CURRENT MISSION

Europe 2012

ABOUT ME

I am a appalachian folk music aficionado. I play the fiddle and banjo. I am a teacher, a writer, a dreamer, a vegetarian. I enjoy meeting people and playing music with them, helping everyone play. I like drinking and sharing good food. I want to return to a simpler lifestyle. I am open minded. I am easy going.I graduated with a Bachelor of Visual Arts after an extended uni degree punctuated by musical forays mostly ending in dead ends and broken paddles. I have toured all over Australia and Canada playing the Banjo. I taught music and art at Mill Park Secondary College, Melbourne Australia for two years. Right now I'm teaching casually in the UK.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I was introduced to couchsurfing while I was living in Canberra in a share house. We hosted numerous surfers on our dodgy couches. I had a great time couchsurfing across the US and Canada and now offer my home to travelers.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have traveled across Canada, through the USA to the Baja Peninsula, couchsurfing where I could. Met lots of interesting and warm people and had the time of my life. Here in the Europe I have incredible experiences thanks to the generosity of hosts from Portugal and France. I have hosted many people in Canberra and Melbourne and had some truly special and memorabel experiences.

Interests

I like picking the banjo, scratching out old time tunes on my fiddle, drinking whiskey, learning, knitting, playing records sewing, cooking/eating good vege food, building instruments, baking, thinking about my favorite Photographers, reading, making tea and dreaming about writing better songs.

• arts
• writing
• photography
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• baking
• vegetarian
• partying
• drinking
• reading
• socializing
• crochet
• knitting
• music
• folk music
• guitar
• teaching
• languages
• visual arts

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Alain De Botton, Murakami, Jeanette Winterson, Houellebecq, Eugenides, Hemmingway, Kerouac, John Kennedy Toole, Richard Dawkins, Tim Winton, Peter Carey, Amy Hempel, Burroughs, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Orwell, Rebecca Solnit, Dickens, Jonathan Safran Foer.Music: Neil Young, Ryan Adams, The Band, Dylan, Mike Compton, Cat Power, Dirty Three, Charlie Parr, Nick Cave, Magnolia Electric Co., Joanna Newsom, John Hiatt, Jolie Holland, all the Wainwrights, Lucinda Williams, M.Ward, Mia Dyson, Mississippi John Hurt, The Whitetop Mountaineers, Neko Case, The Necks, Nick Cave, Okkerville River, Old Crow Medicine Show, Paul Burch, Paul Kelly, Punch Brothers, The Stanley Brothers, Richmond Fontaine, The Rolling Stones, Ry Cooder, Sigur Ros, Supersuckers, Tom Waits, Tim O'Brian, Townes Van Zandt, Uncle Earl, Gillian Welch, Wilco, Woody Gutherie, Palace Brothers, Howlin Wolf, Bruce Molsky, Loretta Lynn, The Jayhawks, Randy Newman, Tim O'Brian, Will Oldham, The Drones, Jandek, Flying Burrito Brothers, Dusty Springfield, Downhills Home, Hank III, Fleet Foxes, Low, Josh T. Pearson, Bright Eyes, The Louvin Brothers, Jordie Lane, Tommy Jarrel, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Dylan LeBlanc, Dawes, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Broke into an exclusive party at the Guggenheim on my first night in New York while a Russian retrospective was showing.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you old-timey fiddle, clawhammer or bluegrass banjo, flatpicking and fingerpicking on guitar, basic ukulele, drum kit, mandolin and upright bass. I can teach photography, printmaking crochet and English.I'd really enjoy sharing my love of old time music and am always keen to jam in any style. I also enjoy sharing alcoholic beverages in good company.I love to cook and would be happy to share some of my favourite vegetarian recipes.I want to learn other languages and more fiddle tunes.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia

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