Faculty A-G

~ Faculty, A-G ~

Quick Links: Faculty, H-O Faculty, P-Z

Scroll through the list of Faculty below, or use Ctrl + F (PC) or Command + F (Mac) to use your browser's Search function. Just type in the name you want to find to jump directly there!

Patricio Acevedo specializes in Latin American stringed instruments such as the Andean charango, the Venezuelan cuatro, the Brazilian cavaquinho, and the Colombian tiple. He currently teaches Music Theory at the Creative Arts High School in Camden, N.J. Patricio is a founding member of Philadelphia groups Páramo (Chilean nueva canción) and Alô Brasil (Brazilian carnavál). (TW3: Brazilian Guitar; Brazilian Percussion Ensemble; Cuban Carnavál Drum & Song; Latin Jam)

Greg Adams is an archivist (MLS), ethnomusicologist (MA), and musician who currently works as an archivist in Washington, D.C. Greg’s ethnomusicological work is grounded in critical heritage research and programming focused on the multicultural history of the banjo. Highlights of his efforts include fieldwork in West Africa (2006, 2008), developing a work plan for maintaining data about banjo-related material culture through an NEH Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant (2009), and working with banjo scholars Bob Winans and Pete Ross as guest curators for the 2014 Baltimore Museum of Industry exhibit Making Music: The Banjo in Baltimore and Beyond. (TW3: Traditions and Transformation; Old-Time Jam)

Jumoke Ajanku has been a part of the Common Ground on the Hill faculty for many years. He first came to Common Ground on the Hill as part of Sankofa Dance Theater. He was a music teacher at Connexions Academy, and has worked at Young Audiences/Arts for Learning and Wombwork Productions. Jumoke was a 2013 recipient of a Maryland State Arts Council Apprenticeship Award with Master Manding Kora player Amadou Kouyate. (TW1: African Drumming; African Dance)

Kibibi Ajanku makes and presents ethnically charged art. Ajanku is known most broadly for her connection to Sankofa Dance Theater: the Baltimore-based performance company noted as a dance and drum troupe that features creativity drenched in the traditions of the historical Mali Dynasty. They convey new-world choreography and texture on the shoulders of the old-world authentic traditions of Africa. Ajanku attended Morgan State University, received an MFA in Curatorial Practice from Maryland Institute College of Art, and is a Coppin State University Fine Arts Professor. She has traveled the African Diaspora to study, teach and perform with many masters, and most recently spent time embedded in the Cuban arts and culture sector in the city of Havana entrenched in the dance, song and rhythm of the Orisha, as well as creating mosaic works inspired by the landscape. Ajanku believes that art is the perfect vehicle to move forward into greater intercultural awareness for the global community. As a result, she is continuously involved in programming that expands awareness, builds insight, and connects people. KibibiAjanku.com (TW1: Indigo Magic)

Joyce Andersen is a greatly talented and versatile fiddler, songwriter and singer from New Hampshire who has recently stepped out as a solo artist. She spent over 10 years in New England, New York and Nashville, playing in numerous bluegrass, swing, Celtic and country bands, taking her from the club and festival circuit all the way to Carnegie Hall (with The McKrells) and The Conan O’Brien Show (with Marshall Crenshaw) In Sept 2003 she released her 2nd solo CD, Right Where I Should Be which garnered a great deal of national attention. The Boston Globe called her “...an exciting young fiddler-singer with precocious traditional savvy and street-smart contemporary sensibility” and she has received significant national radio airplay as an emerging artist. She can trade licks with the hottest bluegrass or jazz pickers, tear the house down with a blood-curdling Appalachian-voodoo fiddle and vocal duet, melt you with a Billie Holiday torch song, dash off a flawless set of Swedish fiddle tunes, or hypnotize you with one of her haunting guitar songs. She regularly performs with her husband, Harvey Reid. (TW2: Fiddle Styles with Joyce Andersen; Song Train; Big Song Swap)

Richard Anderson has produced over 100 video interviews as well as two documentary films: The Sudden Pianist and Mike Morningstar: Here’s to the Working Man. These films have been screened at numerous film festivals including The American Documentary Film Festival, The New York Independent Film Festival, The West Virginia International Film Festival, and the Worker’s Unite Film Festival in New York City, where the Mike Morningstar film won honorable mention as best documentary. Richard is currently shooting his third documentary What About Auburn? (TW3: How to Produce Professional Video Interviews)

Skip Anna has taught guitar, bass and other fretted string instruments full-time since 1971, and is the author of several instructional books: an 11-volume Guitar Method (pick style), an 8-volume Bass Guitar Method, a 4-volume Fingerstyle Guitar Method, a 7-volume Music Theory for the Guitarist, and a 7-volume Music Theory for the Bass Guitarist. As a composer, he has written a number of classical guitar solos, and original folk, blues, and ragtime pieces, as well as ensemble music including a number of violin/guitar duets, five string quartets, two string trios, a string sextet and a brass quintet. Skip has played with the Jefferson Street Jug Band, performing with John Fahey at Lisner Auditorium in D.C., and at the Memphis Blues Festival, and played as lead guitar in a variety of professional hard rock, R & B, acid-rock, new wave, and outlaw country bands. He has also played various pick-up gigs and some professional recording sessions. (TW1: Fingerstyle Guitar 1; Fingerstyle Guitar 2; Christmas Guitar)

Sheila Arnold has been a full-time Storyteller since 2003 sharing a variety of stories - “whatever fits in her mouth”, with a great focus on folktales and historical stories. She travels throughout the country providing Stories, Historic Character Presentations, Christian Monologues and Professional Development for Educators to schools, churches, libraries, organizations and Storytelling Festivals. With an interactive style and often interspersing stories with song, Sheila has been a Featured Teller at several storytelling festivals around the nation, including the prestigious National Storytelling Festival, Jonesborough, TN. Many of Sheila’s jobs prior to fulltime Storytelling - a Colonial Williamsburg Manager and Theatrical Interpreter, Social Worker for aggressive adolescents with emotional problems, an in-house Residential Counselor, a tour guide, pizza delivery person, Executive Assistant and Receptionist - provide fodder for some of her stories. Sheila just named a recipient of a 2019-2020 Mt. Vernon Research Fellowship, where she will have the opportunity to stay at the Mt. Vernon Plantation and utilize the Mt. Vernon Research Library. Sheila currently resides in Hampton, VA. (TW1: Storytelling in the Personal; Historical Storytelling; The Great Story Swap; World Village; Search for Common Ground; Keynote - The Arts Community: Making History Relevant to the Future. TW2: Storytelling 2: Taking It Further; The Great Story Swap; World Village)

