Photo by Brad Levy

Jim Krause moved to Kansas to attend Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas in the fall of 1971. While he was a student there, he developed an interest in the folk music of the United States. A work/study program in eastern Kentucky during Jim’s junior year furthered a continuing interest in American folk music. After completing his senior vocal recital, a pioneering venture that included both traditional and original material, Jim graduated from Bethel in May, 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in vocal music performance.

Jim Krause is best known for his appearances accross the Midwest with a variety of traditional music groups. As a songwriter, Jim's influences come from a wide variety of sources. Some areas where he draws particular inspiration are the blues, and ragtime of the early twentieth century, other writers such as Hank Williams, Carson Robinson, and Jimmie Rodgers, or performers of the early Grand Ole Opry. Jim's songwriting has been favorably compared to that of Bill Staines' by members of Kansas City's Cross Currents Songwriters' Circle.

Broadening his performances, special programs are available for schools, museums, and historic sites. These programs of a historical nature may include songs and dance music of pioneer America, or songs by the Irish lyricist, Thomas Moore, accompanied on reproduction instruments of the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Workshops are also available on such subjects as shaped note singing, a form of solfage practiced in early America used in teaching sight reading music, old-time southern banjo, fiddling for contradances, fingerstyle guitar, and songwriting.

Photo by Brad Levy

Continuing to explore the traditonal roots of American folk music, Jim has recently added the repertoire of the martial fifer to his list of workshops. Since January, 2006, he has been teaching fife classes at the Americana Music Academy, in Lawrence, KS, where he also teaches old-time banjo.

Additionally, he has just finished editing a 19^th century drum instruction manual titled A New, Useful, and Complete System of Drum Beating. Originally published in 1812, the book was written by Charles S. Ashworth, who was then band leader of the US Marine Corps Band. This book has come and gone out of print, the most recent pervious edition having come out in 1966. "I felt it was high time that students of traditional rudimental drumming had access to this valuable piece of American music," says Jim.