The Woodshed Podcast Live from The Hearing Room

Ronnee has been performing in clubs and coffeehouses throughout the southern New England area, playing "ClassicRock" covers and originals, including those from her self-produced CD,“Spirit of the Heart”. Ronnee's upbeat “acoustic-rock” style and choice of material never fail to draw her audiences' praise and applause.

Dear Friend,I'd like to share a story with you......about a girl. The youngest of six children, “the baby”, she spent summers barefoot and picking raspberries. During the winter she listened to the crackling fireplace while warming cold fingers after hours in the snow. She learned delight and appreciation.This girl was spritely and filled with joy. She was loving and always wanted to please those around her. She trusted quickly and forgave easily.Childhood was abundant. It also came with hardships. Life brought sickness, hurt, struggle, and great loss. She was fifteen when her dad lost his battle to cancer. She didn't know then, but these experiences taught her the gift of resilience, the value of hope, the beauty of love, and the friendship of music.Through the years this "Energizer Bunny" mastered the art of wearing masks to cover up her sorrow and fear. "Put a smile on your face, don't be a burden, and push through."Externally she was thriving. Internally she was numb, so she wrote. Songs, poems, and journaling were her haven for raw, unfiltered honesty.At the University of New Hampshire she began writing songs on her dad's old guitar. It was a balm. Sophomore year brought a reckoning with her faith, a belief in a force of love and restoration. She had a sense of belonging just as she was.This also lead to self-reflection, opening wounds that had never really healed. Afraid, an eating disorder became her escape. There was sickness, hurt, struggle, and loss......and then there was resilience, hope, love, and music.Post undergrad, this now adult knew she wanted to help people, see them thrive. She also knew music filled her veins with an energy unmatched, meeting her wherever she was with exactly what she needed. Music was her confidant, dance partner, comforter, her mood lifter. Through the years, personal growth, therapy, amazing friends, and creating, all brought more clarity:She would cultivate Connection, Solidarity, and Hope through Love and Creative Expression.That little girl is now in her thirties. She is still spritely, loving, and filled with joy. She is also authentic and vulnerable. This woman has traveled. She has loved and lost. She cares for the environment and is passionate about ending injustice. She is an aunt to five incredible young humans and a mom to her feline Mowgli. She lives her vision. This woman is learning daily to trust her knowing and believe her worth.She is bold. She is courageous. She is flourishing.With the dawn she rises. I seek daily to cultivate connection, solidarity, and hope through love and creative expression. My hope is that as I share my music and heart with integrity and authenticity, you too feel empowered to live authentically.May you come to know and love yourself more and more, as you journey Around The Sun.BeBold, Kimayo

Tonight! Catherine Swan is on the podcast at 7pm. Listen in!I am originally from Dublin Ireland, currently living in Lowell Ma with my childhood sweetheart "Swanney" who I reconnected with after 30 years and married just 4 years ago. It wasn't until I moved to the US that I started playing out at open mics initially and eventually playing in pubs and gigging all over Lowell and surrounding towns with my band "Oskersfault" that I formed through meeting other musicians at Pinata's in Tewksbury MA when I ran the open mic there, we went our own ways after about 5 very successful years together, we had a great dynamic and it was a fab experience! My mother always loved playing music in the house and was a huge influence growing up, my musical influences to name a few are Elvis, Jewel, Amy Winehouse, The Cranberries, Fleetwood Mac,, I particularly like soul and R&B to listen to. Now that I'm getting older I am enjoying doing more songs from my home country Ireland and with the technology we have now I am able to share with my family and friends back there.

Chris Steele is a Massachusetts-based songwriter, singer, and rock musician. Depending on the day, Chris might be solo with an acoustic guitar in Edmonton, Alberta, jamming out with friends at a pizza joint in Newton, livestreaming online, or putting down new rock tracks in the studio.My music comes from a love of classic rock, influenced by 90's grunge and post-grunge, and then filtered through the mind of a poet who travels too much.https://chrissteeleband.com

Doug Farrell is a Songwriter from Southern New Hampshire who's been described as John Prine meets John Gorka. he's been featured on NHPR's Folk Show ,winner of several New England Songwiting contests. He has a CD out called Spirit Man, and also 2 CDs with Decatur Creek .http://www.dougfarrellmusic.com

A brief Biography of Jay Singing Spirit Cunningham written by Jay:I started playing guitar at 15 years of age and I am self taught not until later on in life did I start performing at various coffee houses and pubs both at open mics and gigging out and also busking for tips I have been with my classic rock band the CRS Project for 20 years or so and actually started playing with some of these musicians 48years ago as a garage band that never did much I was lead singer at the time and only played folk music on my own of which I was just learning . I was born in Taunton Ma and moved to the back woods of Norton ma at 8 years. Of age I am 1/4 Abenaki Indian and 3/4 Scotch Irish and English I am 64 years old and have been married 45 years to the same woman and have 3 grown adult children and 8 grandchildren also I am retired and devoting all my time to music and native culture I lead a 26” buffalo hide drum and we drum at 13 powwows a year.

Pam Steinfeldsinger/songwriter/guitarist/piano-player.A Massachusetts-based musician, Pam has over 20 songwriting awards to her credit (6 awarded by the Billboard Magazine Song Contest). She writes upbeat, rhythmic tunes as well as soulful ballads.Pam's debut CD, "Open Hands," features eleven originals and a cover version of John Gorka's song "Love Is Our Cross To Bear." Co-produced by Pam and WAMA "Producer of the Year" Marco Delmar, "Open Hands" also features the talents of Jon Carroll,Robbie Magruder, J.T. Brown (current/former members of Mary Chapin Carpenter's band), Al Petteway, and many other talented musicians."Open Hands" was nominated as "Best Debut Recording" and "Best Contemporary Folk Recording" by the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA). Radio/TV: Ten songs from "Open Hands" have been played on radio stations across the country and abroad, including WXPN in Philadelphia, WMVY on Martha's Vineyard, WETA in Washington, DC, and WRUR in Rochester. Pam has been interviewed on stations in New Jersey and Maryland. She has also appeared on television in Massachusetts, Maryland, and Virginia.Performance Highlights: The release of "Open Hands" launched Pam's performance schedule, highlights of which include shows at the Washington Folk Festival, National Race for the Cure, Wintertide Coffeehouse, Rehoboth Folk Festival, Watchung Arts Center, Jammin' Java, First Night Alexandria, Frederick Festival of the Arts, Herndon Festival, NERFA Official "Informal" Showcase, Vic's Music Corner/O'Brien's, and numerous houseconcerts.PressPam has been featured in numerous publications, including: Washington Post Magazine, The Journal Newspapers, The Gazette Newspapers, Music Monthly, Washington Jewish Week, The Watchung Journal, The Cape Gazette, The Old Town Crier, Indie-music.com, and collectedsounds.com. (See "Reviews" page for quotes.)Listen to Pam's tunes on YouTube!https://tinyurl.com/PamOnYouTubeFor Bookings and Email List: PamelaJayne1@gmail.com

Jason Campbell was born in Billerica, MA and has spent his life in New England. He has a degree in Illustration and is self-employed as a Typographic Designer. He also paints, draws pencil portraits and publishes web cartoons. He has been a blues enthusiast for decades, some of his favorite artists are Paul Rishell and Annie Raines, Charlie Musselwhite and Guy Davis. When not listening to other blues artists he plays harmonica and sings at area Open Mics and Open Blues Jams. In whatever free time he can squeeze in he writes adventures for Dungeons and Dragons campaigns.