Karen Ashbrook has been involved with dulcimer since the mid-70s when she built her first one as a high school project. She had been a pioneer in the promotion of the dulcimer nationally and internationally. She is considered one of the finest Irish hammered dulcimer players. She has a delicate touch, trademark shimmering lilt and ear for authentic ornamentation. Karen also works as a therapeutic musician at Georgetown Hospital and Walter Reed Military Medical Center and is passionate about using dulcimer music for healing and encouraging other musicians to do the same. Her current favorite patient quote, "You make my heart happy!" https://www.karenashbrook.com/ Photo credit: Michael G. Stewart (TW2: Hammered Dulcimer; Music & Healing; How to Play Irish Whistle; Celtic Session; Search for Common Ground)

Paul Bangle has been a teacher with CCPS for 15 years and coached the Liberty HS Golf team for 14 years. His love for the game started at a young age, 10, when his father first introduced him to the game. Having coached high school students for the majority of his career, Paul is excited to share his knowledge and love of the game with adults as well. His biggest golf accomplishments include a Hole-in-One on Hole 3 at River Downs Golf Club and coaching the 2007 Liberty Golf Team to a Maryland State Championship, the first ever team championship achieved in Carroll County Public School history. (TW3: Golf)

Pau Barjau (See Che Apalache below) (TW3: Bluegrass Banjo 2; Bluegrass Masterclass; Latin-grass Ensemble; Latin Jam)

Genard “Shadow” Barr is an activist and community leader who works as an addiction recovery specialist at the Penn North Recovery Center in Baltimore. He is featured in the documentary Baltimore Rising, directed by Sonja Sohn and available on HBO. During the tense time surrounding the death of Freddie Gray through the trials of the police officers involved and up to the present, Barr has worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between police and the community. Barr has a nuanced understanding of the burdens that young black people in Baltimore carry and is an advocate who speaks truth to power. (TW2: The Voices of Baltimore Rising)

Randy Barrett is a fixture in the Washington, DC, bluegrass scene as a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Randy appears regularly as a member of the band Big Howdy with Dede Wyland. He is the proprietor of Greenway Violins and also sits on the board of the Bluegrass Country Foundation. The nonprofit operates Bluegrass Country radio which streams online 24/7 at bluegrasscountry.org. (TW3: Bluegrass Fiddle 1; Bluegrass Banjo 1; Bluegrass Slow Jam)

Joanne Bast rediscovered stitchery as an art form after several scientific degrees. She has worked in many related media involving fabric, thread, wire, and beads. Most of her work has a stitched construction, either worked onto a fabric backing or as a construction technique of its own. She began with framed embroideries and wall hangings both hand and machine stitched and progressed into a "stitches in air" period of thread constructed objects and jewelry. The fiber jewelry necessitated the addition of beads. The proportion of beadwork to threads increased, eventually progressing to entirely beaded jewelry. She is fascinated not only by the seductive quality of beads but also by the relationship of structure to function. Sculptural beadwork must stand on its own without diminishing the overall effect of the message or the intricacy of the stitching. Wearable beadwork must be drapeable enough to adapt to a variety of body shapes, flexible enough to be sensually handled, and durable enough to take the stresses of wearability. Her scientific background and years of teaching anatomy, physiology and other assorted biologies have together shown her the importance of structure and function. She also teaches various beadwork classes, has published numerous articles on beadwork techniques, and exhibited in juried shows all over the United States as well as internationally. (TW1: Trio of Beaded Earrings. TW2: Ndbele Vined Bracelets)

Barbara Bayne has been a metalsmith creating fine jewelry for more than 30 years. She shows her work at fine craft shows throughout the country where she has received awards for excellence and design. Her work has been published in several of the Lark Publishing 500 series books, Art Jewelry Magazine and Making Metal Beads by Pauline Warg. Her work reflects her interest in the natural forms and textures that surround her. She continues to create jewelry in her Havre de Grace, Maryland studio and to travel nationally teaching and exhibiting her work with her partner and fellow metalsmith Wayne Werner. (TW2: Make an Earring or Two a Day)

Dr. Zaneb Beams is a Pediatrician in Howard County. She works in solo private practice taking care of children from birth through 22 years. She has served as the Director of the Disparities in Health Care committee for Maryland MedChi/ American Medical Association. She has also served on a Blue Ribbon Commission for the Future of Health Care for MedChi. Before that, she served as National Director of Advocacy for Doctors for America, a non-profit community organization of physicians with members in every state. In her free time, Dr. Beams likes to run, hike with her dog, collect wild mushrooms, go rock climbing and play board games with her kids, and listen to science and current events podcasts. (TW2: Solving the Puzzle of Living Life Well)

Kendra Benesch, MS, LCPC, is an independent contract therapist and owner of Orenda Counseling Services, LLC. Kendra's life-long passion for animals, crafting, music, and nature eventually lead her to a career of creating an eclectic therapeutic environment to foster positive change in the lives of others. In her work Kendra has found that combining expressive based practices with traditional therapeutic interventions provide a unique and powerful outlet of expression that enable individuals to achieve the level of healing, growth, and resiliency they desire. Kendra uses a variety of treatment modalities including Animal Assisted Therapy, Art Therapy, Trauma-Informed Play Therapy, Group Therapy, Mindfulness Coaching, and Sand Tray Therapy, when working with her clients from child to adult. (TW2: Solving the Puzzle of Living Life Well)

Steve Bloom has played percussion professionally in thousands of performances and recordings in Middle Eastern and Persian, Cuban, Latin, Brazilian, Sefardic, Jazz, Blues, Gospel, New Age, and Celtic styles. He is known for his use of various “hybrid” drum kits, the better to combine his command of hand- and- finger drums with more traditional elements of the trap kit. He has performed and/or recorded in over a dozen countries from the Middle East to Nigeria to Ecuador and Canada with a wide variety of artists, including Tito Puente, Pedrito Martinez, King Sunny Ade’, and Babatunde Olatunji, guitarist Dennis Cahill, pianist Gregg Karukas, jazz trumpeter Doc Cheatham and Jon Faddis, flutists Paul Horn and Nestor Torres, and bassists Andy Gonzales and Michael Manring. Bloom is a seasoned Tombak, Daf and Damom player; he co-directs the SAMA Persian Percussion Ensemble, with whom he performed for the full General Assembly of the United Nations, introduced by Ban Ki-Moon, in 1996. www.musicbyhand.com. Photo by John Rizzo. (TW3: Cuban Carnavál Drum & Song; World Percussion Choir; Latin Jam)

