Myspace Layouts - Myspace Editor
I am a multi-instrumentalist specializing in mandolin family instruments, electric and acoustic guitar, steel guitar , and dobro . I am a professional composer, arranger, performer, recording artist, producer, and educator. I work with a variety of idioms including Jazz, Bluegrass, American traditional music, and Traditional Irish dance music.• Recording artist for Green Linnet, Rounder, Sony Japan, Flying Fish, Narada, East Side Digital, and various independent labels.
•International concert tours including France, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Slovakia, Japan and Singapore.
• Orchestrations and arrangements created for The Boston Pops and New Philharmonia Orchestra. Recent performances include Utah Symphony Orchestra Pops performing my orchestrations with The Wayfaring Strangers.
• ASCAP award winning compositions including “Canyon Moonrise” .
•1985 US National Flatpicking Champion (Mandolin) , winner of numerous regional contests on both guitar and mandolin.
• Performance in Jazz, Bluegrass, Irish and other styles with artists including 2004 National Heritage Fellowship Award recipient Joe Derrane; Seamus Connolly, chairman of Irish Music studies at Boston College, The Wayfaring Strangers, Rust Farm, Celtic Fiddle Festival, and many others. “The Boston Edge” trio CD voted “ #1 Irish Recording of the Year ” by The Irish Echo.
•Columnist for Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Frets, Mandolin Magazine, Jazz Improv Magazine, Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, Steel Guitar World; Author of five book/CD sets for Mel Bay Publications , including “Developing Melodic Variations on Fiddle Tunes” and “Guide to Octave Mandolin/Bouzouki”.
• I own and operate an independent music transcription company (The Original Custom Transcription Service) , which has been in business since 1981 serving both individual clients and publishers. Publishers include Homespun Tapes, Bassics Magazine, Mandolin Magazine, Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine, Sing Out! , Frets, Acutab etc.
•I have worked as a transcriber for hire for the Boston Symphony Orchestra , David Grisman/Acoustic Disc , John Reischman, Brooks Williams, Carl Filipiak, Tim Price, Mel Bay Publications, etc. and have had well over 1000 private clients.
•Other recent projects include a series of independently produced DVDs “Rhythm Tune Up” "Sound Fundamentals" and "Rhythm Mandolin" , and folio of Joaquin Murphy steel guitar transcriptions.
•Production work includes progressive bluegrass band Beacon Hillbillies , Irish rock band Sunday's Well and nuevo-contradance trio The Latter Day Lizards.
• Musical Director and composer/arranger , Childsplay (30 piece string orchestra)
Clinics and seminars including
• Boston College Gaelic Roots - Irish music instructor and performer
•Concord School of Music , Concord NH (clinic and performance)
•Hillman Music Seminar , Uniondale Pa (clinic and performance)
•Berklee College of Music (with David Grisman, John Blake , Grey Sargent etc.)
•Groove Camp (Honesdale PA) (clinic and performance)
•Ashokan Music and Dance Camp (Ashokan NY) (clinic and performance)
• Music Emporium (Lexington MA)
• Mandolin Camp North (Groton MA) (clinic and performance)
Associate Professor , Strings, Berklee College of Music , 2004-present.
•Board of Directors, Traditional Music Foundation 2007