2007 Instructors

A truly multi-faceted musician, Peter Himmelman is an Emmy-nominated TV composer, an acclaimed creator of children's music, and a critically lauded rock troubadour. In 1985, Himmelman released This Father's Day, which Rolling Stone called "stunning." His work has consistently earned critical accolades. J.D. Considine, in the Rolling Stone Album Guide, called 1989's Synesthesia "a delight", awarding it with four stars. Time heralded Himmelman as one of "the New Troubadours" upon the release of his Epic debut From Strength to Strength, asserting that he writes "songs with the same emphatic edge and aesthetic urgency that impelled the Lost Generation to write novels." In its Unstoppable Forces review, No Depression marveled how "Himmelman strips his music to its essence, tapping into a primal inspiration, investing melodies that have the sing-song simplicity of Buddy Holly or the Beatles with the yearning of a spiritual quest." During the '90s, Himmelman, expanded his musical horizons to scoring a number of television shows and films, including the Disney series Bug Juice, NBC's American Embassy, and the Touchstone film Crossing The Bridge. In 2002, he earned an Emmy nomination for his work on Judging Amy, a show he has scored since 1999. He is currently scoring the show Bones on Fox and the new ABC hit, Men In Trees. Children's music is another field that Himmelman has delved into with considerable success. He has made three children's albums: My Best Friend Is A Salamander (1997), My Fabulous Plum (2000) and My Lemonade Stand (2004), with both Plum and Salamander being recognized with a Parents' Choice Award and the Family Channel Seal Of Quality. This troubadour has found no limits to his ability, nor do any seem waiting to stop him.

What can be said about Darrell Scott that hasn’t already been said? Having played 3 out of 4 of the current festivals we produce, Darrell is a long-time and very decorated alumni of Planet Bluegrass. Darrell is a Grammy nominated performer, an award winning songwriter, and in the top tier of session musicians in his hometown of Nashville, TN. Born on a tobacco farm in the coal-mining center of London, Kentucky, Scott moved as a young child to East Gary, Indiana, a steel-mill town on Lake Michigan near Chicago. His father is a musician, and he grew up around music and creativity. By 16, he was playing roadhouses in Southern California. After attending Tufts University, studying poetry and literature, Scott finally made the move south. After arriving in Nashville, Darrell began to write and perform for some of the best in the business, such as Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, and Tim McGraw. He went on to become one of the most successful country music writers of the 1990’s, being named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International in 2001 and ASCAP’s Songwriter of the Year in 2002. Darrell has also released multiple solo records including Aloha from Nashville, Family Tree, and his most recent The Invisible Man, among others. His duets album with Tim O'Brien, entitled Real Time, included the Grammy-nominated instrumental, “the Second Mouse”, and the Grammy-winning song, “Long Time Gone.” In 2003 Darrell launched Full Light Records, and he continues to produce timeless songs drenched in traditional folk with a twist of contemporary phrasing. Darrell Scott is a true American gem.

Mary Gauthier as one of the most genuine artists to rise up from the underground in a long, long time. These past few years, people have started catching on, from grad students clustered in Boston cafes to crowds cheering before the main stages at Newport, Telluride, the Strawberry Music Festival, and in venues beyond our shore. Her first CD, Dixie Kitchen (1997), earned her a Boston Music Award nomination for "best new contemporary folk artist" — a coup for any first-time performer in the city's hyper-competitive market. Her second album, Drag Queens in Limousines (1999) earned her a four-star review from Rolling Stone and other publications soon joined in on the chorus. She reaped an Independent Music Award, "country artist of the year" honors from GLAMA, and multiple dates throughout the folk festival circuit and Europe. The third release, Filth & Fire (2002), was The New York Times pick for the top indie release of 2002 and inspired critics in the Freeform American Roots poll to pick her as the top female artist of the year, it also won benediction from No Depression as "the best singer/songwriter album of the year." On her latest album, Mercy Now, Mary’s songs reflect her mastery of image, her determination to find precisely the right word, sometimes through months of labor over a single line or idea, and her ability to bring it all to life through her gifts as a performer. We are truly honored to have such a naturally gifted and rising star with us at Song School.

