Doug Harvey: cittern, guitar, whistle, vocals
A native of Kansas, Doug’s musical life began with a rock and roll garage band in the early 1970s. The sound of the banjo and fiddle led him to the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas where he first heard the music of the Irish group “De Danann” and was smitten by the sound of Irish traditional music. In the mid-’90s, he traveled to St. John’s, Newfoundland, where he was infected by the sense of place and folk traditions of “The Rock.” A couple of excursions to France brought Doug into contact with Breton and French folk music, and an appearance on a French radio program helped boost his confidence. A founding member of the band, he continues to pursue his dual career in music and history. By day, Doug teaches at Johnson County Community College (suburban KC), Kansas University Continuing Education, and at Fort Hays State University in Topeka, KS. He has a Ph.D. in American cultural history from the University of Kansas and his book on theater and empire will be out in 2010.
(Photo by Mike Haley, Huntsville, AR.
Marianne Payette Carter: fiddle, bodhran, guitar, vocals
Marianne's Midwest roots and her travels to Bali, Newfoundland, Morocco, Ireland, North Africa, and India give her music a unique perspective and a lively world beat. An accomplished solo artist, she performs as a singer/songwriter and as "Matty Striker" at the KC Renaissance Festival. For many years she toured with the Kansas Arts Commission and the Heartland Arts Fund touring programs as member and leader of the folk band "Full Circle." Recently, through a research grant and the "Paretsky Award for Creativity" from the University of Kansas, Marianne was able to study the rich musical traditions of Britanny, the Celtic region of France. She is a past winner of the Kansas State Fiddling and Picking Championship's vocal division and Kaw Valley Songwriters competition. She has released two solo CDs of Celtic music. Marianne teaches guitar, voice, and violin at "Prairie Music", her studio in Lawrence.
John Thompson: accordion, vocals
John began playing the accordion at the age of eight at the Marsh Accordion Studio in Topeka, Kansas back in the '60's. He has always enjoyed the diversity of styles in the accordion repertoire, and he finds it very useful in playing with Rowan. John studied tuba at KU back in the late '70's, and later received a degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson County Community College. Currently, John is a Certified Chef de Cuisine at Maceli's Catering in Lawrence, Kansas. Over the years he has taught accordion and played in a variety of bands. In addition to Rowan, John currently plays with Marianne in the world music group Voyager, playing all original music inspired by styles of music from all over the world.
We want to wish former members of Rowan, Dean Karres, Anne Crane, Larry Carter, and now Lance Zed all the best in their future endeavors.
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