teaching school in rural Vermont in the 70's. With little guidance beyond a few albums
and books, he began to learn the fiddle by playing one which belonged to his great grandfather,
an old time musician who played the country dances of the NJ Pine Barrens at the beginning of
the last century. His real study began when he came to the Philadelphia region, which had a
thriving community of Irish musicians. A small group would gather at someone's house to learn
and exchange tunes, as had been done for generations. He was a familiar face at céilís and sessions
for many years. At the time, Robert had a full time business making hand made antique reproduction furniture.This reflected his love of history, and when a friend suggested he try his hand at building a harp these skills would come into play yet again.
Robert was enchanted by the history and lore of the cláirseach, the legendary wirestrung harp of
Ireland, and the seed of an idea was sown. He made three period instruments (wireharp, spinet
harpsichord and hurdy-gurdy) to add to his fiddle and whistle and began doing performances
that concentrated on the music of 18th century Ireland and Scotland, and the impact it had on
life in early America. To make these presentations more "alive", Robert made clothing that was
accurate to the period. He demonstrates and performs on the instruments, talks about folk
culture and family traditions; themes that strike a responsive chord with the audiences of today.
This unusual approach has afforded him an opportunity to play in a remarkable variety of
settings, for people from around the globe.
Robert is best known for the easy nature of his performances, a casual give and take with the
listener that is sprinkled with good humor and education. Most of his time these days focuses
on Irish storytelling, using his superb musicianship on multiple instruments to accent the tales
he tells. Audiences are enchanted as this age old tradition is brought to life once again. Robert
continues to perform at museums and historic sites, but more and more Celtic venues are
offering their audiences a chance to see the unusual talents of this popular performer.
