Rattlin’ Bones: The Musical Clappers

Join local musician Steve Brown for a look at the history, manufacture, and technique of playing “the bones,” pairs of clappers made from bone or wood that have been used in a variety of musical forms throughout history, from early American minstrel shows to Irish folk groups. A manufacturer of bones as well as an accomplished performer, Brown talks about and demonstrates a number of different types of this simple-looking, but rhythmically dynamic instrument. Joining Brown is Marek Bennett on banjo and fiddle.