Sue Bloom is an artist/photographer, author, educator and speaker. Her knowledge and expertise in digital media stretches over 30 years. Her books are sold throughout the world and she writes for magazines from Australia to the US. Her workshops are high energy with the ability to put techniques into “plain” language and encourage creativity in her students. Website: www.suebloom.com Email: sue@suebloom.com (TW1: Digital Painting. TW2: iPhone Photography)

AJ Blye has been a student of Iyengar Yoga since 1998. She studied long-term with Senior Level Iyengar teachers John Schumacker and Joan White. She started teaching in 2002 and plans to teach as long as there is breath in her body and students who want to practice and learn. Her favorite quote is, “The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, the harmony of the soul creates the symphony of life,” by BKS Iyengar. Her mission is to help anyone (at any age) who is interested in yoga to begin and continue their journey for any or all reasons that motivate them to learn, practice and grow. (TW2: Morning Yoga; Yoga with AJ)

Martin Bobrik (See Che Apalache below) (TW3: Bluegrass Masterclass; Latin-grass Ensemble; Latin Jam)

A.J. Bodnar (Also see Liza & A.J.) is an exciting singer with a soaring tenor voice, is virtuoso keyboard player, plays melodica, accordion, and marimbula, as well as several other instruments. He has toured America, Europe, and China as a jazz musician, songwriter and folk musician. He is the accompanist for the dance program at Berea College, which includes the venerable Berea Country Dancers (now in its 80th year). A.J. was the Berea College Mariachi band’s vocalist/accordionist for two years. In 2016, A.J. debuted and conducted his choral piece Invitation with the Berea College Concert Choir, and will debut his piece Epitaph in the spring of 2019. 'Like' Liza & A.J. on Facebook! (TW3: Rise Up Singing; Hodge Podge Piano; Melodica)

Bryan Bowers has been to the autoharp what Earl Scruggs was to the five-string banjo for over five decades. He presents instrumental virtuosity combined with warmth, eloquence, expression and professionalism. Bower’s creativity and talent have won him inductions into Frets Magazine’s First Gallery of the Greats, as well as being the first living member inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame after Maybelle Carter, Kilby Snow, and Sara Carter. Master of the Autoharp, singer/songwriter, and riveting storyteller, Bryan has teamed up with two multi-talented musicians, Danny Knicely (world class Virginian mandolinist, guitarist, and mandocellist) and Geoff Goodhue (New England based singer and multi-instrumentalist) for the Bryan Bowers Band. (TW2: Intro to Autoharp; Great American Songbook; Folk Harmony Singing & Arranging; Big Song Swap)

Susan Boyer Haley learned folk music at home from her parents in Missouri. Susan learned singing from her mother and learned to play the mountain dulcimer from her father. The Boyer Family performed at regional events and folk festivals for 45 years and folk music was central in their lives and community. Susan loved the music she learned at home and took it out into the world. She has been settled in the Deep South for the past 36 years, singing, teaching, and passing on a living folk tradition to her students. Susan’s husband of 43 years, Bill, is a fine frailing style banjo player and the couple has raised two sons. The family lives in Clearwater, Florida, where they enjoy singing to the seventh generation of the family, a little granddaughter. (TW2: Beginning Mountain Dulcimer; How Can I Keep from Singing; Big Song Swap)

Junious Brickhouse is an internationally established educator, choreographer and cultural preservationist with over 30 years of experience in Urban Dance Culture. Born in Virginia Beach, VA, his dance training began at family gatherings dancing the funk styles of the era. Growing up, he sought out all the learning opportunities available to him, from community centers to parking lots, where young people were teaching each other and building communities around urban dance forms. As the Founding Executive Director of Urban Artistry Inc. (www.urbanartistry.org), Junious has inspired and created a movement of artists dedicated to the preservation of urban dance culture, specifically within communities of practice. As Urban Artistry’s Executive Director, Junious produces projects such as The International Soul Society Festival, The Preservatory and the UA Digital Archives to encourage other artists to research and document these tradition bearers and their stories. As a scholar/practitioner, Junious teaches at colleges and universities, using an experiential approach to teaching, Movement of the African American South, Hip Hop as well as urban dance movement and the cultural context from which it evolves. As the Co-Director with Next Level, an initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in association with the Department of Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Meridian International Center for Cultural Diplomacy, Junious works tirelessly to promote international cultural exchange in underserved communities, conflict prevention and resolution and entrepreneurial skill building through hip-hop music and dance. A citizen folklorist, Junious also conducts independent research into those cultural traditions whose influence is reflected in urban dance culture. From ring shouts and acoustic county blues to hip hop, understanding the nature and meaning of these art forms and their influences, is what motivates this artist. (TW2: Intro to House Dance; Intro to Popping/Boogaloo. TW3: Intro to House Dance; Intro to Popping/Boogaloo; Traditions & Transformation)

Pat Brodowski forages and grows fibers and dye plants to spin and weave in an historical context prior to 1860. She is the vegetable gardener at Monticello, and former Historian/Educator at the Carroll County Farm Museum. She lives in Stanardsville, VA. Photo by Britt Conley. (TW2: Natural Dyes for Natural Fabrics)

Shelton Browder began traditional blacksmithing in 1980 after realizing that not everyone is capable of a desk-bound career. He began teaching himself to do traditional forge work in 1980, moved to New Bern, NC in 1985 and established a blacksmith program at Tryon Palace, an 18th century historic site. In 1993, he began work in the public blacksmith shop at Colonial Williamsburg where he earned his journeyman papers under Master Blacksmith Peter Ross. After retiring in 2011, Shel began his own business, reproducing a variety of 17th and 18th century iron objects for individuals and museums. He teaches and demonstrates several times a year in various parts of the U.S. (TW1: Traditional Blacksmithing; Cooking Over Coals. TW2: Primitive Blacksmithing; Cooking Over Coals. TW3: Building an Economical Rowboad: The Irish Currach)

Karen Amelia Brown began making art quilts more than 13 years ago and soon realized she wanted to create her own fabrics using paints and dyes with various implements. Her work has featured in several national exhibits and numerous local shows. Karen lives and works in Westminster, MD. (TW2: Creating Your Own Fabric Using Dyes and Paints)

Larry Brumfield‘s tranquil Midwestern upbringing was interrupted during his adolescence, which coincided with the calamity of Vietnam and returning vets with no jobs, no career training. The post adolescent environment was savage, cold and high risk; fortunately, Larry had a valuable skill. He was big, strong, and agile with a dollop of savagery, thus avoiding Vietnam by getting a scholarship to Purdue University to play football. He graduated with a BS in Industrial Engineering and a MS in Management Science. After a 35-year corporate career in a Fortune 500 company, Larry attended seminary and was chosen to pastor churches in Baltimore and Washington. He has served on the Boards of Common Ground on the Hill, ACLU, Maryland Black Family Association, Rape Crises of Carroll County, mentored many youth in the community, and raised many children whose parents were in the dungeon of addiction. He is currently Chaplain of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff, TX. (TW2: The History and Impact of Cultural Appropriation)