Lori Fassman moved to the Boston area from Connecticut in the late 1980s, armed with a math degree, and immediately became enchanted with the local folk music scene. She joined and later became a core volunteer for the Folk Song Society of Greater Boston (fssgb.org), helping to organize their concert series, singing parties and annual Fall Getaway Weekend. Lori has sung with numerous local performing groups including The Simones (named after her late cat), Acton Music Project, and Sisters in Song/SisterWolf, singing at weddings, private parties and local coffeehouses. Her repertoire includes traditional folk songs and covers of contemporary singer-songwriter material, as well as popular songs from the 1970s, and she has a particular fondness for the songs of blues rockers such as Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi.

“Tamara Hey's soaring voice has charmed and captivated audiences throughout her native New York for over a decade. She writes meticulously detailed, magically crystallized three-minute pop songs which, just like her vocals, are disarmingly deep. She's also one of the great wits in music: an edgy sense of humor spices Hey's narratives and character studies, even in the gloomiest moments. And her punchlines have O. Henry irony and Amy Rigby bittersweetness. The title of Hey's album Miserably Happy pretty much says it all.” – New York Music Daily�She also happens to be the rare music-schooled musician who doesn't waste notes or let her chops get in the way of saying something as directly as possible, musically or lyrically. That sense of purpose and craftsmanship translates to her career as a music educator: she's a popular guitar teacher and for the past ten years, Hey's Alphabet City Music Workshops for music theory, transcription and arranging have built a following, especially among singer-songwriters.�Hey got her start in the Lower East Side's edgy singer-songwriter scene in the early part of this century, in the days before the gritty, artistic neighborhood was taken over by real estate speculators. Inspired by the fearlessness and sardonic humor of classic punk, the catchiness and wit of 60s Brill Building pop and the quirky fun of new wave, Hey quickly gained a following in bars and listening rooms in New York including the Fast Folk Cafe, CB's Gallery, the Bottom Line, Rockwood Music Hall and the Slipper Room. She's shared the stage with artists including David Massengill, Jack Hardy, Ellis Paul, to name a few.�Her third album, Miserably Happy, has been called a high water mark of that scene. Tamara's catalog of original songwriting includes three previous albums: Right This Minute, A Little Space Left, and a children's album, Sharing the Same Stars. In addition, Tamara's work appears on three Fast Folk Magazine compilations: Local Charm, New Voices NYC, and Rebirth, issued on Smithsonian Folkways Records.The EditorsNew York Music Daily/Lucid CultureReview of Tamara Hey at Rockwood Music Hallhttp://lucidculture.wordpress.com

Cantor Vera Broekhuysen has served as cantor at Temple Emanu-El of Haverhill, Massachusetts, since June of 2016 and is delighted to begin serving the Temple as its spiritual leader in July of 2018.As an educator, Cantor Broekhuysen brings guitar and drum into the classroom to infuse Hebrew language learning with music. Cantor Broekhuysen is also passionate about the beauty and vocal connectivity of early music and folksong and brings her experiences with Village Harmony (Vermont, international tours in the Caucasus Republic of Georgia) and Studio Sixteen (Toronto) to her cantorial work.Cantor Broekhuysen deeply values opportunities to pursue both spiritual enrichment and social justice in interfaith environments. She is a member of the Greater Haverhill Clergy Association and a founding member of the Merrimack Valley Sanctuary Network, which came together in the spring of 2017. While in cantorial school, Cantor Broekhuysen led an interfaith, cross-campus singing group (through the Center for Inter-Religious & Communal Leadership Education at both Hebrew College and Andover Newton Theological Seminary) and co-created a series of events and workshops exploring the female voice in relationship to text and spiritual authority within Judaism and Islam.Cantor Broekhuysen is a member of the New England Board of Cantors, where she currently serves as secretary. In March of 2018, she helped organize, and performed in, “From Out of the Storm: Cantors Respond to Devastation,” a successful benefit concert on behalf of the Jewish communities in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands who were impacted by Hurricanes Maria and Jose. This event was cosponsored by Temple Beth Zion of Brookline, MA.Cantor Broekhuysen completed her undergraduate studies in music history and theory at the University of Toronto and was ordained by Hebrew College in June of 2016, when she also earned her Masters Degree in Jewish Education. She lives in North Andover, Massachusetts, with her husband and two sons.

Danno Sullivan - Ukulele teacher, musician, actor, writer and all around performer.

My work as a writer tends to be mostly essay driven. My first full length book is a memoir titled "This is why you know me."I'm a professional stand-up comedian of five years. I also cohost the radio program, Poptarts in my VCR every Tuesday on 91.5 WUML. It can also be streamed on wuml.org. In addition, I co-host a Podcast, "One-hour Parking" based out of northern Massachusetts.

Haverhill raised musician, writing under BEDS the solo project and Motel Art, with inspirations from movie scores like Eternal Sunshine and bands Minus the Bear and the Front Bottoms. Ben works in the mental health field. When not working or performing, Ben runs a diy music/artist collaboration Let's Get Weird as well as the podcast One Hour Parking with cohost Maxwell Shultz. The podcast interviews local artists/musicians.

Annie Patterson & Peter Blood developed and edited Rise Up Singing: The Group Singing Songbook, published by Sing Out Publications in 1988 and their sequel second songbook Rise Again published by Hal Leonard in 2015. They have led hundreds of singalong concerts and workshops across North America, New Zealand and the UK. Patterson is an accomplished folk performer, recording artist and jazz vocalist. She was the art director of Rise Up Singing and was producer and primary vocalist for the Rise Up Singing Teaching Discs. Patterson is a member of the swing band Girls from Mars and performs regularly with The O-Tones and at folk venues in the US and abroad.Blood was publications director of Sing Out (the nonprofit that publishes Sing Out! Magazine) from 1988 to 1993. He edited Pete Seeger's autobiography, Where Have All the Flowers Gone: A Singalong Memoir. Seeger was actively involved in working both on Rise Up Singing and Rise Again.For more information on Annie & Peter and their work go to https://www.riseupandsing.org/

Rob Siegel is well-known in Boston folk music circles as an innovative songwriter who draws from his idyllic yet stressed- out middle-class suburban existence and produces memorable, intelligent, well-crafted songs.

