Kantele Jam to meet Mondays in November at Finnish American Heritage Center

HANCOCK -- The Kantele Jam meets from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Monday evening in November at the Finnish American Heritage Center. This Monday, Nov. 8, the group will meet in the Archive Reading Room. The last three Mondays they will meet in the theater.

Kay Seppala, third from left, and her kantele students perform during an ethnic music event at the Keweenaw Heritage Center in Calumet. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

"We'll have music for all levels -- from 'three notes only' five-string parts, to challenging 10-string pieces," says Kay Seppala. "Most of the music will be familiar -- bring your old lesson music; it may be more comfortable for you to use that for some of the songs."

Participants may come to as many sessions as they wish. There is no requirement to attend every week.

Kanteles will be available for use -- first call or come, first reserved!! If an instrument is available, you may use it for the evening; better yet, you may rent instruments until Heikinpaiva, at $10 per month for a 10 string, or $5 a month for a five string, Seppala adds. Call Kay to reserve a kantele: 523-6271.

Other instruments -- concert kantele, fiddle, guitar, flute, mandolin, etc. -- are welcome, but they must tune to the little kanteles. The group will be starting in D major. Please call Kay if you have questions or comments.