Musical Events

I love music! I play at home and with friends regularly, and practice pretty much every day. However, although I have played out a few times, I am definitely not a professional musician: I don't play in a band or play music for a living. I do, however, entertain the crowds before, during, or after concerts with stiltwalking "walk-around" entertainment and/or one of my unique shows at a wide variety of musical events.

I've opened for Tom Paxton and Tom Chapin at John M. Green Hall in Northampton MA. I've entertained at numerous music festivals including the Bright Moments Jazz Festival (8x), Schleigho's "Ho Down" camp-out music festival (5x), the Charlemont Reggae Festival (4x), "The Big Squeeze" bluegrass festival (2x), Hot Food/Hot Jazz Fest (2x), Max Creek's "Camp Creek" music camp-out music festival, Moon Boot Lovers' "Boot Camp" camp-out music festival, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and Lakeville Arts & Music Festival. I've opened for various musicians at "Concerts on the Grass" (13x), "Concerts on the Beach", the Full Moon Coffeehouse, and Common Ground Cafe & Performance Place, as well during the performance for both the Lil Cajun Express and the Ginger Ninjas bike-powered concert.

One of the reasons I love entertaining at musical events is that music is such a big part of my life. I first started playing piano at age 6 and am self-taught on that instrument. I started trombone lessons in grade school. I picked up guitar at age 13. In college I bought an upright bass — which has always been my favorite instrument. As a young adult, I discovered that I have some sort of innate talent to learn to play pretty much any instrument I pick up... and I've been picking up instruments ever since.

I now have a large, very well-stocked Music Room in my home where I keep all the instruments I've acquired over the years, including my father's piano (the same one I learned on when I was 6), guitars, acoustic bass, trombone, trumpet, clarinet, wooden flutes, piccolo, my granddad's mandolin, ukuleles, my father's baritone uke, balalaika (the first instrument I ever bought myself), harmonicas, pan pipes, recorders, slide whistles, ocarinas, accordions (yes, more than one!), gut bucket, several small drums, and an entire wall of cubby holes containing a large assortment of small percussion instruments.

I've also jammed (not performed!) with lots of professional musicians including Charles Neville, Rusted Root, Goki Bi System, Will Brown, Tony Vacca, Tim Moran, Wil Lettman, J Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr.), Kim Zombik, Gaia Roots, Brian Bender, Ken Laroche (of DOAH World Music Ensemble), Kalpana Devi (of the Black Rebels), Ron Freshley, Matt Herschler, Mark Herschler, Tim Van Egmond, Moonlight & Morningstar, Star Drooker, Celia, John Sprague, Miro Sprague, Adam Rothberg, Peter Jones, Nancy Rockland-Miller, Jay Mankita, Doug Hewitt, John Porcino, Robby Roiter, Matthew Liston, Joshua Crane, Mark Fox, and a whole host of others I can't remember right now.