LIZ BILLSA vocal powerhouse, a dynamic songwriter and an empowering force who bares her heart for the world to see. Known for her entrancing high energy performances and emotionally charged power vocals, vulnerable and passionate in her songwriting and stage presence; Liz openly discusses mental health, female empowerment and many other sensitive topics that so desperately need to be explored. Highlights have included winning Roots Act of The Year in 2019 and ‘Rock Act of the Year in 2018 for the New England Music Awards, opening for Bon Jovi at Mohegan Sun in 2017, runner-up in the 2016 Aloft Rising Star with Daughtry, and a semi-finals appearance in the WZLX's 2016 Rock Rumble. Liz was a top 30 female finisher in the 2013 American Idol competition, and has been compared to singers such as Grace Potter, Janis Joplin, Florence and the Machine and Susan Tedeschi.

Alexandru Sabau is a Indie Folk Singer-Songwriter from Haverhill, Mass. His debut full length 'In between the Standing Trees' was recorded at BB3 Studios in Newton,NH. and self-released in 2014. He has been on several Road Trip tours, playing in cafes, bars and sidewalks to anyone who would listen, though at times, it was just the crickets. Currently he writes and performs with a local Punk Band called The Grubs, and performs his folk songs in the Local open-mic circuit. Future plans include releasing a new Ep and building and growing meaningful relationships with other folks.

Performing a unique blend of jazz, folk, rock and blues, Beverly-based, rootsy, rockin & blue, Bob Kramer delivers high-spirited and enthusiastic performances every time he performs. His lively sets are packed with songs for any age and range from the Blues of the Delta to the classic Jazz of the streets to his own tasty originals. Bob is a seasoned performer and multi-instrumentalist whose love for the Delta and Piedmont styles resonates through his energetic playing and his rootsy singing. He performs using a variety of instruments to produce their jazzy folk/blues original sound, including slide guitar, mandolin and other guitars. Bob Kramer regularly perform at a variety of venues in the area, including the Topsfield Fair, and hosts the open mic at the Indo Pub, Beverly, on Monday nights.. Bob has opened for national recording artists, Paul Rishell and Annie Raines at Beverly First Night and the Pete Best Band (original Beatles drummer) in Newburyport and the Terra Blues Club in Greenwich Village in New York CityBob has released solo CDs, produced a compilation CD of Boston's North Shore singer/songwriters - North Shore Acoustic Project - which received a “ raving” review in Dirty Linen Magazine. He also received an Honorable Mention in Billboard Magazine's Songwriting Contest, and served as Chair of the Music Committee for the Yankee Homecoming Festival in Newburyport. His songs have been on radio playlists all over the world. Bob's CD Help Me Sing My Song is on the Oasis compilation CD Volume 5. You can purchase Bob Kramer's albums Help me Sing my Song and North Shore Music Project on iTunes as well as on CD Baby.

May Ave. was a long-term project that began on a Boston commuter boat in 2003. Bill Barton (A.R. West Studios/Billy and the Goats) listened to Gillespie discuss music, subsequently challenging him to write a bunch of songs that he offered to record in exchange for beer. This beer-inspired offer could do little else than garner a country-influenced record. Gillespie went to work writing songs and Barton began to artfully (well, sort of anyway) record. In the studio, the two shared common philosophies and developed a sound that in some ways pre-dated 1970 (just like Bill and Jay); meaning that it captured all of the raw energy of the 1960s while still drawing influence from old-time Americana. While "It's You that I Love" sounds like a lost George Harrison track, "The Facebook Song" might have been something crafted by Roger Miller if he had been given the chance to assess contemporary social media. "It was Just You and Me" harkens back to the pop country Urban Cowboy era of the early 1980s. "Kerri with a K" is the rock yarn of a young couple separated by the Atlantic Ocean riddled by a litany of phobias. "Goodnight Anna" is a creatively upbeat pop lullaby.

"a sizzling blend of Americana, folk, rock, roots, reggae, and everything in between, that will get your toes tappin', your head noddin' up and down, your mouth singin', your brain thinkin' and maybe even get you dancin' in the aisles!"Ask Kenny Selcer why it is that he plays music, and he's likely to respond as though he was on stage. Without missing a beat, he becomes electric. He speaks of defying categories, breaking down barriers and fusing idioms and cultures. Of his live performances (whether solo or with his band) he says, "It's as though someone keeps changing the channel."Indeed, Kenny weaves a masterful, fluid thread through genre after genre in his riveting live performances in his solo performances (and with his bands). He traverses the musical map with infectious melodies and unstoppable rhythms. He soothes the spirit, rocks the house and melts into a seductive, bluesy groove. It's a unique uplifting sound that comes through both live and on disc! It's an uplifting and transcendent romp through style after style.Kenny is at equally at home on solo acoustic guitar as he is with a band. He has performed everywhere as a solo singer/songwriter honing his songs and solo performing on the vital New England acoustic scene. He has also led bands from duos to 6 pieces led by his mesmerizing guitar & intimate vocals. Whatever the musical situation he paints sparkling vignettes and visions exploring life's complexities and wonders. His latest CD is I Simplify.“Through candid storytelling and inspired guitar play, Kenny Selcer delivers a stimulating mind-body listening experience. Engaging tales of relationship pain, frustration, hope and desire will provoke listeners to revisit thoughts of their own relationships. Listeners will not, however, find themselves stewing in self-reflection for very long as Selcer's lively guitar licks send them truckin' on down the road to relationship renewal.” - Dennis Carlan, Lyric Tree Publishing"Kenny Selcer has put together an album of memorable tunes and sensational picking." - Joseph Tortelli, Music Business News"The entire work is one warm vibe that you ride through on the strength of Selcer's pleasant, mellifluous vocal." - Bill Copeland, www.billcopelandmusicnews.com/“Imagine David Bromberg, Jackson Browne, early Donovan, Steve Forbert, Tom Petty, and Paul Simon percolating in ...a room. That paints a clearer picture of Kenny's latest material. Further accented by his own copyright stamp the results are pure pleasure from the opening tune (the title cut) to the finale (which by the way ends with the reprise).” – Craig Fenton, Jefferson Airplane/Starship biographer“Selcer produces well-crafted songs with a variety of deliveries that makes the album an unexpected listening experience.” – Austindaze.comKenny's latest CD: “This is a wonderful CD! It is an excellent collection of well-crafted songs, sensitively presented. Your voice shines, your guitar-playing is perfection, the arrangements are excellent, whether you are playing & singing alone or presenting a song with one or more of your talented accompanists. I've enjoyed the album on a first listen, and even more on a second listen. It's a very hopeful collection of pieces. The songs go down easily – excellent melodies and chord choices.” Ellen Schmidt, musician, producer“The most powerful thing I've noticed about Kenny Selcer's album, Don't Forget About Me, is this: listening to it makes me feel good. Don't get me wrong- this isn't simple, superficial music. Nothing of the sort. These songs are songs that tell the truth about what it is like to be alive - facing loss, facing the future, facing our task here on earth: to create a life that is authentic & meaningful. How can I help but feel good in the presence of music that is this kind of real? Add to this, the fact that these are wonderfully crafted songs- that Kenny's voice rings true, and that his guitar playing is transcendental- and you have a winning combination. Thanks for making this for us all - you have cooked us up a delicious banquet of sound!” - Lynn McKenna, music lover, singer, musician

