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Skålmusik (pronounced SKOAL-musik) is a five-piece ensemble, founded in 1990, that performs traditional Scandinavian and Scandinavian/American dance and vocal music. Descendants of immigrant Swedes and Norwegians to Minnesota, they play the music of their heritage on fiddles, accordions, guitar, double bass, accordions, pump organ, guitar and string bass.

Each member of the group is deeply rooted in Scandinavian tradition. Wife and husband team Mary Abendroth and Paul Wilson are both inspired by their families: Abendroth specializes in singing lullabies and "ditties" she learned from her Swedish grandfather, and Wilson makes violins in the tradition of his great grandfather. Brothers Arne and Bob Anderson grew up in a family where all seven children and their parents played music together. Arne has been a professional luthier for 25 years and has built hundreds of string instruments, and Bob still plays the same string bass he has owned for over 50 years. Completing the band on piano accordion is Harold Herboldt, who has been playing the instrument for about 60 years.

Skålmusik has performed at a wide range of venues, including elementary schools and elder hostels, ethnic festivals, community celebrations, state fairs, and historical societies, and they especially enjoy old time Swedish- and Norwegian-American dances. They have also performed for the King and Queen of Sweden, appeared on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion," and toured in Sweden and Norway. They have produced two recordings on the Timmerhus label, "Gammaldans i Skogen" in 1997 and "The Barnburner" in 1999. Members of Skålmusik have made a name for themselves not only as musicians and entertainers, but also as bearers of a long tradition that they cherish and are working tirelessly to keep alive.

Minnesota Folk Artists Directory. St. Paul, Minnesota

http://www.brainerd.net/~pwilson/skalmusik/