Dr. Kathy Bullock is a professor of music at Berea College, Berea, Kentucky where she has worked for the past twenty eight years. There she teaches music and general studies courses and is director emeritus of the Black Music Ensemble (a seventy-voice choir that specializes in performance of African-American sacred music). She has designed and completed programs of study abroad for Berea College students, traveling to Zimbabwe, Ghana and the Caribbean. As a scholar, performer, choral and church music director, Dr. Bullock has provided numerous presentations, performances, lectures and workshops throughout the United States, Europe and Africa in the areas of spirituals, gospel music, and music of the African diaspora. Additionally she is co-editor of an anthology of art songs by contemporary African-American composers. Dr. Bullock has earned the Ph.D. and M.A. in Music Theory from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and a B.A. in Music from Brandeis University, MA. Most importantly, Dr. Bullock brings to her programs a rich cultural heritage and tradition. She also brings a love and passion for music of all kinds, a deep appreciation of music’s beauty, power and spiritual possibilities, and an infectious excitement in the performing and sharing of it with others. (TW2: Interracial Gospel Choir; African & Jamaican Songs)

Davey Burkitt has played the harmonica for over fifty years exciting audiences throughout the northeast. Although a masterful blues harpist, his specialty is “straight harp” with a large repertoire of fiddle tunes, airs, and novelty pieces. Davey has toured extensively with Bottle Hill and Walt Michael & Co., performing in concerts at major festivals, clubs, community concerts and on radio. (TW1: Melodic Harmonica; Blues Harp 1; Juke Joint)

Howie Bursen Chicago Magazine said, "Stunning guitar arrangement… easily one of the finest banjo players ever heard" while Frets magazine said, "He has the ability to dazzle audiences with displays of virtuosity and instrumental cuts on his album contain some of the most intricate clawhammer banjo work ever recorded." Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Holly Near and others have recorded Howie's songs www.sallyrogers.com/howie (TW2: Rise Up Singing; Beyond Beginning Guitar; Old-Time Banjo II)

Melinda Byrd was born into a rya rug family. She learned this centuries-old craft from her grandparents in Massachusetts who imported Scandinavian rya yarn, backings, and kits in the “midcentury modern” era when Scandinavian design was “hot” in the USA. Her first book on designing and making rya rugs is due for release in early 2019. The book shares all she has come to learn about making rya rugs. Her class strives to provide much of the same knowledge in the 5-day course. Melinda worked as a naturalist for many years which influenced her focus on abstract images of nature which are abundant in her rya work. Her educational rya video was released on YouTube in 2012 and has been seen by over a half million people. The Rya Rug Revival has begun. To see the Rya video, click here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=trl3V5Q2kG4&t=3s (TW1: Rya Rug Making – Painting with a Needle and Wool)

David Carrasco is a Chicano historian of religions working on the topics of religious experience, sacred cities/borderlands and the Latino diaspora. His most recent book is The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press) and he teaches in the Harvard Divinity School and the Department of Anthropology. In 2004 he was awarded the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor Mexico gives to a foreign national. In 2011 he was elected into the Academia Mexicana de la Historia for his outstanding contributions to understanding the history of religions in Mexico. He was recently chosen as one of the favorite professors of the Harvard class of 2014 and he was a talking head in the recent PBS series "Native America". (TW3: Keynote - A Song for Cesar Chavez: The Music and the Movement)

Dr. Octavio Pascal Carrasco is an historian of American culture and music with special interest in the processes of social change, cultural resistance, and the religious imagination. As an undergraduate student at Princeton University, he worked with Cornel West, exploring the religious dimensions of Tupac Shakur’s music and death. He completed his Masters degree at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA with Rev. Dr. Gabriella Lettini. As the 2011-12 Hilda Mason teaching fellow he developed and taught the course Music & Art for Social Change and further completed his Ph.D. work with Cornel West, Daisy Machado, and Troy Messenger at Union Theological Seminary in NY, focusing on “the long sixties” as a period of profound awakening in American history. Octavio’s primary mode of transportation is walking, using the “eyes in his feet” to remain connected with his surroundings. His academic studies are grounded in his time living in Guatemala, Spain and the Czech Republic. He can be found teaching English as a second language wherever there are students and juggling book loans at ALL the local libraries. (TW3: Social Change, Cultural Resistance and the Religious Imagination)

Nicolas Carter is a talented and versatile International harpist, born in Minnesota and raised in Paraguay where he learned to play the Paraguayan harp. Carter creates unique performances blending his musicianship with his skills as a theatre artist/storyteller. His authentic, warm and friendly interaction creates an intimate experience bringing inspiration, motivation and joy. Carter has been composing, recording, teaching and performing for over 25 years and has played all over United States, Latin America, Europe, West Africa and Israel. Visit Nicolas’ website at www.nicolascarter.com (TW3: Introduction to Paraguayan Music; Introduction to Paraguayan Romantic Music; Improvising with Latin American Rhythms)

Diana Cervantes was born in Mexico but moved to the United States at the age of four. Highly influenced by her mother, Cristina Huertas, and brother, Eddie Cervantes, and growing up in a Hispanic community, she has learned to master several types of styles such as Bachata, Merengue, Salsa, and Cumbia, as well as the traditional arts and crafts of her native country. (TW3: Latin Dance)

Amanda Chappell became interested in the art of pysanky (Ukrainian Egg Decorating) in an effort to learn more about her Ukrainian heritage. After attending a Ukrainian festival in Baltimore several years ago, she became determined to teach herself this art of egg decorating. She was drawn to the traditional geometric designs for their intricacy and enjoys the process as much as the end result. Mandy holds a BFA from Frostburg State University with a concentration in photography. (TW1: Ukrainian Egg Decorating: The Art of Pysanky)

Che Apalache is a four-man string band based in Buenos Aires with members from Argentina, Mexico and the United States. The group’s founder is Joe Troop (fiddle), a North Carolinian multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and composer who moved to Argentina in 2010. While patiently carving out a niche in the local music scene, Joe taught bluegrass and old-time music for a living. That’s how he met Pau Barjau (banjo), Franco Martino (guitar) and Martin Bobrik (mandolin), his most dedicated students. They quickly became picking buddies and in 2013 decided to hit the stage. Che Apalache began as a bluegrass band, but eventually incorporated Latin American styles into their repetoire. Combining instrumental prowess with tight vocal harmonies, they have created an authentic blend of genres to reflect the nature of their lives. Evoking images from Appalachia to the Andes, their debut album, “Latingrass,” is a testament to a powerful cultural and musical exchange. Visit them at www.cheapalache.com (TW3: Che Apalache - Bluegrass Masterclass; Latin-grass Ensemble; Latin Jam. Joe Troop - Bluegrass Banjo 2; Bluegrass Fiddle 2)

