With understanding and encouragement from his spouse, Alex works four ten-hour days for the Washington Conservation Corp in Seattle, improving habitat for salmon, planting native trees and shrubs and working on plans to control the spread of invasive plants. On the weekends he pursues his musical career. He has toured extensively with the contra dance bands, Gallimaufry and Countercurrent, and in June 2017 released a debut solo album called River Run Wide, an eclectic mix of traditional and original folk songs from the Irish, Scottish, English, and American folk traditions.
Alex grew up in a musical household where acoustic folk music was played around the kitchen table; his father is an excellent singer and musician and sang at TNSM campouts. At twelve, Alex discovered Celtic folk music and felt the urge to learn to play. His middle and high school years were spent learning guitar, button accordion, bodhran, bouzouki, and working on his singing voice.
Alex’s greatest joy is playing music with other people. He has been fortunate to travel extensively in pursuit of the music, touring with contra dance bands throughout the Eastern seaboard, as far south as Asheville, NC and as far north as Massachusetts; he has also traveled to Ireland twice. In all his travels, Alex has been struck by the kindness and openness of people saying, “Perfect strangers from Seattle to Scotland have opened their doors, shared their hospitality, swapped songs and stories, and shared the music.”
Click below to hear selections of Alex’s music.
- Another of Alex’s bands, Gallimaufry, playing Quebecois tunes in Glen Echo, MD, for dancers.
- YouTube link to Alex’s first solo album, River Run Wide.
