Ling Kwan

 http://www.hudsonpromusica.com/

Ling Kwan was born in China into a musical family. Her father taught her to play the piano at age 5, which provided a solid foundation for later cello studies, which began at age 9. She attended the Academy for Performing Arts in Hong Kong, where she majored in cello performance and was active as both a chamber musician and orchestral player. As a member of various groups, she performed in China, United States and Europe. Ling came to the United States to study economics at Bard College in 1990. As fate would have it, Ling instead took the opportunity to study cello with Professor Luis Garcia Renart, who had worked with masters such as Pablo Casals and Mstislav Rostropovich. She then completed her masters at Ithaca College in cello performance.

Upon returning to the Hudson Valley, Ling devoted herself to passing her knowledge to the next generation of young cellists in the area and has since built up a successful private teaching studio. She has also worked as an adjunct professor at Bard College, Dutchess Community College, Ulster Community College and Marist College. She has worked with the children at Mountain Laurel Waldorf School for the past 14 years, bringing them to a level of artistry rarely seen in elementary education.

Ms. Kwan has been the principal cellist of the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra since her graduation and has performed with the orchestra as a soloist on various occasions. 

She performs with her classical trio. Check them out here: www.hudsonpromusica.com

Joakim Lartey

joakimlartey.com

Joakim Larkey is a life long musician who grew up in Ghana, a very musical country. He started playing music, mostly imitating drummers, when he was 10 or 11 years old. He came to the US to study Biology (and minor in Ethnomusicology) at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie.

Among his influences, he says,

"I was later and still influenced by the late Ghanaian drummer and composer Kofi Ghanaba aka Guy Warren of Ghana, Fela Kuti, James Brown, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, among many others... I would also add some musicians I play with today to the mix - such as Chris Lane, Ted Orr, Thomas Workman, Phoebe Legere and others such as Bob Marley, Lee Scratch Perry, Bjork...."

Joakim was the frontman of  world beat band "Futu Futu". This was a musical highlight in his career, playing for an audience of about 300,000 at Woodstock '94 to major critical acclaim. He described to me some of the discrimination he faced as they toured.

"There were some interesting and scary moments in some venues and towns as we rolled through the countryside... Racism and bigotry was alive and well back then as it is today. I think my bandmates helped mold me into who I am today by giving me the space to express and train myself. I think I also learned how to feel comfortable playing to predominantly white audiences. It reinforced my personal outlook of openness to all..."

Joakim uses his studio to compose new music. "Compositional inspiration sort of just happens but being in nature and among people and tracking contemporary issues in the news adds to inspiration...I tend to lean towards improvisation and so find new unintended compositions after jams and such."

Joakim currently has musical projects with Chris Lane and on occasion plays with (sound healer and musician) Thomas Workman and (Ted Orr's funk band) Blue Food, Joakim works as a counselor to children and a trainer of teachers and school staff as well as a storyteller and drum teacher in schools. 

Check his website out here www.joakimlartey.com

Virgil Fowler

 Virgil Fowler lives in West Saugerties and has been playing his guitar for forty years. Here he is, with one of his favorites.

 I've known Virgil for many years and whenever I think of him, I picture him noodling around on his guitar, playing a blues lick or picking out a tune. When he was younger, he traveled the country with his wife, staying at different communes. Virgil talks about the culture of the bard and traveling musician being alive on the "hippie communes" where he and others would essentially be welcomed to play for their supper, and stay for a while to bring music and merriment to the others building houses and infrastructure, farming, or doing other chores. Virgil used to be part of a local band, Home by Midnight, but not in recent years due to some health problems.