Adzima & Nelson

About "Kid" and "Old Guy"

Charlene Adzima (fiddle, vocals) AKA "Kid" is an energetic fiddler both on stage and in the classroom. She fell in love with Irish music as a teenager and ravenously sought out opportunities to study at workshops and camps with All-Ireland fiddle champions Liz Carroll, Seamus Connolly, and Oisin Mac Diarmada. Collecting the title of Senior Fiddle Champion at the 2005 Midwest Fleadh Cheoil (Irish music competition), Charlene has been warmly accepted into the Irish music community and is known for her danceable, pulsing rhythm and newly-composed tunes.  A former Irish step dancer, she is also in demand as a musician for Irish step dance competitions.

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Rick Nelson (guitar) AKA Old Guy is certified by Ancestory.com to have zero percent Irish DNA. Growing up in Akron, Ohio, Rick’s parents were classical musicians and he himself played trumpet for many years, becoming good enough to contribute to his tuition. After college, Rick discovered Irish music through NPR and Fiona Ritchie’s weekly radio show Thistle and Shamrock. He also learned two things: 1) playing trumpet in an apartment building situation risked eviction, and 2) if he wanted to play Irish music he would have to learn how to play an instrument other than trumpet. He decided to try his hand at guitar and purchased an acoustic Yamaha (later upgrading to the Guild D-25 he plays to this day). He made the
conscious decision to take the opposite approach to learning an instrument that he employed learning trumpet. That is, he would learn to play by ear rather than by written music. He eventually stumbled onto DADGAD tuning and started going to second-Friday-of-the month sessions in Columbus, Ohio where he lived. That’s where he met fiddler Charlene Adzima, then in her early teens, who was driven to sessions by her parents. Both Rick and Charlene eventually joined an Irish group called Aisling, which was akin to the minor leagues of Irish music in Central Ohio and over the years included most past and current Columbus area Irish musicians. Eventually the two of them left Aisling and formed a duo, where they continue to perform primarily at Dublin (Ohio) Irish Festival as well as with the Lilies. Rick continues to live in Columbus, Ohio and joins the Madison-based Lilies whenever he can. Rick’s a popular addition to Irish festivals around the country because when he’s not playing Irish music, he works as an emergency physician. As such, he is often called upon by festival organizers and road
managers to treat other musicians for various injuries and illnesses. He is proud to have aided many musicians from the worlds’ top Irish bands in their times of often self-induced emergency medical needs.