Teachers old and new

Barry Tashian has been singing and playing the guitar since he was 8 years old. His career includes opening shows for the Beatles on their last American tour, appearing on the Ed Sullivan show, playing and recording with Emmylou Harris' Hot Band. Barry and his wife Holly tour worldwide as vocal/guitar duet partners. They've recorded seven award-winning albums featuring their own compositions and performed regularly on the Grand Ol' Opry.

Holly Tashian has been playing guitar and singing duets with her husband Barry for 38 years, starting as a country/bluegrass singer in Connecticut and continuing on to record 7 award-winning albums, appearing many times on the Grand Ol' Opry, and playing festivals and concert world wide. She and Barry now live in Nashville where they enjoy songwriting and touring, while continuing to share the joy of music. Holly also plays electric and upright bass.

Marcia Taylor has been performing and teaching for thirty years. After a degree in classical guitar she found her singing voice. She helped to found the Boston Women's Music Festival and honed her performance skills on New England's folk circuit. She has recorded three albums of original material. Joining the topical/folk/cabaret band Bright Morning Star introduced her to a wider audience throughout the United States and Canada. Marcia currently teaches music and drama at a Quaker school for girls in Providence, Rhode Island. Her cutting edges include writing fiction and telling stories for children and adults.

Paul "Walking Stick" Taylor is an Australian storyteller, didjeridoo player, and traveler. Paul loved his initial visit to the U.S. so much that he decided to return in 1992 and commence an extensive Walkabout of the U.S. He is currently based in Laramie, Wyoming - the heart of America's outback. Paul's performances highlight unique historical parallels of America's West with Australia's Outback. For more information on Paul visit his website at www.PaulTaylor.ws

Eric Thompson began his flatpicking career during his teenage years in the 1960s as a Black Mountain Boy (with Jerry Garcia), and a New York Rambler (with David Grisman). Eric's adolescent affect can be glimpsed in the documentary film "Grateful Dawg." His latest project is Kleptograss, in which he borrows from a wide range of musical styles (Bluegrass, Old-time, Blues, Greek, Puerto Rican Jibaro, and Western and French Swing), leading a stellar lineup of Bay Area pickers. Eric has been an instructor at the numerous music camps and has several instruction books and videos available through Mel Bay, Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop, and Backbeat Books. For more info, check out www.ericandsuzy.com

Sue Thompson has played and sung for over 30 years in old time, country, Balkan, Irish and bluegrass bands, including Seattle's legendary Tall Timber and the All Star Cowgirl Revue. She's one of a small number of accomplished women flatpickers, and a dedicated teacher who has taught at the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, California Coast Music Camp, British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop, and Port Townsend's renowned Festival of American Fiddletunes. Sue especially enjoys helping guitarists make the leap from rhythm to lead playing, and teaching singers how to figure out vocal harmonies by ear. Her recordings include Mike Seeger's GRAMMY-nominated Third Annual Farewell Reunion, The Washington Traditional Fiddler's Project, Volume 2. Generations, and the recent Western music extravaganza, Tall Boots, where her fellow musicians nicknamed her "Harmony Part Wizard."

Suzy Thompson plays all kinds of roots music, mostly from the American South -- old-time, Cajun, bluegrass, and pre-war blues styles are her favorites. For the past year, she's been teaching an ongoing string band blues class in Berkeley California (where she lives), sharing her passion for party music from the hillbilly, country blues, and jug band traditions. Suzy has taught at many other music camps, including Swannanoa, Augusta, Fiddle Tunes, Centrum Country Blues Week, etc. She is the Artistic Director of Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, and is the founder and director of the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention. Suzy has recorded extensively, as a solo artist, with her husband Eric Thompson, and with resonator guitar queen Del Rey, and as part of many different aggregations including Geoff Muldaur & the Texas Sheiks; the Bluegrass Intentions; the California Cajun Orchestra; the Todalo Shakers; Any Old Time, etc. As a side musician, she has recorded with Maria Muldaur, Dave Alvin, Laurie Lewis, Alice Gerrard, Kate Brislin and Jody Stecher, and many others.

Katerina Tomás has 22 years of experience as a flamenco and classical Spanish dancer, "cantaora" - flamenco singer, choreographer, dance and singing teacher. She has choreographed Spanish classical and flamenco dances for her own companies, L.A. Olé Flamenco Dance, and Mojácar Flamenco, and for numerous organizations and dance companies and soloists throughout the country. She has taught flamenco and Spanish dance and music at UC Irvine, UCLA, Orange Coast College, Cypress College, and Los Angeles City College. She is the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including an unprecedented 8 awards from the Spanish Ministry of Culture for flamenco research, choreography and performance. She received the L.A. Treasures Award from the City of Los Angeles in 2004 for the concert "Cantan los Fuegos – the fires sing – an evening celebrating the music and poetry of Manuel de Falla and Federico García Lorca."

Barry Truter was born in India, lives in Vancouver, BC, and has been a traveller for much of his life. His music and songwriting are influenced by the places he has lived and worked including India, Fiji, USA, England, Canada, and a spell at sea working on a tramp freighter.

Barry is a co-founder of the Georgia Strait Guitar Workshop (GSGW), and teaches guitar privately and at music camps in the Pacific Northwest. He performs with Vancouver-based folk group Fraser Union. But above all he loves to sing and jam with friends in the kitchen, on the ferry, in a coffeehouse, at a music camp, on a protest march, at a sea festival and wherever live music can be found. As he says, "May there always be the joy of music in all our lives."

Barry's latest solo cd, "Traveller", consists of originals and carefully selected covers reflecting his journeys, and supported by guest appearances from some fine Vancouver musicians.