Entertainer, percussionist, singer, instructor, busker, producer, writer, manager, frontman, experimentalist, rennie, comedian, "Crazy Kilted Celtic Drummer Dude". These are just a few of the words commonly used to describe Vash.

Vashs’ love of music began as a music fan, and evolved over the years into a career as a musician and instructor. He cannot remember a time in his life without music. From his earliest memories Vash has been surrounded by the diverse musical tastes of his eclectic friends and family. Country to Oldies, Do-Wop to Bluegrass, Swing to Celtic, Pop Radio to Gospel, Heavy Metal to Jazz and most points in between Vash has been and continues to be a nearly obsessed music fan.

Whether listening to Hank Williams in the truck with his dad, listening with his mom to her 50’s – 70’s vinyl collection, or watching “Name That Tune”, “The Lawrence Welk Show” and “Sha-Na-Na” on TV with his grandmother, Vashs’ formative years were filled with music.

Vashs’ earliest performance experiences were at church, and at school in California where he started singing in children’s choirs in the 3rd grade. His participation in school choirs continued all the way through High School.

After picking up his first bodhran at a session at a family friends house at age 9, Vash was off and running. With no one around to learn from Vash used recordings by The Chieftains to teach himself to play like Peadar Mercier, Dave Fallon and Kevin Conneff with little success. Percussion remained “a fun thing to mess around with” for a number of years while Vash was singing in school choirs and performing impromptu concerts in his living room for his parents friends.

After spending his childhood in Central California Vashs’ family relocated to a small town in the middle of nowhere (Kansas). By high school Vash was singing in garage bands and was wrapped up in rock & roll dreams of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Dead Milkmen. Somewhere along the way the bodhran became a wall decoration and Celtic music was lost to loud music and teenage hormones.

It was also during high school that Vash discovered Renaissance Festivals. At the Kansas City Renaissance Festival all those early days of loving Celtic music and the bodhran came rushing back, and in no time playing the bodhran and singing became a way to perform this fantastic ancestral music in front of appreciative audiences. At the KCRF Vash met some of the most influential musicians his young mind had encountered in person. From the good folks of Elvendrums he learned the magic (and basic playing techniques) of tribal hand drums (Djembe, Dumbek, Ashiko, Etc.), From Rowan Corbett he first picked up the bones. And he learned traditional ballads and drinking songs from The Jolly Rogers, Emerald Skye and Wild Mountain Thyme.

After graduating from high school Vash promptly sold his soul to the local factory culture as a means of making money. After a few years of banging his head against the small town walls, and bouncing from one dead factory job to another, Vash tried to alleviate his boredom, and bring some entertainment to the buckle of the bible belt, Vash helped found a renaissance themed sword fighting show called ‘The Clan of the Four Winds”, which met with success and still performs today as “Written In Steel”. One of the many things that came from his time with tCotFW was “Sticks & Skins”, a small percussion troupe that performed to help draw crowds before the sword shows.

Sticks & Skins took Vash back to the renaissance festival in Kansas City, where he had the chance to play as a guest percussionist with bands like Wild Mountain Thyme, Black Blooded Bohemians, and Knot Sisters. Playing with Knot Sisiters, later lead to an offer to move to Arizona and try his luck playing music full time. And so, with the loving support of his closest friends, he followed his heart and headed west.

Vash moved to Phoenix, Arizona and soon began playing Irish music professionally. As one of the few experienced Celtic percussionists in the Phoenix area in the late 90’s Vash helped form some of the bands that provided the basis for the Arizona Irish Music Society, which has in turn helped to unify the Celtic Community in Phoenix, and spurred a now thriving Celtic music scene there. The most influential force on Vash and his music during his time in Arizona was the music and friendship of Joe Bethancourt. Joe exposed Vash to a range of traditional music from the four corners of the globe and beyond. Joe also turned Vash on to Early American and Bluegrass music, which rekindled a childhood love of a genre that continues to this day.

It was during his time in Arizona that Vash co-founded the band The Bringers. The Bringers were an acoustic fusion of traditional Celtic, tribal, bluegrass, folk rock and classical music which featured amazing vocal, fiddle, guitar, and didgeridoo work from various talented folks in Phoenix, anchored by Vash, Michi Regier and Byron Miller. After six years, three albums, and a successful stint on the national renaissance festival circuit, The Bringers went their separate ways and Vash returned to Phoenix playing in several bands and teaching lessons on bodhran, bones and spoons.

Outside of traditional and modern Celtic percussion, Vash has a small arsenal of percussion instruments that are varied and weird. From “traditional” instruments like Washboard, Djembe, Udu and Cajon to “Junk Instruments” including water jugs, tonal coat rack, and his bell/chime jellyfish.

In his many travels Vash has had the opportunity to play with a number amazing musicians, from renaissance festival stars to regional legends to international music stars. Most notably, in Vashs’ mind, he shared the stage with his lifelong heroes, The Chieftains. “It’s playing with the musicians that I’ve been fortunate enough to be around, that’s made me the player that I am.” Says Vash “I never would have set foot on the same stage as Kevin Conneff, if I didn’t think I could at least not embarrass myself.” He adds “It’s being around the incredibly talented players I’ve known that has raised the bar up and up and up for me over the years.”

In the summer of 2004, Vash relocated to Eugene, Oregon and for nearly 2 years thereafter played in the Neo-Celtic Folk/Rock/Mythic band Woodland, and pursued his solo career.

He now spends his performance time being the resident percussionist for LunaSea Arts and all of it's projects, including His brainchild Circled By Hounds (See LSA site for details).

Vash is always looking for new challenges and new musical fun, and is always open to playing with new and different people. He is available for jam sessions, gigs, studio work, and just about anything else that presents itself.


COMPLETE AND PRINTABLE COPY OF VASHS' MUSIC RESUME







BIO UPDATED 01/06

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