Welcome to a little glimpse of my musical journey. I make my home in the mountains of southern West Virginia, and my roots are Irish. My first exposure to traditional American folk music was at the Appalachian South Folklife Center in Pipestem, West Virginia - it was love at first sound! I began singing some of the old songs and soon realized their connection to the old ballads of England, Scotland and Ireland. In time, I encountered the American shape note hymn tradition and participated in that for several years in a choral setting. I got a hankerin’ to write songs after reading Woody Guthrie’s autobiography "Bound For Glory", which helped me realize the power of song in the human story. In 1999 I made my first CD, a mix of original and traditional songs called "Beginning", with instrumentation on lap dulcimer, guitar, autoharp, fiddle and bodhran. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to play with many wonderful Old Time and Irish musicians at numerous live jam sessions, an ongoing source of inspiration and delight.
I perform solo, as well as with South Mountain String Band, Flat Foot Holler, Whippoorwill Dulcimer Duo and fellow songwriter David La Fleur - at coffeehouses, house concerts, outdoor festivals, historic events, weddings, and venues such as the Purple Fiddle, Mountain Stage NewSong Festival and the Kennedy Center. My recorded music has aired on NPR.
I hope you have a special place in your corner of the world where folks gather to share music, songs, stories and laughter (tears too). I’d love to join you there someday!
[To view details about any of the shows listed, simply click on the listing.]
