonnie Estes. Born in Syracuse New York October 12 1953. Grew up in Fabias New York. Played Piano as a child and took private lessons in school.
00:5:22 Volunteered at Boston Spa Historical Society. Attended first contra dance in 1978.
00:10:17 Attended first Flurry Festival Dance in Gymnasium.
00:14:36 People come back to The Flurry Festival year after year for the community. Many relationships are formed from the music and dance community.
00:18:20 Describes why it is so fun to play for dancers as opposed to jamming with other musicians in a house concert setting.
00:20:40 Young Skidmore students attend jam sessions with other local musicians.
00:23:20 Describes music sessions as “welcoming” and inclusive.
00:25:40 Explains other music groups in NY area that Vonnie Estes and husband are members of.
00:29:10 Defines what a hammer dulcimer is
00:32:26 Prefers upright piano to a keyboard. Likes the acoustic sound and tonality of a real piano.
00:35:15 Describes her job at General Electric working with digital equipment and using a genographics machine to digitize images.
00:36:16 Describes the lack of communication today in comparison with when she was young.
00:38:50 Meets volunteers at The Flurry who are also community minded.
00:41:32 Explains a typical day at The Flurry and what she does. Goes from venue to venue around Saratoga to hear music, play music, dance and volunteer.
00:42:21 Added three extra hours to schedule for The Flurry Festival in 2016.
00:42:46 Describes husbands responsibilities in relation the The Flurry.
00:45:40 Calls her husband “tall, dark and handsome” and “a good dancer”.
00:46:36 Losing Saratoga Music Hall as a venue. Talks about new venue possibilities for The Flurry.
00:49:05 Describes contra dancing as easy. You only have to know “your right from your left hand and walk up and down”
00:49:38 Explains what a “figure” is in terms of square dancing.
00:50:04 Talks about how contra dances used to be segregated by gender, but now are not. Used to be called “proper” dances, now they are “improper” - meaning that it is mixed woman and men and not separate. Notable change in contra dance.
00:51:29 When asked about politics in this country as a whole: “We’re in trouble coming up” “I didn’t vote for him”
00:52:13 Invites all Skidmore students and dancers to The Flurry and to other local dances in the area.
00:52:56 Thank you from Interviewer to Interviewee.
00:0 20 Explanation of The Flurry Festival and types of music there.
00:1:30 Vonnie Estes. Born in Syracuse New York October 12 1953. Grew up in Fabias New York. Played Piano as a child and took private lessons in school.
00:5:22 Volunteered at Boston Spa Historical Society. Attended first contra dance in 1978.
00:10:17 Attended first Flurry Festival Dance in Gymnasium.
00:14:36 People come back to The Flurry Festival year after year for the community. Many relationships are formed from the music and dance community.
00:18:20 Describes why it is so fun to play for dancers as opposed to jamming with other musicians in a house concert setting.
00:20:40 Young Skidmore students attend jam sessions with other local musicians.
00:23:20 Describes music sessions as “welcoming” and inclusive.
00:25:40 Explains other music groups in NY area that Vonnie Estes and husband are members of.
00:29:10 Defines what a hammer dulcimer is
00:32:26 Prefers upright piano to a keyboard. Likes the acoustic sound and tonality of a real piano.
00:35:15 Describes her job at General Electric working with digital equipment and using a genographics machine to digitize images.
00:36:16 Describes the lack of communication today in comparison with when she was young.
00:38:50 Meets volunteers at The Flurry who are also community minded.
00:41:32 Explains a typical day at The Flurry and what she does. Goes from venue to venue around Saratoga to hear music, play music, dance and volunteer.
00:42:21 Added three extra hours to schedule for The Flurry Festival in 2016.
00:42:46 Describes husbands responsibilities in relation the The Flurry.
00:45:40 Calls her husband “tall, dark and handsome” and “a good dancer”.
00:46:36 Losing Saratoga Music Hall as a venue. Talks about new venue possibilities for The Flurry.
00:49:05 Describes contra dancing as easy. You only have to know “your right from your left hand and walk up and down”
00:49:38 Explains what a “figure” is in terms of square dancing.
00:50:04 Talks about how contra dances used to be segregated by gender, but now are not. Used to be called “proper” dances, now they are “improper” - meaning that it is mixed woman and men and not separate. Notable change in contra dance.
00:51:29 When asked about politics in this country as a whole: “We’re in trouble coming up” “I didn’t vote for him”
00:52:13 Invites all Skidmore students and dancers to The Flurry and to other local dances in the area.
00:52:56 Thank you from Interviewer to Interviewee.
Date Created
12/02/2016
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Interviewer
Clara-Sophia Daly
Interviewee
Vonnie Estes
Location
Lucy Scribner Library, Room 127, Skidmore College - Saratoga Springs NY
Original Format
Digital audio recording
Duration
53 minutes
Record Creation Date
06/12/2016
Collection
Citation
Clara-Sophia Daly, “Interview with Vonnie Estes ,” Skidmore Saratoga Memory Project, accessed January 31, 2025, https://ssmp.skidmore.edu/document/405.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.
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