Dave Ruch will give a special concert program entitled “Songs and Stories of the Erie Canal” on May 16th at the Earlville Opera House at 7pm. Dave Ruch is a special musician who sings and plays music for all ages on an intriguing assortment of instruments including mandolin, banjo, guitar, jaw harp, bones, spoons and more. His concerts are characterized by a warm rapport with the audience, excellent musicianship, enlightening historical tidbits and just the right amount of humor.

Here’s a concert featuring a treasure trove of music from Dave’s deep and continuing research into the musical culture surrounding the Erie Canal. Songs, stories and dance pieces from the workers, captains, passengers and crews of “Clinton’s Ditch,” along with related material from the Great Lakes and the Hudson River. This interactive program entertains and enlightens, combining uncommon musical instruments from canal days with great songs, fascinating regional history, liberal doses of humor and audience participation for all ages.

For this multi-generational concert, Ruch presents some of the fruits of his decades-long research into music and life on the Erie Canal, offering classic singalongs and toe tapping music along with rarely-heard pieces and stories from the days of “Clinton’s Ditch.”

A professional musician and educator based in Buffalo NY, Dave Ruch gives over two hundred concerts and workshops each year for schools, libraries, music festivals, historical societies, museums and community events both at home and abroad.