Originally from England, she now resides in Provincetown, MA, U.S.A. where she performs every summer to the Cape Cod tourists. Her music's upbeat, amusing and perfect for young and old alike. She's traveled all over the globe picking up worldbeat grooves and stories on the way; jumping box cars, riding on freight boats and has even played music with an elephant orchestra in Thailand. While at once setting listeners off balance with her quirky spin on things she sneaks in simple, potent messages, leaving audiences worn out and inspired. She is a past winner of both the Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase and the Kerrville New Folk contest. As a performer, Zoe is a band in a body! She plays jazz, jump jive, latin grooves, swing, international folk, funk originals on anything from the piano to the spoons. She has shared the stage with Julie Wold (Ani DiFranco, Bruce Cockburn), Paul Piercy (Dixie Chicks), Freebo (Bonnie Raitt) and upcoming tours with Judy Collins and Nanci Griffith. Together with her 4-piece Rubberband, she performs upbeat and edgy tunes on a variety of weird instruments, telling traveling tales that take listeners from England to New Orleans by way of Bangkok and Guatemala.

Paul Reisler, co-founder of the music ensemble Trapezoid, is a composer, songwriter, performer, recording artist and community builder. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the Kid Pan Alley ™ children's songwriting project — a program joining the songwriting of children with the work of professional musicians. He teaches Songwriting Workshops throughout the country for both children and adults. Paul has performed in more than 3,000 concerts, workshops and festivals worldwide. Paul has recorded and produced eight albums with Trapezoid as well as Birth of a River, a duo album of original instrumentals with Bobby Read of the Bruce Hornsby Band. He has also recorded more than two dozen albums with other artists including John McCutcheon, Sally Rogers, Holly Near and Si Kahn. He is currently working on a full length piece for orchestra and narrator based on Aesop ’s Fables with a libretto by Tom Paxton. He teaches songwriting at workshops and schools all over the country and writes articles and books on songwriting and composing. He's currently writing books on melody writing for songwriters and open tunings for guitar. He writes for “Performing Songwriter ” Magazine and “Acoustic Guitar. ” Paul performs the scores live for Ki Theatre productions on hammered dulcimer, acoustic and electric guitars, midi guitar, baliphon, mandalum and a variety of percussion instruments. All the guitars are hooked to midi allowing him to double his guitar work with any sound playable by a synthesizer.

"[Curtis'] songs define the term folk-pop precisely," says Paste Magazine. With a dedicated fan base across the U.S. and Europe and with help from Mary Chapin Carpenter and an impressive roster of seasoned players, Catie Curtis’ latest release, Long Night Moon, is one of the most highly-anticipated releases of 2006 for devotés of the singer-songwriter tradition. With ten years of recordings under her belt, the songs on Long Night Moon speak deftly in the voice of a woman who understands fully the joys and frustrations of adulthood without compromising the wit and gentle spirit that have always characterized her work. Folk-rocker Catie Curtis grew up in a small town in Maine, attended Brown University and made a splash in the Boston music scene in the 1990's. A supporter of social causes, Curtis has played concerts benefiting organizations including Paul Newman's Hole In the Wall Gang Camp (for children with life-threatening illnesses), PFLAG (Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians & Gays), and others. Her songs have appeared in television shows as diverse as Grey's Anatomy, Dawson's Creek, Felicity, and Alias, and films such as 500 Miles to Graceland and A Slipping Down Life.

Steve Seskin started out in the 70’s as a street musician in San Francisco, and has steadily built an exceptionally successful career both as a songwriter and as a performer. After releasing several albums on his own label, he decided to visit Nashville to expose his songs to a wider audience. Seskin signed to a staff songwriting deal with Little Big Town Music Group, and the cuts came soon after: “She Can” was on Alabama’s 1989 platinum-selling album “Southern Star,” and Waylon Jenning’s recording of “Wrong” climbed into the top 5 on the country charts on 1990. Nearly 20 years later, the trip to Nashville has proven to be a good one; his discography includes country chart toppers by artists such as Tim McGraw ( “Grown Men Don ’t Cry ”), Colin Raye ( “I Think About You ”), Ricochet ( “Daddy ’s Money ”) and Kenny Chasey ( “All I Need To Know ”). “Don ’t Laugh at Me ” which was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, was the impetus for the Don ’t Laugh at Me Project, a curriculum designed to teach tolerance in schools.

