Livestream | Irish, Anglo, New England, and Contradance Music

Hi, I’m Dallas Vietty—accordion performer and educator based in Pennsylvania, USA. I’ve spent over a decade teaching accordion online and helping students find expressive, joyful, and creative ways to play music from all over the world. In this livestream, I’m stepping into a tradition I’ve long admired but never fully explored—one that’s rich with rhythm, beauty, and community.

This episode is titled “Irish, Anglo, New England, and Contradance Music”. These folk traditions, while distinct in origin and evolution, share a common thread of danceable rhythm, expressive phrasing, and an undeniable sense of joy. I’ve always been drawn to their sound and spirit, and in this session I’ll share my own musician’s-eye overview of how these styles connect—and where they diverge.

We’ll look at some of the traditional roots of these styles, how they’ve developed in different regions, and how modern players—like accordionist Karen Tweed and genre-blending guitarists—are bringing in elements of jazz harmony and contemporary color, using major and minor 7ths, sus2, and sus4 chords to add fresh textures while still honoring the dance-driven core of the music.

While this won’t be an exhaustive deep dive into each genre, it will be a celebration of what makes this music compelling and how accordionists might begin to approach it with curiosity and respect. If you love folk music and want to understand more about how these traditions work—and how they’re evolving—come join the journey.