A lifelong bond, with music at the center

It all began with the viola.

Karin and David Code were high school students in Wisconsin, Karin from a suburb of Milwaukee and David from Madison. They each played the viola and had signed up to attend the University of Wisconsin’s week-long summer music camp.

They met waiting to audition for the camp orchestras.

David can cite the exact date they met: “June 30, 1980.”

A first date soon followed, which Karin can remember: ice cream, followed by viola duets.

Forty-six years and four grown children later, music is still at the center of their lives. They would go on to attend college together, at the University of Illinois. Each earned a bachelor’s degree in viola performance. David, who was a year ahead of Karin in school, would eventually earn a doctorate in music theory at the University of Maryland, launching his academic career.

Today, they live in Portage, Michigan, outside Kalamazoo, where David is a professor of music theory at Western Michigan University. Among his academic pursuits, he has expanded his scholarship to include the intersection of music and technology.

“He has a laptop orchestra,” Karin says.

Karin keeps a busy schedule as a professional violist. She maintains a private viola studio, works as an adjunct faculty member at Kalamazoo College, and plays professionally for the many orchestras in southern Michigan’s vibrant cultural scene.

She also is an active member of Kalamazoo’s wedding and reception circuit. Her quartets have seen and heard it all. “They like Mozart, but they really want to hear arrangements of current pop tunes,” she said.

During their years at the University of Illinois, Karin and David picked up what has become their passion and a kind of side hustle—the Norwegian fiddle. Karin has become one of the world’s foremost players on that ancient instrument, which dates to the seventeenth century and is known as the Hardanger fiddle. Together, Karin and David travel around the country and to Norway conducting workshops and participating in festivals. Years ago, they launched Norse Code, a Norwegian fiddle program.

“It was our family ensemble,” Karin said.

They have also spent extended periods living in Norway, immersing themselves in the heritage of Karin’s ancestors.

We talked with Karin about their musical journey. Answers have been edited for conciseness and clarity. – Bob Goetz

How did the Norwegian fiddle come into your lives?

At the University of Illinois we took up international folk dancing as an outlet outside the music department. The Scandinavian music drew us in because it’s all strings. Being part Norwegian, I remembered hearing about the Hardanger fiddle. Since we already played strings, we thought, why not?

Do you play chamber music?

Yes, both professionally and for fun. I’m hired for gigs, including the popular themed Candlelight concerts. Since “Bridgerton,” wedding clients want Taylor Swift or the Cranberries for string quartet. And about twice a year I gather with friends to sight-read interesting music. Sometimes it starts sounding good enough to perform.

Who are your favorite composers to play?

Mozart tops the list. I can relax and enjoy his genius, and he was a violist himself. Brahms is always fun but a mental challenge. And I love reading Dvořák, who is also among David’s favorites.

What’s a memorable chamber music moment?

My kids tease me that my stories are always disasters, but here’s one that ended well. Playing a quartet with the junior symphony in Puerto Rico, my A-string broke near the end. I finished up in 14th position, and the audience gave me a standing ovation, chanting my name.

What is Norse Code?

Norse Code is our family band. David and I are the core, and now we are the only players since the kids have grown up and left. We’ve played First Night New Year’s Eve celebrations, midnight concerts and folk festivals. Getting the kids to practice with us was a challenge, but we did it.