I've been performing in the Lawrence area for more than 25 years, including in the rock band "The Dancing Elephants", the world fusion band "Whole Earth Consort", the Celtic folk-rock band Nine Mile Burn, and the traditional Celtic band Rowan. (See Music History for my music background.)

My main instrument is improvisational piano, but I also perform on a number of other instruments. If I'm not playing solo it's usually with my longtime music partner Cordelia Brown in Forest Green, plus various friends. I've never been interested in reading music, so I write & arrange what I perform including folk suites, children's songs, and instrumental compositions for piano or baritone cittern.

My latest venture is music theater, sponsored by the Kansas Arts Commission. I created a six-person theater troupe, Carter Hall Performers, to put on a musical melodrama I recently wrote, a re-telling of the Pied Piper story. I also do a solo version of the show as a Contemporary Bard.

---

Photo by Cordelia Brown

Piano As a solo pianist, I have a free-flowing, improvisational style - sort of like George Winston paying homage to Floyd Cramer. Since I only minimally read music, I perform original compositions or arrangements. Other than my originals, my current interest is arranging traditional English fiddle tunes for piano. I perform most Tuesday nights on a lovely Steinway grand as the opening act for the Tuesday Concert series in downtown Lawrence.

---

Photo by Sarah Stern Photography

Guitar As a rhythm instrument, I usually play dreadnaught guitar. For solo guitar instrumentals, including my arrangements of traditional English fiddle tunes, I usually play classical.

---

Baritone cittern, from a Craviola-design 12-string

Baritone Cittern Baritone Cittern is the name I'm applying to an instrument I designed in 1989 by removing two strings from a 12-string guitar, then radically altering the tuning. It's similar to a 10-string cittern (bouzouki), only tuned lower and having six pitches instead of five. See Baritone Cittern for details.

---

St Patrick's Day, O'Dowds on the Plaza, 1999

Electric Bass I don't perform on it very often these days, but electric bass is one of my favorite instruments. Photo from when I was the bass player in "Nine Mile Burn."

---

Photo by Eileen Young, Lawrence Scottish Fest 2007

Accordion Accordions are basically self-contained pump organs, perfect for strolling serenades and background music at a variety of gatherings. I also use accordion to play Celtic tunes in Forest Green and contemporary folk with singer/songwriter Mark Gottschall.

---

Photo courtesy KTKA Television, Topeka

Six-String Banjo Six-string banjo doesn't get the respect it deserves. Many think it's a modern variation on five-string banjo, but actually it's been around since at least the Civil War. I change the low string to a high "d" for a drone and play modally in "dropped d" tuning. The picture is from December 2006 when I was the guest on the "Good Morning Kansas" television show. HERE is a short video clip from the show.

---

Mitch Miller and the Sing-along Gang

Sing-Alongs I also love leading sing-alongs at banquets, wedding rehearsals, assisted living centers, community meal sites, private parties and other gatherings. If you remember "Mitch Miller and the Sing-along Gang," you probably have a good idea what this is all about. I usually play piano and provide lyrics to the oldtime classics - Down By The Old Mill Stream, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, Blue Moon, Home on the Range, Ain't She Sweet, Red River Valley, Moonlight Bay, Shine On Harvest Moon - and so forth. Corny? Of course. Fun? You bettcha!

---

Forest Green at RoachFest - 2003???

Band Forest Green Cordelia Brown and I have been performing as "Forest Green" since 1997, sometimes as a duo and sometimes with special guests. She usually plays violin or harp while I play guitar, piano, or accordion. Lately Clark Jamison has been sitting in with us on djembe (African drum) and tabla (India drum). We perform my original music plus Celtic fiddle tunes, Anglican hymns, songs of Robert Burns, light classical music (for weddings) and more. See our web site at www.ForestGreenMusic.Com for details.

Villain and his crew doing the Rat Dance Kansas University, 2006

Music Theater Carter Hall Performers This 6-person theater troupe, sponsored by the Kansas Arts Commission, performs a musical melodrama I wrote based on the Pied Piper story. We conduct an afternoon Children's Theater Workshop to teach the kids how to play the role of the rats who invade the town of Hamelin, then that evening they join us in the melodrama. I play the Narrator and the Villain. See www.Carter-Hall.Com for details.

Carter Hall - Stories & Music Photo by Sarah Stern Photography

Contemporary Bard In addition to my theater troupe, I'm sponsored by the Kansas Arts Commission as a solo storyteller in the bardic fashion, combining the Pied Piper tale with original and traditional music. Click HERE for details.

Clark Jamison, Maria Anthony, Ry Brown & me The Dancing Elephants at "Everybody Day" in South Park, 1983

Music History I've performed in a number of interesting bands over the last 25 years. See My Musical Journey for a summary of the most important steps along my path.