Biography
I sing traditional music in English, Scots, and French. The Scottish and English traditional ballads, including those collected by Francis Child, are of special interest to me. In everything I sing, I explore language use, original historical and cultural context of both the song and its singers, and any possible lineage that its imagery may have in Western folk tale and tradition.
I split my time between my home in the Sierras, and my singing friends in the Bay Area and beyond. Since Covid I've become a regular Zoom singer at venues like Mudcat, Davis Pickers & Singers, and Lynn Noel's Mermaid Tavern. I have been the facilitator for training volunteers to act as Session Assistants ("session techs") at on-line singing events of the Portland and San Francisco folk clubs.
Some musical interests:
Traditional Ballads
Rounds
Southern Gospel
African American traditional singing
Drinking and pub songs
the musical transition from UK to America
Quebecois and French traditional songs
On line singing, and hybrid live/zoom singing