Charmaine Slaven

musician, flatfooter, caller

BIOGRAPHY

 

Originally from Stevensville MT, Charmaine

Slaven moved to the Seattle area in 2000 and

began her pursuit of an artistic career.


She fell in love with old time music and dance at

the 2005 Portland Old Time Gathering.  There, she

met The Tallboys and soon started performing

with them, flatfooting and then playing guitar. 

Around the same time, she and Charlie Beck

started their musical duo, Squirrel Butter.  About a

decade later, they founded their country music

project, The Lucky Shots.


Charmaine has gained a great reputation for her

fun and engaging method of getting folks dancing

and playing music together.  She’s a has a natural knack for teaching and organizing, and has become an anchor in the Pacific NW old time music and dance communities. 


She has performed & taught music, dance, and calling workshops at events including the Portland Old Time Gathering, Olympia Old Time Festival, NW Folklife Festival, Alaska Folk Festival, Festival of American Fiddletunes, Los Angeles Old Time Social, Hermit Music Festival, Dare to be Square West, Nimblefingers, Victoria Old Time Tidal Wave, Willamette Old Time Social, A Prairie Home Companion, Puget Sound Revels, & Boston Revels.


Variety is the spice of life, and in addition to performing with The Tallboys, Lucky Shots, and Squirrel Butter, Charmaine has accomplished a myriad of projects including co-founding the Seattle Farm Co-op, helping organize Dare to Be Square West & the Seattle Subversive Square Dance Society, and volunteers as a Community Coordinator for NW Folklife.  She also loves animals, gardening, cooking, and the great outdoors.