I began playing guitar when I was 12 because I wanted to do some wicked two-hand tapping solos like Eddie Van Halen. I had somewhat peculiar tastes for my age and soon moved on to playing blues and later some jazz. I got hooked on rural music very early when I happened to take out Taj Mahal's, "Giant Steps" and a Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee record from the local library in the summer after the eighth grade. I've become involved in traditional American fiddle and banjo music in the last six years. Sometime in first year university, I heard Doc Watson and like many other musicians, that changed everything for me. I eventually learned to flatpick the guitar and soon added clawhammer banjo and later, fiddle to my bag o' tricks. I play fiddle and banjo almost exclusively these days. I've devoted a lot of energy to studying the fiddle and banjo music of east Kentucky.I currently play in three bands: Little Brown Jug, a trio with two women who sing wonderful harmonies on old bluegrass, old-time, and ballad songs. They also back me up on a fiddle tune occasionally which is a lot of fun. The other is the Royal Mountain Ramblers who do rock, pop, reggae in a bluegrass setting. Sometimes, they let me tag on an old fiddle tune to the end of a song; like Copperhead Road into Washington's March. The third band I play in is the Bogghoppers with Tyler Rudolph and Dara Weiss. We do a little bluegrass and old-time, original and traditional, and have even worked out some wicked dance medleys for playing square-dances. Can you say Boggerhopper Stomp?
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