Born in suburban Massachusetts, Kim has been singing since the ripe old age of 5. The oldest of eight children in an Irish Catholic family in the Boston suburbs, Kim grew up listening to the music of Clancy Brothers, Jim Croce, and James Taylor. “I didn't know it back then, but traditional Irish music and the 1970s singer-songwriters got deep into my heart, and now influence me in ways I never realized,” says Kim of her musical influences.After teaching herself to play piano while in middle school, Kim picked up a guitar after college. The songwriting bug bit her only after several years of playing covers. “There's something about finding a creative and supportive community that has inspired my muse! The talented musicians in the suburbs of Boston have really inspired me to open up and just let the songs come out.”Writing at a feverish pace for a woman balancing work, motherhood, and family life is now something she can't remember being without. “It's been such a positive influence in my life. My friends ask me how I do it – and I tell them I am actually more balanced as a person now. The hardest part of it all is finding the time to sit still and just be.”In the summer of 2009, looking ahead to the completion of Kim's debut CD, she started talking big goals with fellow singer-songwriter Dan Cloutier. The next thing you know, a conversation went something like this: “You have an album coming out. I have an album coming out. What can we do to help each other? And help other people too? And support the local music we know and love so well? Hey, I know…let's start a record label!!” And so, Birch Beer Records was born.My Own True North, her first full-length CD, debuted in 2009. My Own True North is an acoustic-folk album, recorded at Humming Lake Studio with Seth Connelly. Getting some traction in the local area, in 2010 Kim won Best Female Vocalist at the Worcester Music Awards.Her sophomore effort, the indie-rock, band-driven Here Now, was recorded at Bang-A-Song Studios with Tony Goddess and at RockSalt Studio with Eric Salt, and released in 2013. Kim and Eric co-produced Here Now, with an ear towards lush musical landscapes, layered arrangements, and blending and building harmonies – even though the bulk of the tracks were recorded in live sessions. “One of my favorite comments about this album is that it rocks – but it's still true to my acoustic roots. The songs, the lyrics, and the arc of the story I tell is just as important with this set of songs as it was before,” says Kim. Here Now was nominated for Best CD in the 2014 Worcester Music Awards.In 2014 , one of Kim's newest songs, “When We Are Broken,” was nominated as a finalist in the Eventide Arts 2014 Songfest songwriting competition (Cape Cod, MA), and Kim earned an Honorable Mention in the 2014 Solarfest Songwriting Showcase Competition (VT). 2015 brought a self-imposed songwriting challenge: write a new song every week for the first 3 months of the year. She made it work for 8 weeks. She says: “It was a good run, even if I didn't write all 12 new songs! Writing consistently, trying not to worry over whether or not the new songs are any good, is better than not writing at all. 8 songs is a good start, there's certainly more writing to do, and all the new tunes need work. But, getting myself to write consistently is planting the seeds for what my next recording project can be, and getting those wheels turning again.”And, since it's true that each ending is its own beginning, as Birch Beer Records came to a close, in 2017 Kim – along with Dan Cloutier and Ricardo Barraza – formed The Great Molasses Flood, an acoustic folk-rock band with powerful stories to tell through beautiful harmonies.

Julia Mark's endearing warmth and charm has quickly made her a favorite in the Boston music scene and beyond. As a singer-songwriter and pianist, she carefully balances wordplay, wit, and the weight of being human. With the soft-easy vocal of Suzanne Vega and the songwriting penchant of Carole King, Julia Mark regales listeners with tales of life on the moon, heartbreak on Earth, childhood homes, and palindromes.Julia Mark was a 2016 Iguana Music Fund grantee, spurring the creation of her first full-length album, “Gemini". In 2018, she was nominated for a New England Music Award for Songwriter of the Year and a Boston Music Award for Singer-Songwriter of the Year. In 2019, Julia was nominated for a New England Music Award for Female Performer of the Year. She is currently working on her second studio album.August 2019: New England Music Award Nominee: Female Performer of the YearSeptember 2018: Boston Music Award Nominee: Singer-Songwriter of the YearAugust 2018: New England Music Award Nominee: Songwriter of the YearDecember 2016: Iguana Music Fund granteeDecember 2016: EBASS Searchlight Showcase selectionSeptember 2015: 16th Lizard Lounge Main Event winner

Tom Smith's songs are in turns humorous, touching, thought provoking, and inspiring. Deeply rooted in the old-school folk tradition, his timeless stories are told with a voice that is honest and sincere with melodies that you will remember forever.In the words of noted WUMB-FM Boston radio DJ, Dave Palmeter – “Contrary to what a lot of people think, folk music is still a living tradition. It's a living tradition that feeds on new songs that speak of people's wants, people's needs, people's struggles and people's triumphs. Tom Smith is more out of the tradition of say Pete Seeger and Tom Paxton than Jackson Browne or Connor Oberst. He's a man who writes songs that seem like they've always been there. There are very few songwriters working today that I would call folksingers, but I would call Tom Smith a true folksinger.”Barbara Kessler writes, “Tom Smith will make you laugh and cry (maybe even in the same song) – a very captivating songwriter and performer.”Tom grew up in rural Pennsylvania in a family where music was part of the fabric of everyday life. As a young man living at the epicenter of the folk-quake that was Cambridge, MA in the 1960's, Tom solidified what has become a life-long love of self-made music. Now a folk veteran of over thirty-five years, Tom performs at festivals, coffeehouses, schools, and concerts throughout the Northeastern United States to audiences large and small, young and old.In Tom's popular monthly blog The Kitchen Musician, going strong since 2007, Tom uses his music to reflect on modern life.

