About
Originally from Illinois USA, Louisa came from and spawned a musical family (The Wise Family Band in Australia). She has classical training in violin and piano and also a base in traditional folk song since childhood. Her large body of original contemporary folk songs and tunes are inspired by people and stories around her, on fiddle, guitar, Appalachian dulcimer, piano, mouthbow, spoons and other smalls.
Louisa moved to Melbourne in 2013 after 30 years in Western Australia and has continued to write songs and tunes, releasing her recordings Sweet Birds in 2015 and Into the Wind in 2017 recorded by Luke Plumb. She is currently working on a new recording of originals for 2019 release, recorded by Mischa Herman, with musical support from Mischa, Louisa's daughters Ruth, Lucy and Rowena Wise; and with Luke Plumb, Jim Green, and Nick Thorpe.
Louisa has a wide interest in different world fiddling styles but these days performs mostly her own tunes.
Her musical history in Australia includes solo, duo and band work.
She has won folk songwriting awards and fiddle contests, carried out Australian residencies and has toured in America, Ireland and Australia, including Aboriginal communities in W. Australia and Arnhemland. She has written music for and appeared in theatre and has had numerous airplays on ABC radio, Australia's national broadcaster. Her songs feature on 12 recordings and she has performed at many Australian festivals.
Louisa toured for six months in the USA in 2013 doing numerous house concerts, public performances and radio and attending Folk Alliance music conferences in the USA and Canada.
In Victoria she has taught workshops at Turramurra Folk Music Camp, Treetops Community Music Victoria Camp and has performed at the National Folk Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, Newstead Live Folk Festival, Darebin Music Feast, Dorrigo Folk Festival, The Boite, The Spotted Mallard, The Lomond Hotel, Northcote Chalice Hall and at Ceres.
She has taught original tunes to the Brunswick Old Time String Orchestra and some of her original songs to the Expressive Women choir; played percussion with the Los Zamponistas panpipe band and collaborated with Danny Spooner and Pete Daffy on some performances around Victoria and toured Tasmania with Luke Plumb..
These days Louisa prefers performing at house concerts and listening rooms. As well as solo performances she performs with her Melbourne based daughters as The Wise Women and collaborates with Luke Plumb as well as Jim Green and Nick Thorpe.
(Links www.lucywise.com.au......www,rowenawise.com)