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) and Kansas University Continuing Education. He has a Ph.D. in American cultural history from the University of Kansas and his book on theater and empire was recently published by Pickering and Chatto of London.
(Photo by Mike Haley, Huntsville, AR.
Marianne Payette Carter: fiddle, bodhran, guitar, vocals
Marianne Payette Carter's music is inspired by her world travels and grounded in her Kansas roots. She believes travel inspires and informs a cultural triangulation that fosters understanding of self and world. An accomplished solo artist, songwriter, and teacher, she also performs with "Voyager," her "Original World Music" group and as "Matty Striker" at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. As a Lied.Art.Teach teaching artist, she presents World music, American traditional music, and songwriting programs and workshops. Her various travels have taken her to Bali, Newfoundland, Morocco, Ireland, North Africa, and India, and through a research grant from the University of Kansas, where she studied violin, and a "Paretsky Award for Creativity," Marianne has studied the rich musical traditions of Brittany, the Celtic region of France. Her latest travels have taken her to central Mexico and the West African country of Mali. In addition to her various performance endeavors, Marianne teaches guitar, voice, and violin at "Prairie Music," her studio in Lawrence, KS.
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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