David Atcher, co-founder, organizer, and essential musician of LTDA passed away on Oct 29, 2020.       obituary       Facebook       tune book

We are grieving the loss of David Atcher due to a fatal heart attack on October 29, 2020. David was a key player in building and nurturing contra dance and music in Lexington, Kentucky as a founding member of Lexington Traditional Dance Association and as the pied piper of our open band, Atcher Beck & Kahl. He had a gift for recruiting and encouraging new and established musicians. For callers, he was a joy to work with, relentlessly affirming. David played a huge part in keeping our dance group going during difficult times and helping it rebuild and thrive. He led our grant-writing team applying for a Kentucky Arts Council grant to elevate Dance Trance to a nationally known dance weekend. He was LTDA's band- booker for many years, bringing in new musicians and bands while always supporting our local and regional musicians. David was a musician (mandolin, guitar, banjo, fiddle) who loved working with other musicians. He was a member of multiple bands, including but not limited to: Foot in the Door Stringband, International Harvesters, Cornpone, Schroedinger's Cats, Footbridge, and Intellectual Property. He wrote contra dance tunes, such as Hommage a Led Zeppelin, Juan Fernando the Fourth, and Rotten to the Chord and published a collection of his music in 2018, Dance Trance Reel, in which he explained the backstory of each tune. Many of them were inspired by marriages, births, departures, and other events in the lives of family and friends, which speaks to his loving nature. When David moved from Lexington to Salt Point, NY, he started a monthly contra dance in his new community. A leader and mentor, David radiated warmth and enthusiasm as he shared his love of traditional music and dance. A psychiatrist by profession, David was an avid, award-winning gardener who loved to be outdoors, especially on the water, fishing and boating. He adored his family. He was a devoted and loyal friend and was always generous with his time and resources. He will be deeply missed. We celebrate the profound impact David had on our community and hold his memory with gratitude and appreciation. - LTDA board