All of my teaching is based on the traditional aural method. I teach phrase by phrase until some level of learning takes place. The entire piece is then put on a cassette tape for home study. I also provide a written copy of the piece for reference purposes. No memorization is ever required in this method. You learn the pieces by heart as you go.

In the 70s and 80s I made several pilgrimages to the East Coast and Appalachians and visited the homes of Tommy Jarrell, Franklin George, Burl Hammons, Oscar Wright and other great American musicians. I attended Fox Hollow, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Festival of the Smokies, Pipestem, Galax, and other East Coast hotbeds of bluegrass and old-timey music.

Back home I did occasional solo performing and also played with music friends such as Jim Newberry and Greg and Jere Canote until they deserted the Bay Area for Seattle.

Around 1975 I became involved with my good friend Peter Tommerup in a seasonal Christmas and New Year's production ("The Holly and the Ivy") involving beautiful but little known songs of the the British Isles. For this production I took up accordion, a very popular instrument in the British Isles and on the Continent. We sang songs in 4 part harmony and did a traditional Mummer's Play involving a sword dance. The musical part of this performance was recently revived at the Blue Rock Shoot Cafe in Saratoga.

All of my teaching is based on the traditional aural method. I teach phrase by phrase until some level of learning takes place. The entire piece is then put on a cassette tape for home study. I also provide a written copy of the piece for reference purposes. No memorization is ever required in this method. You learn the pieces by heart as you go.