6:00pm, Sunday March 15, The Hearing Room (Aaron Tornberg) and I will be doing a live podcast. I'll do the whole album, with John Loretz and Joshua Larrabee accompanying me. Tune in to https://www.hearingroom.net/the-woodshed-podcast for this special live podcast.

Jan Luby is known for her engaging, often riveting stage presence as well as her voice full of passion, range and power. Her songs are evocative, lyrical and infectious personal stories. Her approach to songwriting ranges from socially relevant to irreverent, heartbreaking to humorous.Jan was voted Female Vocalist 2011, and nominated for Singer-Songwriter 2012 in Rhode Island's Motif Magazine, was a finalist in the Boston Acoustic Underground Series, and finalist in the 2017 Rhode Island Songwriters Association Songwriting Contest.As a solo performer Jan Luby is equally at home on festival stages in front of thousands as she is in intimate settings. She's performed in coffeehouses, clubs, theaters, festivals, house concerts, jail cells, picket lines and on street corners on both coasts and Europe. Jan has shared stages with the likes of Ani DiFranco, Dar Williams, Townes Van Sandt, Lucy Blue Tremblay, Loudon Wainwright III, Garnet Rogers, Cheryl Wheeler as well as Vaudeville luminaries like the Flying Karamazov Brothers, Tom Noddy and Avner the Eccentric."Jan Luby was born for the stage. She is as comfortable there as any performer I've ever seen. The audience is somehow engaged by her before she sings or speaks a single word. And when she does step into her performance everyone knows that they are in the presence of a natural talent refined to perfection by years of experience. It's remarkable to witness." - Don White"Jan Luby is one of the cutting edge shining lights...a completely natural performer with a voice of anger,humor, warmth and beauty." - Peter Yarrow

Chuck Williams has been appearing throughout New England and in recent years has gone coast to coast with his music. Raised in Toledo, Ohio, Chuck has lived most of his adult life in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, moving to the Buzzards Bay shoreline in 2002. He has been traveling to coffeehouses, performing arts centers and festivals sowing seeds of his songs along the way.Chuck's approach is typically relaxed, at times sentimental and always confident. He is not a folk artist with heavy political leanings in his songwriting such as Joan Baez, Phil Ochs or U. Utah Phillips. However, what Chuck has mastered is how to pull at Americana heartstrings and tell rootsy stories through his simple and effective novella type lyrics. Nothing is overproduced or played with flash. Chuck has a personable singing style and it's not done to impress but express.His music has some of the same energies of songwriters such as David Crosby, John Prine, and definitely Neil Young, while not sounding like any of them. There is something here that a lot of people are going to latch on to, especially in these trying times. Chuck's music does exactly what it is suppose to do.....it reaches emotions in the listener. It gives words to feelings we all share and provokes thought long after the music is over. His style is unique yet it feels familiar.Rhode Islands Motif Music Awards has nominated Chuck as Singer/Songwriter of the Year ('07, '08, '09, ‘11), for Album Of the Year ('07, '08 and ‘10) and Best Folk Act ('07, ‘12). Chuck has had the pleasure of opening for national touring artists such as Cheryl Wheeler, Jimmy LeFave, Rod McDonald, Steve Forbert, Pegi Young & the Survivors, Kelly Joe Phelps, Beau Coup Blue, Claude Bourbon and Michael Troy.Chuck was the President of the Rhode Island Songwriters Association (RISA) for nine years. He is also a member of Folk Alliance, NERFA, ASCAP and the ACMA.Williams employs a voice that resembles Neil Young's with the edges rounded-off. There seems to be a proud and strong tradition of folk music speaking truth to power within his tunes. Don DiMuccio, Motif Magazine

Grant Maloy Smith is a Billboard Top 10 recording artist and MusicRow CountryBreakout charting songwriter of AMERICAN ROOTS music. His latest album, Dust Bowl - American Stories spent 17 weeks on the Billboard charts, including eleven weeks in the Top 10. The "Bible" of American Roots music, NO DEPRESSION magazine, raved: “… lyrics and music as potent as Woody Guthrie ... A reminder of the darker period of Bob Dylan, and it's that good, that memorable…”. Grant made his Carnegie Hall in 2018 and has won numerous awards, including two Grammy® certificates. He will be appearing at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center again in 2020, and he is being inducted into the Indie Music Hall of Fame this April, at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Whether he's playing with a full band or performing solo, audiences are enthralled by his meaningful songs and his sense of humor. Grant is also an actor, appearing in the feature film Oildale filmed in Bakersfield, California.

JOHN FERULLOI have been playing my own songs and other's folk and acoustic music in coffee houses, restaurants, festivals, bars and anywhere else for about ten years. I also run an open stages in the area where I get to meet many wonderful musicians. My music is influenced by Woody Guthrie, Bill Morrissey, Steve Goodman, Greg Brown, John Hurt and others. I play solo and sometimes in a duo called "Two Cat Folk" with the talented Betsi Mandrioli. I have a solo CD and one in process and also a CD with my duo Two Cat Folk. I started playing guitar when I was about 14 years old. My neighborhood friends were mostly into rock and roll and heavy metal so I thought I wanted to play that. That was until I heard Steve Goodman's first album. I knew then that I wanted to learn songs that had content and melody like the songs Steve played. From Steve Goodman I found John Prine and Tom Rush. Then life took over. I finished college, started a family and a career. Sometime in the early 80's I went to a Tom Rush showcase at a local theater. Part way through the show this guy gets up there who looked like a kid in his father's oversized coat. He sang a song about a hobo camp in Barstow. He was a fairly young guy with the voice of a much older, more grizzled, man. Bill Morrissey deserves to be counted amongst the best of American literature. The stories and characters in his songs made me want to write songs so I started learning how. I started attending open mikes in the 90's and started one of my own in 2001. Since I have done several open mike features and shows as a solo and in my duo. My music has been described as “about important things with his stories about seemingly small things”. I like to write stories about regular people.

