Folk music used to be synonymous with hicks, hillbillies, rednecks and traveling hobos. But not anymore! These days folk music is a marriage of soothing folk riffs and classical strings! Hee-Haw Ma! Violinist Maria Sampen is giving this genre a good name in our books in her upcoming recital Inspired by the Folk: The Romance Between the Violin and the Fiddle. "Over the coming year I will be studying nonclassical influences on the violin repertoire, and eventually I will be making a professional recording of several pieces that combine Western classical music with traditional folk and nonclassical elements," Sampen said in a release. "In this concert I hope to share the different voices of the violin, from the refined tones of the classical sonata to the irresistible call of the fiddle." The performance will include a world premiere, a piece evoking the Jewish fiddle tradition, and works that combine Western classical music with folk traditions from America and Romania. Roger Briggs, composer, conductor, artistic director of Whatcom Symphony Orchestra, and faculty member at Western Washington University, will be in the Schneebeck Concert Barn for a world premiere of his composition Tune My Heart. Let yourself be cradled by the calming tunes of folk and traditional music. See y'all Friday.

INSPIRED BY THE FOLK: THE ROMANCE BETWEEN VIOLIN AND THE FIDDLE, 7:30 p.m., Schneebeck Concert Barn, 1500 N. Warner, Tacoma, $10-$15, 253.879.3100