Peter Chen was born in China. Before coming to the U.S. in 2002, he studied and worked at the Shanghai University of Sports. He graduated from Minnesota State University in 2007 and has taught P. E. classes in the public schools in the U.S.A. since. Tai Chi is a part of P.E. classes, which he has been practicing and teaching for various groups. He is currently a board member of Tai Chi Friends Club of Greater Washington and participates in various Tai Chi events in the Greater Washington DC region. (TW1: Qigong, Tai Chi Chuan. TW2: Qigong, Tai Chi Fans. TW3: Qigong, Tai Chi Chuan)

Erica Rai Chesnik discovered the beauty of yoga in 2006 while seeking variety in the same ol' gym workout routine. The practice brought mindfulness and inspiration and eventually evolved into sharing the practice, becoming a certified teacher in 2013 and eventually an advanced 500 hour teacher. Erica found restoration and empowerment in maintaining a consistent practice and loves to help others along the yogic path of mindfulness. Classes are thoughtfully designed to provide a fun, safe, anatomy based yoga class with a strong emphasis on harnessing the power of your breath! Erica holds additional certifications to include Certified Prenatal Yoga Teacher and FLOYO Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga Certified. (TW1 & 2: Intro to Flow Yoga; Gentle Yoga)

Tina Chisena began making metal things in the early 1970’s while working full time at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland as a cancer researcher. Over the course of her 31-year NIH career, she took private lessons in jewelry making, as well as classes in enameling, metalsmithing, blacksmithing at various craft schools. She has also studied some engraving and wood turning and wood carving techniques. After many years of making things, she enrolled at Towson University in the MFA program in metalsmithing and sculpture, graduating in 2002. She has also taught enameling at Glen Echo Park and various jewelry and metal working classes at Montgomery College, The Art League School in Alexandria, VA, and previously at CGOTH. She also has a strong interest in music and several sports. Examples of her work may be seen on her website: tinachisena.com (TW1: Jewelry Fabrication Techniques)

Andy Cohen has spent his life studying Blues in general, and the lives of Bluesmen and women in particular, not just their music. In his career he was able to get up with, and sometimes get work for, Jim Brewer, Dan Smith, Daniel Womack, Rev. Gary Davis, John Jackson, Libba Cotten, Etta Baker, John Cephas, Archie Edwards, Honeyboy Edwards, Algia Mae Hinton, Bessie Jones, Ted Bogan, Howard Armstrong, Pigmeat Jarrett, Big Joe Duskin and a couple dozen other blues people. For whatever it's worth, Andy has been cited several times for his work in various aspects of Blues and Gospel music: The Autoharp Hall of Fame inducted him for his work with the Washington Phillips material on the Dolceola; The Pinewoods Club of New York gave him the Eisteddfod Award for promoting Traditional music; and Folk Alliance Region Midwest ('FARM') recently gave him their Lantern Bearer's Award for being an advocate of active collecting and promotion of 'native speaking' performers within the Folk Revival. He has taught at most of the major teaching camps, including Common Ground, Port Townsend, Elkins and Pinewoods, each of them several times. (TW2: Icons of the Blues; Singing with Your Instrument)

Daniel R. Collins is an award-winning independent filmmaker, and the director of development and outreach for the Delaware-based non-profit, Hearts and Minds Film. He has attended Common Ground on the Hill as a volunteer, performer, student, and teacher for more than twenty years. Dan serves on the Board of Directors and helps manage the Common Ground Veterans Initiative, and is also an actively performing musician and published poet, based in Philadelphia. www.dancollinsfilm.com (TW2: Hearts and Minds Film; Storytelling in the Digital Age; Common Ground on the Hill Veterans Initiative; Search for Common Ground)

Charles Collyer and Pamela Zappardino are nonviolence educators, authors and trainers with a long history of activism. They studied and continue to work with Dr. Bernard LaFayette, who was a member of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s executive staff, and is today's principal spokesperson for Kingian nonviolence. Charlie co-founded the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island, where he is Professor Emeritus (Psychology). Now retired, he has more time to play “bad guitar.” A photographer, painter, and art critic, Pam plays the mountain dulcimer, is president of PlanWorks Consulting and works with many community groups and organizations. Charlie and Pam co-founded and serve as Directors of the Ira and Mary Zepp Center for Nonviolence and Peace Education at Common Ground. (TW1 & 2: Everyday Nonviolence in a Crazy World; Stories of the Civil Rights Movement; Search for Common Ground)

Nick Corso is a full-time potter based in Philadelphia PA. Nick is passionate about clay, pottery, and the satisfaction that comes from creating handmade objects from our earth’s body. The complexity of clay itself has been Nick's greatest teacher, always challenging and leading Nick forward to new heights. He currently occupies his time by making and selling his creations to family and friends like you. Beginning with his first ceramics class at FSK High School in Union Bridge, Nick has almost 20 years of experience in the clay world. Nick's passion for clay is continuously fueled by the unfolding process of creating functional and creative work. Nick looks forward to sharing that passion with his students. (TW2: All About Mugs)

Paul Creighton is a peace activist, educator and musician. He is a retired principal teacher of Multicultural Studies and Peace Education. After meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2005, Paul finished writing a Peace Education Curriculum which was approved by the Scottish Qualifications Authority and acclaimed by Education Scotland,( the Scottish schools inspectorate), who declared it as being something they wanted in every school in Scotland. Since retiring Paul has been working with Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma, in developing a global peace education curriculum. He is an ambassador for the World Peace Tartan, an international peace initiative based in Edinburgh. He is also an educational advisor to the international peace organization, The Interpreters Forum, a role he shared with the late Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Laureate and Holocaust survivor. Paul is also in the process of developing and delivering programs to adult offenders; programs designed to prevent reoffending and to raise self-esteem and improve employability skills of the participants. Paul is a multi-instrumentalist and has being playing in the Scottish Folk scene for forty years. He has played at festivals in England, France, Canada and the USA. Paul has released two CDs, the latest in 2015. A track from this CD has been chosen as a soundtrack to a forthcoming film release, The War for Paradise. Paul is no stranger to CGOTH having being coming on and off since 2005. (TW3: Peace Education in the Classroom and with Adult Offenders)

