It was Bruce Molsky who first showed me how to play backup guitar for fiddle tunes, when I joined his band lab at the 1990 Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Washington. I discovered that as the guitarist, I was the drum and bass for the group, and it forced me to (1) keep a solid tempo, and (2) LISTEN!!! As a mediocre amateur-singer-songwriter-guitarist who always played solo, it was a real eye-and-ear-opener--and the first time I really understood what playing music WITH other people was all about. And I loved it! And still do.

Aloha,
Mark