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John Salicco
3607 Broadmoor Dr. NE
Tacoma, WA 98422
(253) 568-2292
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John holds two certificates in Theatre Arts from the Banff School of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Recently retired from the corporate world, he makes and plays replica 19th century banjos. John has been active in many historic reenactment programs over the years including Sutter's Fort, Petaluma Adobe, Fort Ross, and Columbia SHP in California. He currently sits as a director on the board of the Fort Nisqually Foundation and is a regular story teller and living history performer at the Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, in Tacoma, WA. John strives to infuse local content and relevance in all of his presentations.
"A Canadian transplant by way of California... John Salicco is a history buff's history buff, who has absorbed more of the lore of this place in six years than most people who were born here will likely learn in a lifetime." Tacoma News Tribune, Sept 7, 2004.
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From Banjos to Blues: An American Musical Experience
In 19th century attire, Mr. Salicco performs early American spiritual, minstrel and popular music on a self-made replica minstrel banjo. This presentation does not deal with music theory, but rather illustrates and explains the history and development of the songs and of the instruments.
It is impossible to tell the story of American musical development without addressing the contribution of the banjo, that amazing creative expression of a people living in the depredations of slavery. John demonstrates how the fretless banjo of the slaves evolved into an ever more sophisticated instrument for urban white audiences. Taking the open banjo tunings of the 19th century, John illustrates how they were adapted to the guitar in the 20th century. He demonstrates on a Dobro guitar, the transition of this music to the folk and blues music of the 1920's and 30's, finishing with a brief sample of how this music influenced the development of the pop styles of today. John's instruments are acoustic, but for larger venues he has an amplifier and microphones.
Audience: Kindergarten through adult
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Jacques Portier — Old Nor' Wester
Pursuit of mutually beneficial common interests can be more effective than the force of arms in achieving peace, order and prosperity. The opening of the west was first and foremost a business enterprise. There was no edict from a state dictating that these diverse groups had to work together. No one group had sufficient force to compel compliance to their way of life. What came about, through give and take, or supply and demand, was a negotiated understanding and working relationship among the parties. Each received something of value from the other. It was a prosperous peaceful coexistence based upon the common ground of commerce. Mr. Salicco does a first person early 19th century portrayal of an old French voyageur named Jacques Portier in his later life. John has created a composite character from the early 19th century, who reminisces about his time as a voyageur and a partner in the old Northwest Company. From the founding of Astoria, Spokane and Vancouver, Portier in story and in song can provide first hand accounts of the exploits and adventures of his contemporaries - the first explorers and traders of the old northwest. Audience: kindergarten through adult
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