Peggy
Larson
Peggy's Bio
Peggy's life has been filled with the joy of music, whether it is singing jazz and improvised music, leading choirs, or teaching workshops in world music and vocal techniques, Peggy fills her days with music. She is excited about sharing some of her passion for song with you!
Peggy is a jazz singer with special skills in improvisation and choral directing. She lived in Holland for many years, where she was well known as a leader in choral music, and as a singer of contemporary jazz. She taught voice and vocal pedagogy at the Rotterdam and Arnhem conservatories in Holland for many years, and now often travels within the USA and around the world to teach.
In 2011 Peggy traveled to Greece to lecture at the International Society of Music Educators Conference. Other travels include:
2013 - traveled to Amsterdam, Holland for performances and workshops
2014 - traveled to Mount Holyoke College for Women in Massechusetts to give a kulokk workshop
2014 - traveled to Chennai, India to teach the Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music Summer Session.
2017 - Traveled to Amsterdam, Holland where she taught two workshops in Kulokk.
2018 - Traveled to Seattle, WA to perform kulokk and give a workshop at the Swedish Club.
2019 - Performed around Minnesota, doing herding calls and playing with Ukulele Drive.
2020 - Everything came to a halt with the COVID pandemic. Recording for online church services.
2021 - Recording for online church services. Some incidental outdoor services in Minnesota.
2022 - Workshop at ASI Midsomer Festival. Played Johanna Bing in "Yust For Fun," a musical play in Chaska, MN. October 18. Continuing church music at Portland Avenue and Pilgrim Churches.
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Here in the US, is a member of Ukulele Drive, she leads the Earthtones, a world music choir for women, directs the Portland Avenue United Methodist Church choir in Bloomington, and gives performances. She retired in April, 2015 from 10 years of teaching at McNally-Smith College of Music in St. Paul. She received her Master’s Degree in Ethnomusicology from Bethel University in 2008.
Concerts/ Lectures
Workshops
Book: Sing til the Cows Come Home
Kulokk: Norwegian Herding Calls
Peggy studied the vocal technique of Norwegian herding calls for her Master’s thesis. In 2007 she and her husband traveled to Norway and interviewed singers and farmers, visited the folk archives and collected melodies and stories about kulokk. This lecture/performance includes much of the information she has gathered. She sings and tells of the many facets of this ancient musical tradition and also includes other melodies from several counties in Norway.