Bluegrass Ensembles
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The Colorado College Music Department presents Bluegrass Ensembles Keith Reed, director December 13, 2012 7:30 PM Packard Hall Please turn off all electronic devices in Packard Hall Group 1 Andy Allen-Fahlander Andy has been playing guitar for 10 years, mostly in the jazz and improvisational rock tradition. Last year while studying music at Colorado College, he had a fateful encounter with the music of Tony Rice and Bill Monroe that inspired him to dive headfirst into the world of bluegrass, picking up bluegrass guitar as well as the mandolin. He aspires to let distinctive stylistic aspects of his two instruments of choice flow together, importing tremolo picking into guitar and blues- style bends into his mandolin playing. Niels Davis Niels is a guitar player from Vermont. He started out playing fingerstyle blues and folk, and began playing bluegrass in his first year at Colorado College. His influences include Norman Blake, Clarence White, Bryan Sutton and whoever is playing hard at open-mic night. When he’s not playing music he likes to climb and spend time outside. He plays horrible banjo and would like to learn to play the mandolin. Makenna Drake A Colorado native, Makenna Drake grew up in a musical family and experimented with many instruments before picking up the fiddle. She began playing classical music at a young age and earned pocket money playing standard tunes on the local pedestrian mall. After a long hiatus in playing, Makenna rediscovered the violin through fiddle music, arising from a long-standing family tradition of attending the bluegrass academies and festivals in Lyons, Colorado. Born and raised in Boulder, Makenna enjoys powder days and will wake up early any day to board down the peaks, or perform sunrise yoga in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Patrick Hardy Patrick grew up in the majestic hills of West Virginia where he was first introduced to the sounds of Bluegrass music. Upon coming to Colorado, he began playing and listening to Bluegrass music day in and day out under the guidance of Guru Keith Reed and the vibrant picking scene at Colorado College. Patrick will live and play in Colorado for years to come. Maggie McKeon Maggie grew up on the coast of Maine. She began playing the violin in the fifth grade orchestra, where she and ten other fifth graders blew the crowd away with two versions of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Today, Maggie’s inspiration comes from Gillian Welch, Tim O’Brien, and the Wailin’ Jennys. She has been studying bluegrass and Irish fiddle for three years. Singing in the shower, however, still comes much more naturally. Jess Worley Jess is a sophomore at Colorado College who has a love for singing, writing songs and playing guitar. Her background is rooted in folk, rock and jazz, this year being the first time she has played bluegrass. Jess’s inspirations include Allison Krauss, Joni Mitchel, Tracy Chapman and Bob Dylan (not for his voice but for his songwriting). Jess’s other passions are Spanish and exploring the outdoors. She plans to go abroad to Chile or Spain next year and has a goal to climb all of the Colorado Fourteeners. Group 2 Drew Campbell Drew is a junior music major at Colorado College and has played in this ensemble for about two years. In addition to Bluegrass, he performs with the Bowed Piano Ensemble and plays multiple instruments, including organ and guitar. When he's not playing music, Drew enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with his friends. He would like to thank Keith Reed and the rest of the ensemble members for a fun and memorable year. Alexei Desmarais Although a classically trained violinist, Alexei has always been interested in various folk traditions and their use of the violin. After experimenting with Irish folk and Roma music, he recently decided to focus his attentions on the complexities of Bluegrass fiddle. Alexei grew up all over the world, but considers Crested Butte, CO to be his hometown, as it is the most beautiful place he has lived. After school, Alexei hopes to study Roma music within communities in Eastern Europe, and eventually to settle down in a comfortable North German hamlet to write his philosophical manifesto. When not playing music or lost in a book, Alexei enjoys exploring the outdoors on his mountain bike or skis. Emily Guffin Emily is a junior at Colorado College. She comes from Freeport, Maine, and has played the banjo for seven years. She previously played classical piano for eight years, but then discovered the wonderful world of bluegrass and hasn’t put down the banjo since. She met the Colorado College Bluegrass Ensemble in September 2010, and is incredibly grateful to be part of the group. The members of the bluegrass group have taught her much about the banjo, bluegrass culture, and most importantly, herself. Her favorite pickers include Bela Fleck, Bill Monroe and Alison Brown. Chris O’Neil Chris was born in New York City on March 26th, 1992 and was raised in the outer suburbs of New Jersey. He has played guitar since January 4, 2004 and played bluegrass for the past three years, although he fell in love with the music much earlier than that, discovering an old Doc Watson CD in his parent's collection. His favorite guitar players are Doc, Tony Rice, Bryan Sutton, and, as of late, Django Reinhardt. Nicole Pey Nicole, a sophomore at Colorado College, was introduced to bluegrass at the age of 12 when her dad would take her to local bluegrass concerts. At that point in time her musical background consisted of a couple years of classical piano and violin lessons. Once she discovered mandolin she put down her bow and started taking mandolin lessons. Acoustic music camps, festivals, and concerts have been a big part of her life ever since. She loves playing a variety of genres and gets inspiration from Bill Monroe, Jethro Burns, Adam Steffey, and many others. Charlie Shaw Charlie is a junior at Colorado College who hails from New Jersey. He has played the guitar for eight years now. Prior to arriving in Colorado, he knew little about bluegrass guitar picking, but has since learned a great amount from instructor Keith Reed. Charlie began playing with the ensemble in the fall of 2011. His influences include Tony Rice, Doc Watson, and Flatt & Scruggs. UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE COLORADO COLLEGE MUSIC DEPARTMENT Unless indicated, all concerts are in Packard Hall, are free, and require no tickets. Senior Recital Angela Victoria Komar, alto Saturday, December 15 ~ 7:30 PM Tunjung Sari Balinese Music and Dance I. Made Lasmawan, director Sunday, December 16 ~ 3:00 PM University of Northern Colorado Music Theatre Showcase Friday, January 11 ~ 7:00 PM US Air Force Academy Concert Band Chamber Recital Series An Evening of Jazz Tuesday, January 29 ~ 7:30 PM Spanish New Mexican Folk Music Brenda Romero, guitar and vocals Friday, February 1 ~ 7:30PM Faculty Recital Jeri Jorgensen, violin Cullan Bryant, piano Tuesday, February 5 ~ 7:30 PM Music at Midday Wednesday, February 6 ~ 12:15 PM Visiting Artist Concert Zodiac Trio Kliment Krylovskiy, clarinet Vanessa Mollard, violin Riko Higuma, piano Thursday, February 7 ~ 7:30 PM Visiting Artist Concert Sphere Ensemble Ben Cantu, guitar Sunday, February 10 ~ 3:00 PM http://www.coloradocollege.edu/academics/dept/music/ For more event information: http://www.coloradocollege.edu/newsevents/calendar/ SAVE THE DATE! A benefit concert will be held on April 17, 2013 to support the Bluegrass Ensemble’s trip to the 2013 Bluegrass Meltdown in Durango. This concert will feature Keith Reed and Nashville bluegrass masters Mike Bub, Shad Cobb, Bradford Folk, and Chris Henry. .