Welcome to the home page of Mary Lea, professional folk musician, music teacher, and recording artist. I've been playing dance music in a variety of groups for 30 years. With Yankee Ingenuity for Contra Dancing and with Bare Necessities for English Country Dancing, I got launched on the dance scene in Boston in 1977 and have been a major part of that community ever since. Now living in southeastern Vermont in the town of Brattleboro, I continue to perform, play for dances, weddings, parties and festivals, teach, produce concerts and organize dance events, and play on recordings of my own groups and of friends.
My wide experience in all these areas of music and dance and interest in different styles of music are a great resource for anyone planning a celebration, wedding or dance and music event. My music includes the following styles:
- Reels and jigs
- for contra and square dances and family dances –music drawn from Irish, Quebecois, old-time, Scottish, New England traditions
- Celtic music
- music from Ireland, Scotland – airs, dance tunes, O’Carolyn repertoire, and more
- Couple Dance music
- Waltzes, French musettes, tangos, swing, polkas, hambos and other Scandinavian dance music, and more
- Vintage dance
- 19th century, Ragtime era, Quadrilles
- English country dance music
- Music from 17th – 20th century, tunes of many moods and meters, artfully and spontaneously arranged and performed
- South American music
- choros from Brazil, waltzes from Venezuela and Mexico, tangos from Argentina, and more