Tim Foley is a songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist whose sound doesn't settle easily into a descriptive box. You'll hear an amalgamation of musical styles he has gravitated towards, which include blues, jazz, folk, classical, and funk. Tim lived in New Orleans for a number of years, and his music is heavily influenced by the city's tradition of musical experimentation. His songs, both instrumental and with vocals, range from upbeat foot stompers to relaxing melodic soundscapes. If you find Tim Foley performing with other musicians you'll notice that he is more interested in where the music may take them.Inquire about my guitar instrumental CD titled 'Instrumental' and get in touch with any questions". Tim

Cathy Main is a New Hampshire native. She grew up in Wolfeboro, NH, fishing for hours from the shores of Lake Winnepesaukee. Many of her original songs came from her long summer hours of down time, sitting silently, waiting for a nibble.Singer-songwriter, Colette O'Connor, describes Cathy's music as "Nostalgia with hope." Cathy wrote her first song to Caroline Kennedy after the death of her father, President John F. Kennedy. Cathy knew a bit about how little Caroline might have been feeling, having lost her father at the age of ten.Her thoughtful tunes take us back, not to her childhood places, but to your own. Cathy's passion is to connect and to understand through feeling and memory. She has a social worker's heart - healing her own through love and music.

“...rings with authentic grit.” -Bill Copeland Music News“With naturally gifted vocal command, Manville explores the intricacies of love, life, and the finer things with a sharp eye on details. Her lyrics are heartfelt and genuine and delivered with just the right amount of instinct and emotion."- Douglas Sloan, Metronome MagazineSome People Sing, released in the fall of 2017, is the second solo album from Kirsten Manville, the follow-up to her 2013 release Come With Me. With elements of Americana, folk, country, and blues, the singer/songwriter creates songs that feel like they may have come straight from journal entries. Deceptively simple lyrics paint pictures, tell stories, and evoke a range of emotions. From the pain of finding and losing love, and hard times in a down-on-its-luck town, to the small pleasures of line-dried laundry and homemade pie, and the escapism of a romantic night for two, Kirsten's warm and sultry voice draws the listener in, infusing the songs with feeling and depth.“Music, and specifically singing and songwriting, have always been the primary way I have tried to make sense of the world and the ups and downs of life,” she says. “And hopefully, listeners can relate to the emotions or stories depicted in my songs, and take comfort in knowing someone else is feeling the same way or has the same questions or wants the same things. The is what music has always done for me. Plus, singing is really fun, and it just makes me feel good.”Some People Sing was a Top 5 album pick in the January 2018 issue of Metronome Magazine, and Kirsten was featured on the cover of the magazine in March 2018. The song “...but Down” was included in the Alternate Root Magazine's weekly top 10 in November of 2017.Kirsten's songs have received radio airplay on a number stations both in the United States and overseas, including WUMB and KZUM. Her song “A Simple Life” spent time in the Top 30 charts (peaking at number 11) of The Globe Radio, an Adult Album Alternative format internet radio station, and her song “Play My Guitar” has been in the Top 20 songs on WOSRadio. In July 2013 she was a finalist in the songwriting competition at the Ossipee Valley Music Festival, and in February 2016 she was a winner in the Maine Songwriters Whittlesey Barn Songwriting/Performance Contest. Kirsten performs regularly in the north east, and has had the honor of opening for well-known folk artists Don White and Joe Jencks.

SHARON AND NICK PANGAROSharon and Nick have been together for 46 years and began playing music together early on. During those earlier years, Sharon played guitar and Nick played harmonica jamming together with friends in college dorms and at parties.Nick's Dad played mandolin and he's been influenced by greats such as Tim O'Brien, Chris Thile, Rich DelGrosso, and Sierra Hull just to name a few, so it was natural he pick up the instrument about 20 years ago. He's continued to add more instruments to his repertoire including resonator and octave mandolins, guitar, 5 string and tenor banjos, and occasionally bass.From the time she was five years old through her teen years, Sharon played classical piano. In later years, she enjoyed watching fiddle performers such as Eileen Ivers, Natalie MacMaster and Winifred Horan and was initially drawn to Celtic music. She picked up the fiddle in 2004. Eventually, she found a real interest in the Old Time, Bluegrass and Blues genres and changed her focus. In addition to the fiddle, she plays the dobro, guitar, bodhran, and djembe.They began playing at open mics, coffee houses and jam sessions. In 2009, they formed a group with friends called Deep Hole Road. Later, in 2015, they began performing as part of the group Entangled Strings.They currently perform as Sharon, Nick and Friends, playing as either a duo or trio (and more) having friends occasionally join them. They enjoy playing at music festivals, farmer's markets, coffee houses and open mics, and have begun an educational-centered program for libraries focusing on the chronology of instruments and various styles of music.They have been busy booking gigs for 2020 and will be appearing at the New Boston Farmers' Market on 7/11 and 8/29, the Hampstead Library on 8/3, the Rochester Farmer's Market on 8/11, and the Deerfield Fair on 10/3. You can visit their Facebook page, Sharon, Nick and Friends, to check for updates to the schedule.

ANDY PRATTAndy Pratt is an American rock music singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (b.25-Jan-1947). In the 1970s, he made a number of experimental records that were appreciated by small audiences, and scored a commercial hit with "Avenging Annie".

It's the return of the Snake! For the 50th episode, I asked Snake to come back and tell us some more stories, share more music, and generally have a good time. Listen in!Eric Gulliksen (aka "the Snake") was a founding member of Orpheus and contributes a unique bass guitar style, sound and artistry to the music of Stephen & the Snake. He is a veteran of many rock bands and folk groups, and has been an independent record producer and promoter with performances or compositions released on more than a dozen different labels in addition to those recorded with Orpheus. After Orpheus he worked in 23 foreign countries, been a music collector and archiver, and run a very popular mobile DJ service. He is also a writer, poet and lyricist, and an inventor with 17 patents to his credit.

David Tierney is an author, DJ, Vietnam Veteran, and a host of other things. Listen in!For a garrulous guy with myriad life experiences, it is hard to say a little about David. When asked what haven't you done? He replies, "Where is the audition?" David has a sea bag full of stories as juggled and juxtaposed as the parts in a kaleidoscope. Every turn of the barrel has brought a new adventure, not always planned, but always embraced.He has achieved balance in life by embracing the extremes. As a cabdriver his favorite turns have always been soft slow rights. In life, it has always been sudden sharp 180's. He calls it,”walking the knife's edge". One of his many aphorisms about life is that fear makes life exciting. After 3 years he left the French Christian Brothers. Dodging the draft for 2 years, at the risk of perjury, he joined the Marines for 5 years. He unintentionally earned the Purple Heart, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry while serving in Vietnam. He used to hurt 'em, now as a massage therapist, LCMT in private practice for 20 years, he heals 'em. After his 3rd major operation on April 19, 1968, the day of the Boston Marathon he was told he would never walk again, normally. In 1968 he ran and finished 3 full-length marathons. Then what is normal about David, he who slew Goliath?

