Elizabeth Weisser Helgeson

Hi! I'm Beth. I grew up in Fargo. Now I'm in New York.

FAQs:

Q: I’ve never visited South Dakota. What’s it like?

A: It’s beautiful, but I’ve only been there a few times. Fargo is on the North Dakota-Minnesota border; it straddles the social sensibilities of “Minnesota Nice” and the unbridled rugged West.

Q: Have you seen Fargo?

A: Yes, that’s where I grew up.

Q: No, I mean that show.

A: Oh, I haven’t watched that, but I did see the movie when I was in highschool.

Q: Do they talk. . .

A: Yes, that is the regional dialect.

Q: How did you get into music in Fargo?

A: Fargo is full of culture. It’s cold and flat, so the people fill their time with art and culture. I grew up in a musical home and was lucky to be in a community that fostered my love for it.

Q: Do you still play?

A: No, I once gave up my violin for a viola, and when I didn’t have enough time to practice, I turned in the viola too. But it’s like they say, “once a violist, always a violist.”

Q: Who says that?

A: Well, I’m sure there’s someone out there who does.