Vance Gilbert burst onto the singer/songwriter scene in the early 90 ’s when the buzz started spreading in the folk clubs of Boston about an ex-jazz singer who was knocking ‘em dead at open mikes. The word spread of this Philadelphia born and raised performer to New York; Shawn Colvin invited Vance to be a special guest on her Fat City tour. Gilbert took audiences by storm ( “With the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar of a god, it was enough to earn him a rarity: an encore for an opener ” wrote the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in its review of a show from that tour). Gilbert ’s five albums, with guests as varied as jazz greats, Tuck and Patti, Jonatha Brooke, Patty Larkin, Dee Carstensen, Vinx, and Issa (formerly Jane Siberry), are essential ingredients to the American singer-songwriter collection. His presence, both as performer and teacher, will renew your belief in the importance of songwriting.

Arthur Lee Land combines diverse influences to create a fresh new musical vibe: Afrograss Flavored Folk Rock. During a tour of Nigeria and Ghana, West Africa in 2001, Arthur spawned the concept of Afrograss: a synthesis of West African percussion and bluegrass in a folk rock context with a touch of funk, reggae, latin and world beat. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Arthur has perfected the art of looping live tracks during one-man performances that have dropped jaws at smaller clubs and concerts across the country.  Recently, Arthur was voted Best Singer/Songwriter by Colorado’s Marquee Magazine for their 2005 Front Row Awards and has added Producer to his list of credits producing and playing guitar on song school alumni Selasee Atiase’s new CD Run in 2005 whose title track won first place in the "2005 International Song Competition (ISC)" for the World Music category. Run was also licensed for the EA Sports 'FIFA 2006' soccer video game which has sold over 6 million copies internationally. This is Arthur’s 5th year teaching at the RMFF Song School.

Julie Portman, winner of a New York Obie, has directed, performed and written for the professional theatre for 30 years. She is founder and artistic director of Ki Theatre. The art of story is central to Julie's work as a writer, theatre artist and teacher. She has written five plays inspired by true stories. More than 300 productions of these plays have been presented nationally and internationally. Believing that everyone has a unique story to tell and the need for that story to be heard, Julie offers Life Stories Workshops. The workshops teach people of all backgrounds how to write and share their own stories and participate in a process that builds community. Julie's most recent play inspired by people's true stories, Three Roses, is the centerpiece of The Rose Project, a coalition of organizations gathered to address issues of violence. The play was also recently made into a PBS television broadcast (and video) directed by Academy Award winner Paul Wagner.

Moira Smiley works internationally as a composer-vocalist. Based in Los Angeles, she leads her fiery roots vocal-band, Moira Smiley & VOCO, travels the world as a soloist in early and traditional music and creates new work with dance, theatre and film.   Moira was born in Vermont, moved to Indiana to pursue a piano performance degree at IU School of Music, and finished with a degree in Early Music Vocal Performance, having studied voice with Thomas Binkley, Paul Elliott, Paul Hillier and Alan Bennett. She taught a semester at University of Birmingham (UK), toured and recorded with the acclaimed Theatre of Voices, Fretwork Consort of Viols, The Dufay Collective, Sinfonye and The Concord Ensemble. In 2001 and 2002, she won a Barbara Thornton Memorial Scholarship for Medieval Music, given by the Sequentia Ensemble, and recorded Disc three of the Complete Hildegard Works with Sinfonye (Celestial Harmonies).  More recently, she sings the role of "Sorceress" in Purcell's opera "Dido & Aeneas" with Musica Angelica to open The Getty Villa. Moira was 'the voice' for BBC/PBS Sir David Attenborough's famous "The Life of Birds" and Marie Antoinette’s voice in feature film "The Affair of the Necklace,”  She continues to record for various other film and television productions.Moira’s  been writing music since the age of six – focusing on voices-as-instruments, and in harmony.  Her recent commissions have been by choral ensembles, dance and theatre companies.  In Fall, 2006 she will premiere two voice & movement pieces with TripDance Theatre at the venerable Ford Amphitheater in Los Angeles.

