In October 2021, Contra Pulse hosted an online panel discussion as a part of the CDSS series common time. In this special event, Julie spoke with four of the contra dance greats – Becky Tracy, Pete Sutherland, Rodney Miller, and Kate Barnes—about who their mentors and inspirations were, and how they’re mentoring and inspiring the next generation of contra musicians. learn how these musicians fell in love with their craft, hear stories from the early days of touring contra bands, and explore what tradition is and how it is (or isn’t) changing today.