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Music of Civil War featured in 'Bugles' event on Wednesday
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Kvam
MONROE - The "Bugles, Bayonets and Beyond" program series continues at 7 p.m. Wednesday with a presentation on the "Music of the American Civil War" by Ingerid Kvam, vocal director and music teacher at the Monroe Middle School, and also a Civil War music historian, at the Monroe Theatre Guild, 910 16th Ave. Kvam will present as well as sing. She will be accompanied by Craig Tuttle on guitar.

The program will begin with a short presentation on the importance of local history by Ellsworth Brown, director of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Brown wrote the forward for "Bugles, Bayonets and Beyond: Green County and the Civil War." A copy of the commemorative book will be available for free to each member of the audience.

The music of the mid-1800s never fails to move people. The marching songs still cause feet to tap the floor, while the songs of battle and sacrifice always bring tears. The satires and comedy tunes produce laughter, and the ballads create a nostalgic feeling too powerful for words. And all these tunes have been around for more than 150 years.

Kvam's program on Civil War music gives audiences the opportunity to hear and feel what music and culture were like in the 1800s in the Midwest. Together with Tuttle, she will share both the stories and the sounds of Civil War America.

Kvam grew up on a horse ranch in rural Black Earth. Both of her parents were active in musical groups and she started performing at a young age. She studied vocal performance with Catherine Walters Brick, Madison.

While raising her young family, Kvam taught piano and voice lessons in a private studio. Her degree in music education was completed in 2004 and a Masters in Music Education with an emphasis in American Music History at Minnesota State University in 2007. She is an active performer, has excelled in lecture recitals, and has been featured as a soloist at hundreds of special events.

The program is a part of a series on the American Civil War, which will conclude on June 6 with "Healing the Heart of Democracy: A Gathering of Spirits for the Common Good" by Parker J. Palmer, Carrie Newcomer, and Gary Walters at the Monroe Arts Center.

The planning committee includes members of the Green County Historical Society, Monroe Theater Guild, Monroe Public Library, Monroe Arts Center, and others. The committee has worked over the past two years to develop this commemorative program. Ron Spielman is chair of the committee.