What I Do and Why I Do It

I write occasional straightforward things, but most of my songs are ironic and humorous. I do it because many people don't like to listen to singers who take themselves too seriously. Since I, like everybody else, would like more people to think the way I do, I try to write songs that people with different opinions will listen to and enjoy, hopefully without noticing that I'm also trying to change their minds.

I play an old F4 mandolin and a 1992 Dusty Strings Celtic harp (actually, the Irish and the Scots seldom used nylon strings while there were Englishmen to disembowel) because I'm in love with the sounds they make. It is not now traditonal to sing rowdy songs with harp backup, but it used to be, and that's what I do.

I also play Celtic harp, ragtime mandolin, and jazz alto clarinet while refraining from singing.