NADINE DYSKANT-MILLER, at 16, is rapidly emerging as a dynamic player in the eastern US music scene.  Her versatile flute sounds, ranging from intense hard driving tone on reels to rich vibrato on lyric tunes, plus her amazing speed and grace, are unforgettable.  The pulsating rhythm of her foot percussion adds fire and kick to the already strong beat.  Nadine is currently on scholarship at the Eastman Community Music School.  She “fell in love” with contra dance music at age 11 and soon amassed a repertoire of hundreds of tunes.  She started foot percussion at a workshop with Paul Marchand. She honed her music skills at Ashokan and CDSS workshops, plus learning from the “greats”.  Nadine began playing professionally in 2004.  She has branched out into jazz and Latin music.  Her other passions include dancing, friendships, the outdoors, reading, photography, and making chain maille jewelry.

BARBARA DYSKANT, at over 21 (just a bit) has played keyboards all her life, in just about any style known to woman or man.  In addition to back-up in layers from fiery to gentle, she is known for intricate, well-crafted melody lines and strong improvisation within each style, all with breathtaking technical skill.  Barbara is also is a composer, improvisor, and prolific songwriter. She fell in love with contra dance music in 2003 after Nadine “dragged” her to a jam session, and she too quickly acquired an enormous repertoire plus writing original pieces.  Barbara studied at the Juilliard Preparatory Division, followed by performing with blues, Latin, and world beat bands, including her own band Madrugada.  She started the Southern Tier Country Dance Society in Olean in 2003.  She recently received a grant from the New York State Council for the Arts to create an original musical choral work celebrating the history of Olean.  Her other passions include photography, hiking/camping, swimming, the ocean, interesting conversations, laughter, and sustainability.