Wendy Cronin has been working in clay since 1970, where she took her first class in Baltimore MD. As a teenager, she was initially inspired by the magic of watching a traditional eastern Kentucky potter transform a ball of clay on a potter’s wheel into a functional bowl. Throughout her career in public health, Dr. Cronin lived and worked in Asia for nearly 15 years. During that time, she became heavily influenced by Asian functional pottery. Today, she primarily works in porcelain clay on the potter’s wheel. Though she enjoys making many items, her favorite is the teapot. Balancing all parts of the design (belly, lid, spout, handle) is both fascinating and often a challenge. Though always interested in smooth, rounded forms, generally using Asian glazes of celadon and temoku, Dr. Cronin has recently become attracted to using color and surface decoration. Some of Dr. Cronin’s pieces are displayed at Off Track Art in Westminster MD. Long a member of the Baltimore Clayworks in Baltimore, MD, she now lives in Chestertown MD, where she is setting up her own pottery studio. (TW3: Yunomi and Chawan Tea Bowls)

Guy Davis is a musician, storyteller, author, and actor considered to be “America’s greatest link to the blues right now” (Windsor Star). Guy has been turning out chart-topping, award-winning blues since his debut in 1995. Guy’s latest album, Sonny & Brownie’s Last Ride, received a Grammy nomination, as well as nominations for 2018 Best Acoustic Artist and Best Acoustic Album by the Blues Music Association. His album Kokomo Kidd was named 2016 Acoustic Record of the Year by Blues Blast Magazine and received nominations for the Blues Music Association Acoustic Album of the Year 2016 and Acoustic Artist of the Year. These awards follow his 2014 Blues Music Association nominations for Acoustic Album of the Year (Juba Dance) and Acoustic Artist of the Year. Guy Davis “breathes new life into the country blues idiom” (Blues Blast Magazine). The son of famed actor/civil rights activists Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, Guy celebrates and expands the music and stories he learned at the knees of his parents and grandparents. This most recent recognition continues Guy’s history of honors, including awards from National Public Radio and the Blues Foundation, including the W.C. Handy Keeping the Blues Alive Award and nine Handy Award nominations, as well as acclaim on and off-Broadway. Guy also received the 2017 Robert H. Chambers Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts. Most recently, Guy received a nomination for Best Acoustic Artist by the Blues Foundation. (TW1: Blues Guitar with Guy Davis; Blues Harp with Guy Davis; Juke Joint)

Liza DiSavino (Also see Liza & A.J.) is a singer, traditional musician, multi-instrumentalist, and an award-winning songwriter. An expert on Appalachian balladry and the author of a soon-to-be published biography of early Kentucky ballad collector Katherine Jackson French, she teaches music education and Appalachian music at Berea College and is the director of the nationally known Berea College Folk-Roots Ensemble. She has recorded nine albums, including five with A.J. Bodnar, and appears on the compilation Songs From the Garden State on Smithsonian Folkways. Liza is a two-time member of the Geraldine R. Dodge Master Teacher Collaborative. (TW3: Beginning Tin Whistle; Rise Up Singing; Beginning Guitar)

JoAnn Dolan as served as Executive Director of the New York–New Jersey Trail Conference, Board Member of the Appalachian Trial Conference, Board Member of the Palisades Interstate Park Conservancy and other conservation organizations. She played a leading role in the successful effort to protect the 22,000 Sterling Forest by coordinating legal and science strategies to protect the critical watershed. Following the 9/11 terror attack she helped plan programs at Sterling involving nature, storytelling and the arts with the New York City Fire Department for children whose fathers were killed in the attack. She also helped coordinate a special program for child victims of the civil war in Sierra Leone in Africa. (TW2: Search for Common Ground)

Paul R. Dolan At the age of 22, Paul Dolan was given responsibility for managing and spending millions of dollars already raised from benefit concerts by John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, Judy Collins and John Denver. The funds were to be used for a major challenge - closing big institutions for the mentally retarded and building 100 community homes instead. He then had to learn the benefit concert world and manage and produce concerts and events ranging from the Allman Brothers Band and Chicago to Harry Chapin and Tony Bennett. He went on to work at ABC News for 35 years, first as Editorial Manager of 20/20 and then Executive Director of ABC News International. Dolan served as Executive Director of the One to One Foundation based at WABC-TV which funded legal action against the State of New York and the Department of Mental Hygiene to force reforms in condition at state institutions for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled. He was later appointed to the Board of Visitors of Queens Children’s Hospital by Governor Carey and appointed by Governor Carey as Deputy Director of the Council on State Priorities which conducted an independent review of New York State agencies as part of the transition from Governor Carey to Governor Mario Cuomo. With his wife JoAnn and a large coalition of environmental groups, he worked on the successful campaign to protect 22,000 acres of Sterling Forest on the border of New York and New Jersey. Other projects included helping plan an annual jazz benefit in honor of Charlie Parker with Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach. (TW2: Keynote - Harnessing the Power of Music, Money and Social Change; Search for Common Ground)

Alice Dorsey is a pianist, keyboard player and organist who has played for a number of churches in Baltimore and the Voices of Freedom choir at Social Security in Baltimore. Since 1987, Alice has accompanied her daughters, the Sisters in Harmony, anchored by Shelley Ensor. (TW3: Singing with Shelley Ensor; Freedom Sings and Dances)

Katya Dovgan holds an MFA from the Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in Kyiv, Ukraine. She is a Senior Lecturer of Art and Art History at McDaniel College, teaching all fundamental studio art classes on undergraduate and graduate levels. Katya also works as a painting conservator. Her career in this field spans a few decades and two continents. Students may enjoy Katya's talent in several media on campus. In Hoover Library, view the oil painting portraits of former chair of The Art and Art History Department Wasyl Palijczuk and former McDaniel College President Joan Devlin Coley. Also on view there is the sculpted bust of the namesake of McDaniel. Enjoy the half tondo painting in the nave of Little Baker Chapel, which Katya restored. (TW1: Byzantine Gilding and Egg Tempera)

Rebecca Quattrone Drayer is a retired professor from York College of Pennsylvania in the Music, Art, and Communication Department. She is a self-proclaimed conduit between various artistic processes and groups within her local Communities. She has earned her Master of Arts at Pennsylvania State University and Advanced & Introduction Mosaic Certification from the Scuola Arte Del Mosaico, Ravenna, Italy. Her public and fine artworks span the United States and abroad. Drayer has recently completed several large scale public collaborative mosaic works in the United States. Her mixed media studio, Cowboys & Angels, is in Southern York County, were she resides with her husband Michael and pups Smokey and Chopper. (TW1: Mosaics for Everyday Life; Garden and Backyard Mosaics)

