Ryan & Jennifer Keplin (North Dakota Artist, Musician, Festival)
A native of Belcourt, ND, "Fiddlin' Lefty" Ryan Keplin has established his reputation as a distinctive left-handed fiddle player and entertainer, astonishing crowds wherever he plays. His spectacular shows feature a mixture of fiddle music and singing, leaving his audiences wanting to hear more each time. Ryan’s musical interests began as a young child. He found inspiration in the music of fiddle greats like Andy Desjarlais, Reg Bouvette, and Graham Townsend. Today, the multi-talented entertainer can play not only the fiddle, but also the acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drums, mandolin, and piano. Ryan has performed at various events and festivals in the U.S. and Canada, including the Smithsonian Folklife Festival the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., The Homesteaders Festival near Nashville, Tennessee, MetisFest at the International Peace Gardens, Norsk Hostfest in Minot, ND, Asham Stomperfest in Manitoba, and the famous Back to Batoche Festival in Saskatchewan. With an extensive musical background, Ryan has shared the stage with well-known entertainers including Moe Bandy, The Bellamy Brothers, Mark Chesnutt, Rory Feek, Kevin Costner, Julie Roberts, Doug Kershaw, Jo-El Sonnier, Eddy Raven, Reg Bouvette, Darren Lavallee, Clint Dutiaume, John Arcand, and Calvin Vollrath, to name a few. This podcast captures a great conversation with Ryan & Jennifer Keplin about Ryan's music career, the "Ryan Keplin Summerfest," and their partnership with Music Ranch Montana.