ERIN ASH SULLIVAN“The lyrics are like short stories, each providing a brief, but telling glimpse into a moment…”-Jim Testa, Jersey BeatErin Ash Sullivan is a Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter whose music focuses on the power of story to build connection. Drawing from the lives of others as well as her own experiences as a daughter, wife, mother, and artist, Erin's songs harness language in unexpected ways to show the world through others' eyes.In the late 1990s, Erin co-founded the band Edith O with singer-songwriter Amy Speace, performed regularly at New York City venues including the Bitter End and CBGB's Gallery, and released an album, Tattooed Queen, which garnered critical raves. After many years as a teacher, administrator, and author, she has returned to writing music and performing and can be found on the Massachusetts open mic circuit. Her newest (as yet untitled) album is due out in 2020.

Susanna Doyle was "born in the great Northeast of the beautiful US of A," which you can hear more about if you view the recent video of her tune "Black Ice," a sad

Sandy Haddon grew up in New Jersey singing harmony with her Mom and sisters with early influences including the Carpenters, Jon Denver, Joni Mitchell, and Tret Fure. Later in life she met Tret at a songwriting workshop. And, here Tret has produced her latest release, “Boxed Up Promises.”Kathryn Kaufman grew up in the Newton area of Massachusetts and grew up around music. She regularly travels and plays harmonica with Sandy Haddon and works at Framingham State University as a lab technician "working with the plants and the animals, and they love her!"

Kim Moberg was born in Juneau, Alaska, the daughter ofa classical pianist mother of Alaskan Native Tlingit descentand a US Coast Guard veteran father from Kansas.Music was the constant in Kim's childhood, helping her toadjust to the frequent movesassociated with growing up in a military family. At the age of 14, Kim began playing acoustic guitaron a borrowed nylon 6 string. A few years later,Kim taught herself to strum and finger pickto her favorite songs by singer/songwriters of the 1970's, but debilitating stage fright kept her from pursuingher own dream of becoming a professional performer.In 2014, after a hiatus from music to raise her two daughterswith her husband, Kim set out to overcome herstage fright and wrote her first song. Kim's debut CD entitled "Above Ground”, celebrates the achievement of her goal to bring her music out of the basement. “Above Ground”, produced by Grammy nominated producer Jon Evans, was released worldwide in September 2017. Kim teamed again with Jon Evans to record her sophmore albumn “Up Around The Bend” consisting of 13 new original songs and one cover, Cliff Eberhardt's “The Long Road”.Kim's passionate and heartfelt vocals mesmerize listeners while her compositions tug at feelings ofmelancholy, heartbreak, healing and social consciousness.RECENT RECOGNITIONS* 2020 Folk Alliance International Scholarship Grantee*Finalist Blues & Roots Radio Song Contest 2019* Above Ground #23 Folk Alliance International Folk DJ Charts 2 songs in the Top 20 Category July and August 2018 * Winner: 2018 Rose Garden Coffee House Performing Songwriter Competition* 2nd Place: Linden Tree Coffeehouse Winter Potpourri American Idol Folk* 2017 Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Suzi Wollenberg DJ Showcase performing artistKim's performance resume includes sharing the stage as opener and/or co-bill with numerous contemporary and established artists including: Jim Kweskin, Bill Staines, Kirsten Maxwell, Ellis Paul,, Joe Jencks, Vance Gilbert, Catie Curtis, Cheryl Wheeler, Alice Howe, Liz Longley, Grace Morrison and Rod Abernethy.

Folkapotamus is a Boston area based folk duo consisting of Penni Hart and Tony Trites. They have been performing together since 2011 at various venues throughout New England, such as the legendary Club Passim and The Burren. Their thoughtful lyrics and flowing melodies tell stories of life, love, and family. Folkapotamus has released two albums: "Whispered Words" in 2014 and "Middle of Nowhere" in 2017. Both recordings received numerous accolades from folk radio including being named to a couple of top 10 lists for each respective year. Folkapotamus has opened for such folk icons as Vance Gilbert and were honored to be selected by Wanda Fischer of WAMC to perform in the Folk DJ showcase at the 2019 FARM folk conference in Michigan. Penni and Tony reside in Massachusetts with their rescue cat Fernando and two budgies Tyngo and Coconut.

Allison is a Rhode Island native singer-songwriter who is turning heads with her pure voice, heartfelt lyrics, and a solid serving of humor and sass.She released her debut EP, Hope, in late 2016—a 6-song collection of songs about life, family, and love, produced by Grammy-nominated Jack Gauthier of Lakewest Recording Studio in West Greenwich, RI and Nolan Quartaroli of True Music Studios in Smithfield, RI. Hope can be found on iTunes and most other major digital download sources.Lately she's been popping up at venues such as NYC's Rockwood Music Hall, The MET, Pomfret CT's Vanilla Bean Cafe, and Tiverton RI's Sandywood's Center for The Arts. She was one of 4 finalists in the Rhode Island Songwriter Association's 2015 Performing Songwriter Competition and a top 10 finalist in RISA's 2017 competition, a top 10 finalist in the Tucson Folk Festival's 2016 Songwriter Competition, and a top 3 Finalist in the Susquehanna Folk Music Society's 30th Anniversary Songwriting Contest (2016—honorable mention).A classically-trained pianist and vocalist, Allison grew up on piano lessons and choir rehearsals, eventually choosing music as her college minor. Her influences are evident in her artistry, as her vocal and songwriting styles have been likened to traditional folk styles of Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell, with a Sara Bareilles vibe.Allison gives back to her community as a volunteer and board member of a RI-based nonprofit organization, RISING, which serves young adult and beginning songwriters and musicians by providing music education, mentorship, and performance opportunities. She is involved in the CREATORS expressive arts program with PeaceLove studios—a wonderful organization that's changing the conversation around mental health by helping people create connection and peace of mind through expressive arts and storytelling.Allison is a mommy to two beautiful children and by day has a fulfilling career as a mental health counselor. Aside from music, she is a photographer, and enjoys the ocean, a comfy bed, and dropping a good F-bomb.

Dan is making a name for himself as an important live act by selling out rooms in the greater Boston area including the famed Club Passim and The Amazing Things Arts Center. He has also had the honor of opening for such legends as John Hiatt, Richie Havens, Ellis Paul, and John Gorka.Supporting local music is another of Dan's passions. He is a co-founder, along with singer-songwriter Kim Jennings, of Worcester's Birch Beer Records, and Facebook's “I Support Local Music in Massachusetts” with over 10,000 fans. As the INsite Boston Magazine stated, “On and off stage one can be proud to be a fan of Dan and look forward to another great year from this rising star.”