Songpoet/percussionist Annie Wenz is a multi instrumentalist, folk-roots artist & humanitarian activist who has traveled 25 countries throughout the world "bringing people together through music". Her experiences span the spectrum, performing & teaching in Pakistan for earthquake victims & dignitaries as guest of M. Soomro/acting president, to "New Zealand's Millennium Celebration", festivals & arts centers in Costa Rica & Germany, jazz clubs & theater productions in Sweden, the far-off corners of Thailand, Vietnam,  Bali & Mexico, as well as throughout the US!  Annie is known for her unique way of blending contemporary sounds with roots/traditional & multi-cultural influences & funky rhythms, accompanying herself & others on guitar, piano, indigenous flutes & percussion instruments. She has shared performances & soundtracks with (her former band members!) Senegalize talking drum wizard Massamba Djop (also of Baba Mal's band), percussionist Jose Gonzalez of Puerto Rico, "Viva Quetzal's" Eugenio Huanca, Guy DeVito ("Steppenwolf"), & London's Robert Dean (Sinead O'Connor's guitarist). Her songs are inspired by her many journeys... kayaking & backpacking around the world, working as a registered nurse, rafting guide, activist and a teacher. Annie travels throughout the US. sharing her grant winning workshops, "Dancing with the Muse ~ From Story to Song", "Politics & Song ~ We CAN Make a Difference", "Funny??? ~ The Art of Humorous Songwriting", "Passing The Torch ~ Creating Community Music", & "Plays Well With Others... The Art of Drumming & Percussion" with songwriters, educators, health practitioners, accompanists & folks who just want to have fun! She has 6 recordings to her credit on her own indie label Gypsy Moon Rising, including her newest all instrumental CD  Winds of the World.

Rebecca Folsom has taught the Art of Vocal Freedom for over 12 years. She finds great joy in helping others claim the natural resonance, strength, and passion of their own voice. She has a very effective and unique approach of mixing nontraditional shamanic exercises with traditional building block vocal practices. She has taught body centered Vocal Freedom workshops with some of the nations top elite athletes, and helps singers find fluidity and strength with martial arts, yogic, Taoist, and Toltec practices along with classical vocal techniques. Her years of study with Joy Gardner Gordon’s Healing Voice work, Stephen Chun-tao Chengs’s Tao of Voice work, the study of yogic posture and breath, Americo Yabar’s Salka Connection, and years of extensive performance and touring have created an instinctive, effective, and totally fun practice of vocal mastery. She has sung on hundreds of other artist’s recordings and has added two new CDs Shine and Ruby, Live at Velvet this year to three previously released. She will be releasing a newly published book of poetry later this year. She has had the pleasure of performing on BBC radio and television in N. Ireland, Nashville’s Bluebird, Opryland, and Tin Pan South stages, NY’s Bitterend and Falcon Ridge Music Festival, and Colorado's own Rocky Mountain Folks Festival and Red Rocks Amphitheatre. She is happy to be back for her ninth year at Song School teaching singers how to deepen their personal presence, expand their vocal mastery, and have fun doing it!

Ellis is a nationally touring singer, songwriter and guitarist known for her powerful vocals, charismatic stage presence and playful sense of humor. She founded her own record company at age 18 and has since released five albums with a sixth due in late 2007. Though she keeps a full-time touring schedule, she has maintained a loyal following in her home base of Minneapolis, where she has been named "Best Musician" for the past five consecutive years. She also has a strong following on the college circuit and was nominated for "Best Female Artist" in 2006 by readers of Campus Activities Magazine. A past Song School attendee, she was also a finalist in the Songwriter Showcase in 2005 and she recently won a 36-hour songwriting competition with a song about coffee.

Terri Mazurek is a Minneapolis-based social worker turned booking agent. What started as a brief consulting gig for a local musician turned into a full-time music career. Terri founded Peppermint Booking Agency in 2000 and currently represents eight nationally touring musicians on the college circuit. She received the National Association of Campus Activities award of "Agent of the Year" in 2005 and has helped six of her eight artists to receive showcases at the regional and national college conferences. She also collaborates with nationally touring folk/rock musician Ellis, co-managing her record company Rubberneck Records. Terri applies her social work training in her music career, and she is known for her passionate commitment to helping artists reach their full potential. In addition to coaching musicians and helping them to set goals and action plans, Terri has taught workshops at several festivals and music conferences throughout North America.