CURRENT MISSION

Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can.

ABOUT ME

Were I a bird looking down, I'd have to be amazed that I get to spend so much time doing what I love the most, which is playing music. I play fiddle, guitar, mbira and sing, fortunate enough to play with a couple of good bands and to run singing camps for adults. I also teach children, which I enjoy a great deal. When I'm not involved with music, I am a beekeeper, and like to hike, swim and work in the garden.

PHILOSOPHY

I try to do good with the world, which means (to me) finding my place—doing the things that allow me to use my gifts to contribute to my community. Currently, that means making music: in the past, it meant growing vegetables. I'm a quiet sort of guy, but feel like I can do good things without making a lot of noise about it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've been able to do a little surfing (Turkey, among other places) and have hosted a couple of people in my home.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My experience with Couchsurfing has been great: met some nice people in Turkey when I surfed there; got to see a great gypsy jazz when I hosted a musician who was passing through. I haven't participated a lot, but they've all been good experiences.

Interests

music (irish and african primarily, but i love old r&b, too); bees; garlic and tomatoes; good books and good food; spending time with friends.

• books
• singing
• dining
• recipes
• running
• gardening
• music
• jazz
• guitar
• hiking
• surfing
• swimming
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

music: traditional irish music; the mbira music of the Shona people (Zimbabwe); balkan harmony; r&b. books: vikram seth, ken kesey, nabokov. don't see too many films, but i love anything with audrey tautou.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

This spring (2011) I spent three weeks studying music in Zimbabwe. An amazing and rich experience.

Teach, Learn, Share

Always happy to learn new things: new languages, new recipes, new songs. Always happy to share: songs, bee-keeping, good places to swim.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Nepal, Netherlands, Paraguay, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, Ireland, United States