Folk Music

Self-proclaimed as a Jewish-Christian-Mystic-Pluralist, Mary Shapiro is clearly a rich spiritual pastiche. Her music is folk-rock-progressive, and she carries deep passion for work to heal and grow the world. Native to the Midwest, Washington DC is her current home.

For about 30 years Tom Rawson has been a presence on Seattle's activist and music scene. Teaching or not, you'll find his banjo, dulcimer or other instruments nearby, ready to help inspire hope and get a group singing.

John Haigis and his wife, Jan, make exceptionally diverse music, music that is silly, serious, spiritual and much more. Out of dulcimer and voice they weave simple and way-faring music, from Groundhog Day carols to an upbeat version of the Lord's Prayer.

Regina Gallero was born and raised in Chile, coming to the USA for graduate school. Though she played guitar in her youth, she didn't start writing songs until her later 50's. Her spiritual path started with Catholicism, wended its way widely, and she has been attending Milwaukee Friends Meeting for the past year, where she gave a concert recently on "The Experience of Oppression and the Quest for Freedom" through Latin American Folk songs, images and stories.

Julie and Bruce Hecksel are Patchouli and 'Fast Forward Folk' is what it says on their website. Julie caught the guitar bug seeing Taj Mahal while in her teens.

Peter Blood and his wife, Annie, gave the world an immense gift of music with the Rise Up Singing. Peter has a passion for leading group sing-alongs, like Pete Seeger, with whom Peter Blood has worked on Seeger's autobiography. But Peter is more than music, including social change organizing, teaching religion (Quaker) and advanced practice psychiatric nursing.

Sara Thomsen lives amongst the woods of Northwestern Wisconsin, making music and leading a choir. She's released 3 solo albums plus one with the group called Three Altos. Raised ELCA Lutheran and an occasional UU attender now, her music is deeply spiritual with a lively concern for the world.

Annie Patterson is a thorough music lover, maker and sharer, with many years experience performing music in coffeehouses, clubs and festivals and with a swing group called Big Nite Out and Girls From Mars. Annie was raised Methodist, but felt, even in her teens, a tug toward the Divine presence available in silence, an attraction that led her to Quakers as an adult.