Bios
Maureen McCarty
MUSIC COMPILATION, ARRANGEMENTS, EDI
Maureen McCarty lived most of her youth in Madison, Wisconsin, where she longed to play a violin that had been passed down in her family: an instrument first owned by her great great grandfather.
At age ten she was lucky enough to start strings classes at her public school. In her twenties she was employed as a musician at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, WI, while during the off-seasons, she earned her violin degree from UW-Madison. Later she had the life-changing experience of playing in two professional orchestras in Spain: in Barcelona and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
From her youth she loved to teach. Eventually she began teaching strings and orchestra classes in the Wisconsin public schools, and now enjoys teaching a variety of students, from 9 to 84, in private lessons at her home. She is also a member of the Camerata String Quartet, and is a board member of IST: Independent Strings Teachers of Madison.
Elliott Abramson
MUSIC COMPILATION & TEXT
Elliott Abramson was born in Brooklyn, NY lo many, many years ago and devoted most of his pre-adult life to rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers and his special hero, Jackie Robinson, whom Elliott saw play in his rookie season, 1947. He still thinks that Robinson. second baseman extraordinaire, fighter for civil rights, a man of compassion, was one of the very greatest Americans of the 20th century.
Elliott also loved his Alma Mater, Columbia though not so much law school at Harvard. But having been skillfully tormented by his professors’ persistently penetrating questions and comments he became a law professor himself. He taught in Chicago, Salem, Oregon and Los Angeles and unmercifully harassed students in each place.
Unmercifully is also the way most who heard him said he played the violin. But, as the great pianist, Rudolf Serkin, said when asked about the violin playing of his friend, Albert Einstein, “ Squeak, squeak, squeak, but he loves it so.”
Laurie Shaman
Artwork
Artist Laurie Shaman has been creating ceramic vessels and works on paper for over 45 years, working out of her studio in Chicago, Illinois. Her work has been featured in many group and solo exhibitions across the country.
In the early 1980s, her pottery career began in Mineral Point, Wisconsin — eventually meeting Maureen at American Players Theatre where they appeared in four seasons of stage productions. Laurie’s current artwork can be seen at LaurieShaman.com.
Arias, Ländlers & Laments is for violinists...
…who wish to perform an assortment of melodic pieces at a level that does not require virtuosic technique … who often play without an accompanist so will benefit by melodies arranged for one violinist alone … who are invited to play for an event as a solo violinist and need a variety of repertoire … who enjoy many styles, keys, tempi and genres … who want to learn multiple pieces found altogether in one attractively designed volume!
