2006 was a big year for Rich in Tradition. Forming in early spring, it didn’t take long to realize these guys were serious about making things happen. While getting things organized, they were able to take 1st place in 4 out of 5 of the area’s biggest fiddler’s conventions including the granddaddy of them all, Galax!

Finishing up the year with Wesley Easter of Eastwood Studio’s, recording their first C.D., a gospel project due out this summer. Not very far into the project, R-N-T was invited to perform at the prestigious University of Chicago for their annual folk festival. The project was put on hold and the effort was turned towards a traditional C.D. that could be ready for the Chicago trip in February. This project was completed January 24th and will be available February 1st. (See discography page)

The Chicago trip was great.  Everything went better than expected.  We arrived in Chicago Friday afternoon and went directly to Mandel Hall at the University of Chicago.  What a place!  Mandel Hall has to be one of the most beautiful halls in the country.  We did a sound check that afternoon and met our host and hostess for the weekend.  Jon Will and Mary Gugenheim who live in Hyde Park.  Their house was wonderful.  It was built in 1880 and was used in the movie "With Honors" starring Joe Pesci. 

Friday night's performance was great.  The audience was the best.  Everyone was so excited to be there.  We even had an encore.  We did a workshop Saturday for bluegrass band at Ida Noyes Hall.  It was great.  It was a nice crowd; the room was full.  The folks that attended were so interested in the music and had so many questions.  It really made us feel good. 

Tim also took part in a fiddle styles workshop with some of the other performers which was really good also.

Later that day we were given a tour of Chicago with Jon, our host.  He has lived in Chicago all his life so we had no problem at all seeing everything we wanted to see, Soldier field, Wrigley Field, Navy Pier, United Center, we enjoyed deep dish pizza at Pizza Duo and saw a lot more sites downtown.  Everywhere was Bears (since the Bears were in the Super Bowl and it was Super Bowl weekend.)

Saturday nights performance was played before a sold out house and it was great.  All the acts were fantastic!

We want to especially thank all the staff and the crew of University of Chicago Folk Festival.  Everyone was so helpful and nice and really worked hard.  It was a great festival.

It was really an honor for us to be there, especially when we learned that since its beginning in 1961 the festival has had some of the greatest to perform, Flatt and Scruggs, Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Jim and Jesse to name a few.

After Saturday nights performance, we had a long drive to Akron, Ohio where we played at Victory Chapel Church.  It was a wonderful service and was really a blessing for us to be there.  A special thanks to Steve, Jason, and Rhonda Walker for their help getting this lined up and the fine breakfast.

Victory Chapel has their own television program and Pastor Robert Webb is sending a DVD of the service which we may be able to have available later on and will also be aired on Dish Network, Sky Angel Channel sometimes soon.

2007 is already lining up to be very busy. Already bookings are coming in and still the original C.D. project is to be finished. The Website is still in the process of being completed (Thanks to Hayley Knowles, our web manager). Hopefully with the Lord’s help, everything will continue to come together for R-N-T.

R-N-T is looking forward to seeing and hearing from you. Check out our picking times page and our contact page on the website for where R-N-T is playing and how you can drop us a message.