Kirk Dreier is currently the Senior Naturalist/Ranger at Cromwell Valley Park, part of the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks. Kirk has been involved in Primitive Technology and skills for over 30 years. He has taught people to make friction fire, bows and arrows, Cherokee Blowguns and darts, tanning of deerskins, stone tool manufacture, gourd containers, and primitive pottery. (TW2: Primitive Skills)

Debra Duffin is a life-time resident of Montgomery County. She has been a Special Education teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools for many years. She is certified in C.P.I. In previous years she has held many leadership positions and continues to hold those positions throughout the community. She and her family own and show their Jersey cows in the 4-H Club that she is affiliated with. She loves tending to her many animals. Debra is also very involved with various school activities. Most of all she enjoys being a wife and a mother of twin daughters. (TW1, TW2 & TW3: World Village)

Melissa Dunning is a hand-weaver, spinner and knitter with nearly 40 years of experience, working on antique equipment to recreate 18th and 19th century home produced textiles. She began her textile study with Scottish master weaver Norman Kennedy in 1980, and carries on this rich tradition in her own teaching. Melissa is an avid tartan and linen weaver, a compulsive knitter and a lover of wool who enjoys sharing her passion for weaving and spinning with students. She is also a ballad singer, specializing in the ballads and songs of Ireland, Scotland and England from before Napoleon’s time. (TW2: Working the Wool and Introduction to Hand Spindles)

Leo Eaton Emmy® award-winning filmmaker Leo Eaton has produced, directed and written documentary and dramatic television and film in Europe and the U.S. for more than 3 decades, and been honored with most of television's top awards. He's produced for PBS, A&E, National Geographic, Discovery, the Outdoor Life Network, BBC-TV, and many other international television networks. Two recent projects, the 6-hour Story of China (with British historian Michael Wood) and the documentary special Weekend in Havana received prime-time broadcasts across America in 2017. He is currently working on a television biography of 19th Century Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall and a documentary about the role of comic strips in American culture for theatrical release. (TW1: The Arts and Television; Search for Common Ground)

Eleanor Ellis, a native of Louisiana, has performed at clubs, festivals and concerts in the United States, Canada and Europe. She has also traveled and played with the late gospel street singer Flora Molton and bluesman Archie Edwards, and sometimes accompanied Delta Blues great Eugene Powell. She is a founding member of the DC Blues Society and the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, has written about the blues for several publications, and is producer and editor of the video documentary Blues Houseparty, featuring well-known Piedmont blues musicians such as John Jackson, John Cephas, and Archie Edwards. She also worked at the Archive of New Orleans Jazz at Tulane University in New Orleans, and at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Eleanor was nominated for a 2012 Wammie (Washington Area Music Association) award for Blues/Traditional R & B Female Vocalist. (TW1: Acoustic Blues Repertoire; Women & the Blues; Juke Joint)

Don Elmes has been exploring his environment through his camera lens for over thirty-eight years, both professionally and for personal fulfillment. His images, often ephemeral in nature, are of things all around, often overlooked or ignored. His work using Photoshop and InDesign has merged his skills in photography and computer graphic design. Don worked as the office manager at the Appalachian Arts Center preparing imagery for publication and website construction. As a teacher and self-employed crafter of matting and picture framing, Don provides classes, seminars, and workshops for art students and regional artists. Since retiring, Don has worked closely with his wife, Ellen, on a number of outdoor mural projects. (TW3: Photoshop 101)

Ellen Elmes A graduate of McDaniel College, Ellen has been grateful to return to campus during the last 23 summers to teach and participate, with her husband Don and grandchildren, in Common Ground Traditions Week. Ellen’s art is inspired and informed by the landscape, community, and issues of rural living mountains of Southwest Virginia, as well as travels across country and abroad. From paintings inspired by the Scottish and Appalachian highlands, to watercolor sketches of canyons on a recent trip outwest, to murals depicting the heart of small-town communities, Ellen’s art thrives on the rhythms of her life experiences. Since 1980, she has created murals based on community pride and memory with youth and adults, as well as researching, designing, and painting history murals on her own. She is currently working in Tazewell, Virginia, on a student-community mural painted on fabric for outdoor wall installation in summer 2019, as well as a large-scale canvas for a renovated train station. (TW3: Watercolor Painting on Site)

Shelley Ensor comes from a highly gifted musical family and possesses a rare, beautiful and powerful voice. She sings with The Sisters in Harmony who released their CD, Your Love, in 2001. Shelley was the vocalist with the Howard Burns Quintet, appearing on their CD, Lucinda's Serenade, and performing at Blues Alley. She appears on the Ron Kearns CD, Live at Blues Alley, and sings with the Frederick Community College Jazz Band. Shelley directs the Mens Choir and Voices of Faith at First Baptist Church of Baltimore. She is a past director of Trinity Baptist Gospel Choir, the Men's Choir of St. Luke’s UMC, Bertinna Randall Gospel Choir of St. Mark UMC, St. Paul's UCC choir in Westminster, MD, and the McDaniel College Gospel Choir. Shelley led the Common Ground Gospel Choir for sixteen years and is revered at Common Ground on the Hill as one of its most inspired, respected instructors. Shelley is accompanied on piano by her mother and mentor, Alice Dorsey. (TW3: Singing with Shelley Ensor; Freedom Sings and Dances)

Margery Erickson has been a master artisan and member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen since 1991. She is juried in hand weaving and specializes in wearable art. Other fiber interests include spinning yarn, sewing, and knitting. Her formal education includes a degree in Social Science from Penn State and a Masters degree from Millersville University in Special Education. “When I was a teen I enjoyed sewing my own clothes, creating a unique style. In my mid thirties I saw someone weaving fabric. If I could weave I could create my own fabric to sew. One weaving class, one loom, one yard of fabric... Changed my life!” (TW3: Weave Bands, Belts, Bookmarks, and More)

Ralph Evans will be teaching beginning guitar (flat-picking), which will develop tone identification as well as technique. This system will motivate by means of giving an ability to gauge one’s own improvement. His experience in ear-training himself is what he uses to create the drive to practice and improve. Ralph’s history as a musician includes seven years at Common Ground on the Hill and study of guitar at the Community College of Baltimore County. Ralph also has fifty-plus years of guitar performing with the U.S.S.R. Band, the Holocaust Band, and was featured in the Ralph Roman and the Praetorians band, which achieved notoriety playing shows with the Dead Kennedys and The Crumbsuckers. Ralph’s current band Virtuoso has included former members of Peach’s and Herb and Elvis Presley’s bands. (TW2: Beginning Guitar; Juke Joint)

Jan Fabricius is a native of Kansas. A registered nurse, Jan also manages much of the business for her partner, Tim O’Brien. She has been singing with the Tim O’Brien Band since 2015. (TW3: Bluegrass Singing with Tim O’Brien; Bluegrass Masterclass; Bluegrass Jam)

