grew up in England, singing and playing both folk and classical music from an early age. She discovered fiddle music on her first visit to her in-laws in Ireland, and underwent a rapid and fanatical conversion from violinist to fiddle player. Now living in Ithaca, NY, Kathy plays for contradances and English country dances and also performs at concerts, festivals and coffeehouses. From 1994-2002, Kathy performed with Alasdair Fraser's San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers, and was their newsletter editor and a workshop and band leader. She also played with the Celtic trio Smash The Windows. With Viaduct Theater in San Francisco, she received excellent reviews for the part of Fiddler in “Mary Queen Of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off”, and was singing coach for an award-winning run of "Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme". She has performed in a wide variety of instrumental and vocal genres, including folk singing, madrigals, musicals, and classical choral and orchestral works. Kathy enjoys teaching fiddle to both adults and children. In her "other life", Kathy is a physics lecturer at Cornell, teaching "The Physics of Musical Sound" every Spring.
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"Her musical talent is sublime, and encompasses the folk traditions of England, Scotland and Ireland.”
- The San Francisco Gael

was lucky to be born into a musical family. Her father played the clarinet in Army dance bands during WWII and then became a music educator at Ithaca College. Her mother sang and played the French horn. Roberta started piano lessons at age 5, she will always be grateful to Miss Bierman for letting her play by ear before teaching her the notes! She continued classical piano studies with Mortin Estrin, and studied oboe with Whitney Tustin. Roberta has performed in symphony orchestras, worked as a dance accompanist, and was Composer/Musical Director for a children’s theater touring New Jersey schools. In 1993 Roberta discovered traditional music, and began playing for English Country Dances and contradances in Princeton, Philadephia and beyond. She was a founding member of the NJ contradance bands The Free Radicals, Mostly Harmless and The Primates, and toured with hammered dulcimer player Lucille Reilly. From 2005-2007, she performed with the Ithaca rock band, Teachers’ Lounge. In February 2005, Roberta moved to Ithaca and is delighted to have found in Kathy Selby someone who shares her taste both in music and in headgear. During the day, Roberta can be found at Cornell’s Sponsored Programs Office, reviewing agreements and negotiating contracts.

Holiday Party at Cornell Physics Department. Dec 2006, Dec 2008.
English country dances for Syracuse Country Dancers. With caller Pamela Goddard. Dec 2006.
Contra Dance for Tompkins County Country Dances, Ithaca. March 2006.
English country dances for Country Dancers of Rochester. With special guest Mark Dumont on flute. March 2006.
Contra Dance for Tompkins County Country Dances, Ithaca. With special guest Dave Davies on bass and tuba, Feb 2006.
Contra Dance for Tompkins County Country Dances, Ithaca. With special guest Hope Grietzer on fiddle, Dec 2005.
Holiday Party at Cornell Physics Department, Dec 2005.
Ellis Hollow Fair, Ithaca. With special guest Nancy Spero on bass, Sept 2005.
Wedding at Six Mile Creek Winery Ithaca. Music for listening and barn dancing, with caller Katy Heine, July 2005.
Picnic at Buttermilk Falls Park, Ithaca. Music for listening and barn dancing, with caller Nancy Spero, June 2005.

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