I’ve been doing lots of writing these days- of songs, but also transcribing tunes we like. Our repertoire has grown tremendously this summer. We’ve solidly added four Scottish fiddle tunes, a Swedish fiddle tune, a Balkan folksong, two jazz tunes, two Gypsy songs, and a handful of bluegrass tunes. As we acquire new rep we are mindful of incorporating improvisation into all, and that comes with understanding of the structure and theory of each tune. Music theory can be a real drag to learn, but it’s fun when it has function and real-time meaning for you.