Willi Carlisle

Folk Music Storyteller and Multi-Instrumentalist

Folk singer and multi instrumentalist. He has an MFA in Poetry from the University of Arkansas and a BA in Writing and Performance Studies from Knox College. With a vast array of performative, academic, and teaching experiences, he approaches folklore and theatre-arts with an interdisciplinary bent, especially in his "all-ages" programming. He calls square dances, plays fiddle, banjo, squeezebox, and guitar, presents and publishes folklore, and occasionally makes moving panoramas (or "crankies" as they are sometimes known). A full resume, writing sample, and additional performance videos are available upon request. With a style forged in the fire of Ozark oldtime music and his ever-growing collection of antique music, Carlisle’s musical stories hoot, stomp, and saunter through joys and troubles uniquely southern and timelessly true. Equally comfortable on banjo, accordion, fiddle, and guitar, Carlisle has earned accolades for his versatility with performances in the UK, Canada, and across the USA, appearing with acts like Dom Flemons, Los Texmaniacs, Cory Branan, and more. While his big frame and expressive voice draw comparison to old balladeers and bluesmen, Willi sings new songs for the oldest reasons: love, heartache, and joy. People who watch and listen will find that he laughs and sheds a tear onstage almost as often as his audiences do, fire- and-brimstone proof of larger-than-life songs and stories.