biography
I
do love the Irish and Scottish dance music out of the 18th
century, which is often called "acoustic/traditional Celtic"
today. Let's not forget that much of this dance music was brought to
America with our ancestors (mine are Irish and British), and is now
played in bluegrass, old time, contradance, blues, and even rock
styles.
My background is classical. I started learning violin with the
Suzuki method in 1967, later auditioning for the New England
Conservatory of Music at Rivers, where I practiced 4-6 hours a day,
played in symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles. I was lucky to
tour the world with a jr Symphony as a kid and the US as a young
adult.
I started playing fiddle in a contradance band at the age of 10,
electric violin in a rock band @ 14 and bluegrass fiddle and
mandolin @ 18. I've progressed since then, learning jazz, Balinese,
Indian, Egyptian, Klezmer and Irish styles.
I went to Hampshire College in 1980, where I majored in Music and
minored in Marketing and Business. After graduating, I took a
position in purchasing with Whole Foods, where I could ply my
interest in sourcing and procurement, supply chain, vendor
negotiations and brand development. I was married in 1986,
purchased a home in Shelburne Falls in '88 and joined
Maple Ridge Bluegrass in 1989 on mandolin and fiddle. I also
joined the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra on violin, and the
Valley Light Opera on
viola.
I was hired away from Whole Foods in 1993 by
Dr Hauschka
Cosmetics USA, a Hatfield-based company that distributed a
high-end line of deluxe skin care products made in Germany. I was
sent to Germany in 1995 to learn the import/export side of the
business and became National Sales Manager.
In 1996, I went to Ireland. First to Sligo, where my Grandfather was
from, then to Kilfenora in County Clare where I stayed with my
friend Maire Doherty and learned that style of fiddling from the
locals; playing every night in sessions at
Linnane's Pub for a month. Every Thursday were set
dances performed by the
Kilfenora
Céile Band, and I sat in awe, watching their right and
left hands, bowing, and keeping track of the tunes and
ornamentation. I've stuck with that style of fiddling since and have
grown a lot musically since then. The fiddling I do with
Celticado
and
Crossing
The Pond is closest to that style of Irish more than
anything else.
1997 was the start of my first Celtic band called Woodkerne. We
performed hundreds of concerts throughout New England. I also
started NC Booking
and Talent in western Mass, providing booking and talent
management services to talent world-wide, as well as
InterWeb
Consulting, an online sales & marketing consulting agency.
Since then, I have provided consulting services to over two dozen
businesses and non-profit music organizations.
Apple Hill Center
for Chamber Music was one of my early non-profit music clients.
In 1999, they hired me to build and develop a website for their
internationally acclaimed "Playing for Peace" initiative. I was
teaching music at Keene Community Music Center and playing viola
with the
Keene Chamber Orchestra with musical director Eric Stumacher.
My son Parker was born in 1999. It was also the year that I
formed Swift River, a Newgrass Band with John Rough, Claiborne
Woodall and Bruce Smersky. We performed mostly originals, and
innovative instrumentals.
In 2000, Woodkerne went through a member reorganization as then
guitarist Peter Siegel moved on to a solo career and Paul Burton
joined the group. I set up a Sunday evening Celtic session at Fire
& Water Cafe in Northampton, which was regularly attended by
amateurs and professionals alike. I was hired to set up similar
sessions at Silent Cal's, Mulino's (The Basement) and The Harp in
Amherst.
In 2001, Woodkerne drummer Dan Richardson came down with a
debilitating joint condition and Andrew Wiener of E. Hartland CT
replaced him. I also made my first trip to China, to visit a
horse-hair dressing facility. I was working with a client at the
time that was in desperate need of some sales and marketing advice.
My client imported horse tail hair from Asia for sale to customers
in the US and UK. I was hired to set up a website, write a business
plan and implement a sales and marketing program. We became
partners and formed the
Pioneer
Valley Luthier Supply Co. Inc.
I went back to China six more times between 2001 and 2003, meeting
my wife Emily there and getting married in 2005. Emily and I formed
our own
import/export company in 2004 and began selling directly to
violin shops under the
TwoTree and
Manchurian
brands and through our
bow hair website.
My son Richard was born in 2009.