Michael R. Faulkner Award-winning independent filmmaker Michael R. Faulkner is excited to be offering a course for the first time at Common Ground on the Hill. After growing up riding horses and singing in choirs in rural Michigan, he moved to Baltimore and fell in love with the city while working as a production assistant on John Water's films and later as a location scout and manager for HBO’s "The Wire." Recently he co-produced a short film for Equal Justice Museum entitled “The Domestic Slave Trade,” and assisted in location managing upcoming Hollywood film, “Twelve.” While pursuing his interests in photography, music and performance, he developed a passion for telling unique and untold stories that explore and make testaments to social justice, the arts and the awakening of new perspectives. As director / producer his credits includes, SHU-DE! (Let’s Go!), John & James, a variety of promotional work, music videos, concert pieces. His work has screened in film festivals around the world to critical acclaim. Currently, he is engaged in sharing his latest project, Lost Kings, an episodic drama set in Baltimore and completing short documentary, As We Are, a story that shines a light on the power of music to connect autistic children with their community. (TW3: Finding Common Ground Through Film)

Randy Flaum is a photojournalist, videographer with a passion for listening to people tell their life stories. Since moving from Connecticut in 2000 Randy has made it his mission to learn about York and the families who live in the community. After 45 years working in the newspaper field in both New England and Pennsylvania, he is retired and now teaches youngsters the craft of community storytelling through video and still photographs. The past three years he has taught video storytelling classes in York, PA. This Facebook link highlights his 'York Storyteens/York Storykids 'Our Community, Our Vision' sessions: https://www.facebook.com/YorkStorykids/. He has also taught summer camps for DreamWrights Center for Community Arts, http://dreamwrights.org/teaching-artists-2018/, and Red Land Community Library, https://www.yorklibraries.org/etters-red-land/. Randy believes that students, of all ages, who learn how to communicate their own ideas can shape and possibly influence their generation. (TW1: Telling Your Neighborhood Story)

Phil Gallery In his real life, Phil Gallery is a 5' 7", 136-pound author, newspaper writer, former Naval Officer, raiser of four kids, and grower of Christmas trees. In his Walter Mitty life he is a 6", 180-pound professional golfer, albeit on the senior tour. He has played courses throughout the United States, Asia, and Scotland, including Prestwick and the Old Course at St. Andrews. He will be happy to share his ideas on golf and life--two things he often gets mixed up. Or, if you prefer, he will simply join you in the woods for a stroll. (TW1: Golf)

Nolly Gelsinger has been making beads for 16 years. She has taken classes with masters in the craft and taught at Common Ground, The Glass Resort in Frederick, and for the International Society of Glass Beadmakers. Her glass bead creations have been included in exhibitions in the US and in Japan. (TW1: Beadmaking for Beginners. TW2: Beadmaking – The Next Step)

Geoff Goodhue graduated from Ohio University in 2004 with a B.F.A. in Percussion Performance and now lives in Jackson, New Hampshire. His family outfit, The Goodhues Band, was featured at the 2016 Mountain Laurel Autoharp Gathering. Geoff performs alongside Danny Knicely as a member of the Bryan Bowers Band and is the drummer on J.D. Hutchison’s 2016 Howdy Skies Records release “You and the World Outside” produced by and featuring Tim O’Brien. Geoff’s main gig is as mandolinist and vocalist with the award winning Vermont based bluegrass quintet “Beg, Steal or Borrow” https://www.begstealorborrowvt.com/geoff-goodhue-other-projects (TW2: Instrumental Harmony; Folk Harmony Singing & Arranging; Great American Songbook; Big Song Swap)

Ralph Gordon is a much sought-after free-lance musician (bass and cello) performing internationally and teaching in the Washington, DC area. He is classically trained and performs in a variety of styles including folk, classical, Celtic, blues and jazz. He toured and recorded for years with Trapezoid, and performs and tours with a multitude of groups including Magpie and Walt Michael & Company. Ralph appears on well over one hundred recordings, including albums with John McCutcheon, Holly Near, Trapezoid, Alexander Mitchell and Rhythm Ranch. www.ralphgordonmusic.com (TW2: Bass Tutorial; Cello Tutorial; Juke Joint)

Randall A. Gornowich is a multi-faceted visual artist. He is best known in Baltimore for his creation of the 30 foot pink flamingo which adorns the facade of the Cafe Hon in Hampden. He’s been a featured artist on the HGTV show “That’s Clever.” His photographs have been published on the cover of Baltimore’s City Paper as well as international magazines. Gornowich studied art in Baltimore, Maryland; Florence, Italy; San Antonio, Texas as well as at Oxbow in Saugatuck, Michigan. He earned both his Bachelors (with honors) and Masters degree from the Maryland Institute, College of Art. He’s spent time working in Washington D.C. at the Library of Congress, National Museum of American History and National Geographic Society. In addition to working as a freelance photographer he teaches art and photography workshops to adults, inner city youth and individuals with special needs. Visit his website to learn more. http://www.randallart.com/ (TW1: Commotion of Motion in Photography)

Mary Graham-Grant Born and reared along the coast in Georgetown, South Carolina, Mary Graham Grant is dedicated to preserving the tradition of sweetgrass basketry since sewing her first basket in 1990. It is important for her to let people know that the art of sweetgrass basketry is an art form that was brought to South Carolina by slaves who came from West Africa and has been practiced continuously in South Carolina for over three hundred years. Mary has worked as an artist-in-residence in numerous elementary, middle and high schools and conducted workshops for many arts councils, governmental organization and museums throughout South Carolina and other states. She has also conducted week long workshops at Universities in Virginia and Maryland. (TW3: Sweetgrass Basketry)

Phil Grout started to learn his craft as a photographer in 1966 working as a photojournalist for the U.S. Navy covering naval operations in Vietnam. With pictures and words he became a gatherer of the threads which bind us together as human beings. In the 1980’s Phil took his camera throughout the Developing World in Africa, Asia, Latin America and India documenting the work of various relief organizations. A second book of photography, Seeds of Hope, grew from the splinters left in the wake of a hurricane which cut a path through Nicaragua in 1988. Phil lived in Ghana, West Africa in 2002 with an extended family of cocoa farmers to create his latest book, Harvest of Hope—a portrait of those who toil to bring us chocolate. His photo illustrations regularly appear in Carroll Magazine as well. Phil’s photography and reporting have been awarded by the Associated Press, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association as well as various arts organizations. His photography has been exhibited in art galleries throughout the United States. (TW1, TW2, TW3: The Open Road: Photography)

Quick Links: Faculty, H-O Faculty, P-Z

Subscribe to our mailing list

Stay in touch