Dorothy Zerbe is the soloist, but occasionally she will have others play with her: Joel Kroenke on harmonica, Stephen Zerbe on drums, Anita Zerbe on viola, Travis Whitty on guitar, Kurt Spencer on Indian flute, the Oshkosh Rhythm Institute on all their drums, Nancy Kaphaem on cello, Bob Berger on mandolin; and I have sung a few times with Shady Grove.
Influences
My Mom and Dad, my sister Peggy, Marianne Faithful, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell, PP&M, Elton John, James Taylor, my children, friends, Kahlil Gibran, Robert Frost, Robert Browning, Eva Cassidy, Kate Wolf.....................
I'm not a band, I'm just one person playing guitar, piano and singing mostly my own songs. I started writing poems when I was little, mostly because hearing music inspired me to want to say something meaningful. My mother raved over a poem I wrote while sitting at the coffee table (it was my size back then) while I was listening to an arrangement of Tschaikovsky's "Swan Lake" on the stereo. I've always had tunes in my head. At age seven, I started piano lessons with Mrs. Andersen, and I remember when I first learned the notes on the staff and where they were under my fingers on the piano keyboard, I felt almost giddy with joy. Later in life, I learned to come away from reading notes and just go with how it sounds, when I started writing songs for voice and piano.
At about the time I started piano lessons, my oldest sister played the guitar with a band called "The Wayfarers" which borrowed music from Peter, Paul and Mary, who were very popular at that time. If you do the math, you can just about figure out how old I am. Otherwise, I'm not telling. I didn't start guitar lessons 'til I was 18 years old, a senior in high school. I took Mr. Franke's new guitar class, offered at the lunch hour, and we learned all the songs that Mr. Franke, our choir director, played in the bars on weekends. Jim Croce, John Denver, the Eagles, etc. I worked really hard on the bar chords, but they hurt my fingers. As life has moved on, I've taken guitar lessons with a couple of other teachers, really excellent musicians whom I respect a lot. Each time I take lessons, I feel that my guitar-playing adds a new layer of ability. To me, it doesn't come as naturally as playing the piano. But I really like the versatility of the guitar - so much easier to take to a gig than my baby grand!
Children are a big part of my life and music - I have four children of my own, two of them away at college now. I have written music for children and led children's choirs, musicals and theatre. One of the songs I wrote, we performed at the opening of the Shawano, WI community performing arts center. It was a very happy moment for me! Another really big deal for me was an adaptation I wrote of "Jack and the Beanstalk", including 5 songs, which my children and I performed at the Shawano Public Library. I won't give away the plot, but it had to do with socks that have no mate.
I don't only write for children, however. Many of my songs are about adult events and emotions and biographical sketches of cats and grandfathers. You'll have to listen to know what my music is all about.
Hello dorothy! how have you been i havent heard from you in a while, and neither have you from myself i suppose. I tried to call the other day to let you know i heard us on the radio. it was fantastic. then i heard you sing a duet with another lady. g00d job, keep up the wonderful music.