I was raised in the Middle East in a Foreign Service family. Blessed with an awareness of a larger world than our country, I have always asked questions about humanity. Trained as a geologist, I left the field as too invasive back in the 1970's and became a visual artist, making money as an antique restorer.The study of evolution has always seemed intellectually stunted to me, and about fifteen years ago I began to consider the presence of cooperation in Earth systems, and have slowly learned that what I had been taught as geology is really biology.Since then I have been writing and composing music to help spread the idea of the living Earth, and to expand my own awareness of Her.I live in Bedford, MA with my family. My songs are all creative commons, and are available on you-tube – “Neil Dale Songs”

Bobbo Byrnes is a storytelling singer/songwriter, a throwback to a bygone era of mix tapes and AM Gold. In true Springsteen-ian fashion, he took up guitar to find himself, and because it made him look cool. Sometimes he rocks with a band, sometimes he rocks by himself. He is a true follower of the Kerouac philosophy of hitchhiking and storytelling. He's been singing and strumming most of his life and these days he's inspired by a Brene' Brown Tedtalk, a Calvin Coolidge quote about persistence, a sixteen word poem about a wheelbarrow, and a PBS documentary on country music. “It only takes a cursory listen to ‘Two Sides To This Town' to recognize the fact that an important and essential new artist has indeed arrived.”

FATMA SALEM-PEASE or Fatma 2.0Singer/songwriter of Tunisian origin, I was born and raised in Tunisia where I started my first rock band at the age of 14. My musical influences vary from Tunisian, Middle Eastern, French and Italian Classical crossover, American pop and rock and roll, etc.. this wide variety of genres makes my music different and diverse. Sometime, I am inspired to write in Tunisian, other times English, and occasionally French. I immigrated to the U.S in 2011 and started chasing my American dream and meeting a new type of musicians who inspired and continued to influence my style. I do not like to pigeon hole myself to one specific style because when I write, depending on the mood, it can be anything from indie to pop to ballads and even metal or Hip Hop.

Rupert Wates was born in London and studied at Oxford University. He has been a full time songwriter since the late 1990s, when he signed a publishing contract with Eaton Music Limited. In London he worked with some of the best performers in the city. Moving in 2001 to Paris, Wates formed his own quartet and began playing live regularly. In fall 2006 he came to the US. He is now based in New York City and Colorado. Since coming to the US, he has won more than 40 songwriting and performing awards (www.rupertwatesmusic.com/awards).His music is an eclectic mix of acoustic, melodic art/folk, with flavors of jazz, vaudeville and cabaret. He has released nine solo CDs. They have received outstanding reviews in the international online press and tracks from them have been played on radio all over the world. In addition, Wates' songs have been covered by other artists in the UK, Canada and the US. Two full length tribute CDs to his material have been recorded: 'Crazy Puzzle' (2015) by Nashville-based performer Roxie Rogers, and 'Wide Open Heart' (July 2017) by Los Angeles vocalist Susan Kohler. Both these CDs were initiated and funded entirely by the artists themselves, and comprise exclusively songs taken from Rupert Wates' back catalog. Over 20 recordings featuring Wates's songs by other artists were made in 2016, and more are scheduled for 2017 (full list at www.rupertwatesmusic.com/covers). In 2010 Wates released Joe's Café, an album of 15 original songs based on true stories, each interpreted by a different vocalist, retelling the stories of ordinary American people. Through them we trace the story of America itself: through two world wars, the Dust Bowl depression, Vietnam and the struggle for Civil Rights, all the way to the present day. Recorded live in the studio in a single weekend, the album's warm sound evokes the welcoming atmosphere of an all-night café, where friends gather to share their stories. Featured virtuoso musicians on the recording include Darol Anger on violin and Michael Manring on bass.Joe's Café has been presented very successfully at Festivals throughout North America, and in other venues in New York City and in the southeastern United States. The show won Best Music Revue in the 2010 San Francisco Fringe Festival. More information about Joe's Cafe is at www.bitemusiclimited.com. In 2014, Wates joined forces with Toronto-based virtuoso pianist Bartosz Hadala to form a piano/guitar duo called The Nightwatchers (www.thenightwatchers.com). The duo tour Canada and Europe regularly. In March 2015 they recorded and released a debut CD entitled The Nightwatchers, featuring some of the standout songs of Wates' extensive catalog. Rupert Wates averages 120 live shows every year, in front of audiences totaling more than 3,500, in acoustic venues in every state in America, in Canada and in Europe. He performs sometimes alone, sometimes with his trio or his quartet. He prefers smaller listening rooms where the audience is up close and the emphasis is on the music. He was voted an Artist Of The Year in both 2013 and 2016 by the international house concert network Concerts In Your Home (www.concertsinyourhome.com), and for five years running he has been the most booked performer on their database of several hundred artists. In 2018, Wates was a Finalist in the Kerrville New Folk Song Contest, and an Emerging Artist at Falconridge Folk Festival. Despite Wates' British background, and underpinning the universality of his music's appeal, Folk And Acoustic Music Exchange has called him "a prime figure in American music'' (www.acousticmusic.com) and goes on: "This is one gifted sonofabitch... If you're not hip to this guy yet you're missing out."Audiences everywhere respond to Wates' brand of melodic art/folk—haunting songs that ring true.

Born on a small farm in Cambridge Massachusetts, Woody became known for his Rutabagas. Woody learned that by playing certain blues songs, the Rutabagas would begin to excel at math. Once established as the head of a Rutabaga empire, he retired to pursue music full time.

I am a singer-songwriter who has been focusing on songwriting and collaborations at the moment along with occasional live performances. I have been involved in folk and acoustic music for the past 30 years as a coffeehouse manager, concert organizer and now as a songwriter and occasional performer.I first became involved in folk and acoustic music in the early 1980's. I have been writing songs since I was 16 years old. I was formerly the manager of Peacock Coffeehouse in Jamaica Plain, Mass. which had an illustrious two and a half year run from February, 1986 to June, 1988. Shortly after the coffeehouse closed, I produced a demo tape of ten songs I had written, performed at some open mike showcases and promptly crawled back into my shell, not ready to do more than just that with my music. Some 25 years later, I created a demo CD of a musical, Tenderness and Joy recorded at Bristol Studios in Boston in 2009. Not much happened with this, but it was fun.I now have three albums. My first EP/Album, Fifty Miles Away was completed in May, 2011 featuring five studio recordings with contributions from musician friends near and far away. My second album, Carrots, Geese and The Dead Leprechaun was completed in July, 2012 as a compilation of live recordings. These are some of the humorous songs I have written and it is available as a digital download album. The third album, Firefly In a Jar of Emotion is my first professionally recorded album with contributions from several different musician friends and produced by Eric "Snake" Gulliksen, the legendary bassist for the former soft-rock group Orpheus and currently a solo artist himself.