Carla Sciaky & Claudia Schmidt

Carla Sciaky is a multi-instrumentalist-folksinger-songwriter based in Denver, Colorado. As a soloist, she toured the US extensively throughout the 1980s and 90s, recording first on her own Propinquity Records and later on Green Linnet and Alacazam Records, compiling a discography of eight solo albums and appearing on many group efforts, compilations, and colleagues’ collections. Her songwriting won her awards and/or recognition in such arenas as the Kerrville New Song Competition, the Louisville, Kentucky songwriting competition, the Colorado Arts and Humanities Fellowship for Composition, the Billboard Songwriting Competition, and the Colorado, Utah, and Kansas Artist in Residence programs in the schools. Denver’s Westword magazine proclaimed her “Best Folkie” in their 1987 “Best of” edition, and her best known song, “Under the Quarter Moon,” written on the shore of Lake Superior, has been selected more than once for Minnesota Public Radio compilations, recorded and performed by countless fellow folksingers and choirs, and sung at campfire circles. With the infamous Mother Folkers, she performed for over a decade and recorded two albums.

After taking ten years off to raise her children and have a midlife crisis, Carla returned in the 21st century to the local stage, resisting any random and fleeting urge to tour for the time being. In the folk world, she plays with Miriam Rosenblum and Hal Aqua in the Folkaltones, in the not annual ballad concert series with Harry Tuft, and in the annual “Jews Do _____” concerts (Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Paul Simon so far).

In the classical/early music world, Carla performs on baroque violin with Sémplice, a Denver quartet specializing in baroque music on period/replica instruments, as well as being a member of the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado since its first season. She plays rebec, viola da gamba, and violin with the Denver Early Music Consort. She is trained through Book 4 of the Suzuki violin pedagogy, maintains a small private studio at home, and is director of Da Capo Suzuki Strings. She also has students on guitar and piano.

Outside of music, Carla is deeply committed to the world of alternative medicine, is certified as a Natural Vision Improvement Coach (www.seekingbettereyesight.com), and studies methods of energy healing and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). She and her husband Dan are passionate about Waldorf education, the raw milk movement, community supported agriculture, and organic and gourmet cuisine. Their children Chloe and Rafa are both baroque violinists, carrying music out into the world.

https://carlasciaky.com/

Claudia Schmidt

A quirky and wonderful hodge-podge (her word!) of music, poetry, story, laughter, drama, and celebration, Claudia Schmidt has been perfecting her craft of performing for more than five decades. It is a quirky and wonderful hodge-podge (her word!) of music, poetry, story, laughter, drama, and celebration of every moment, be it hilarious or poignant. 

She uses her multi-octave voice, shimmering 12 string guitar and very uniquely played mountain dulcimer to deliver a stunning performance that is never the same but always thrilling. Work in clubs, theaters, festivals, TV and radio has added depth and dimension to her stagecraft, and since she has always included mostly original work along with very personal versions of the work of others, what you get is a unique look at the world from someone who says what she sees with clarity, humor, and wonder. 

The San Francisco Bay Guardian said: “Schmidt's shows are a lot like falling in love. You never know what's going to happen next, chances are it's going to be wonderful, every moment is burned into your memory and you know you'll never be the same again." More succinctly, Garrison Keillor said, "When Claudia sings a song, it stays sung.

https://claudiaschmidt.com/home