Harmon's Peak at this moment in time is an umbrella organization whose mission is to bring you Celtic/American folk music through various groups and combinations. Our band members live in San Lorenzo, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and Mountain View. They sing, and play a wide variety of instruments including fiddle, banjo, steel string and classical guitar, mandolin, hammer and mountain dulcimer, harmonica, drums, melodian, tin whistle. and lute. We play music from early America and from the Celtic tradition. We are definitely for hire.

Our Standard Groups:
(finagling is allowed.)

Mr. Barky
Karl Franzen and Ernest Kinsolving present topical traditional songs and tunes (possibly even dressed as) Pirates, Cowboys, St. Patrick's Day, Early Music, Seasonal Music; themed shows. Try us, we might just have a show. We can play for country dances too. Yup, we're pretty fun, Ernest has a great voice, and we can play a bunch of instruments.

Harmon's Peak Contra Dance Band
This consists of Karl Franzen, Paul Clarke, Peter Tommerup, and usually only one of Art Friedman, Gary Breitbard, Chip Curry, Lee Anne Welch, and probably any other fiddler keen on the peculiar enjoyment of Contra Dance playing. We play for the BACDS as "locals".

Celtic Rose
Karl also plays on occasion with Doris Williams in a group called Celtic Rose. Doris plays lute and sings. They are fond of small Renaissance Festivals.

Classical Celtic Music on solo guitar
Karl has learned about 65 pieces by the famed Irish historical composer Turtough O'Carolan and arranged them for classical guitar. This is a peaceful, elegant and very spiritual music whose purpose is to lift the Celtic soul while paying homage to the lord and lady of the castle.

Slainte of San Francisco Bay
This stars Peter Tommerup on hammered and mountain dulcimer and is accompanied by Karl, and sometimes Gary or Lee Anne. They play mellow Celtic tunes as background music. If you want a cordial ancient ambience, we will "re-create" it for you.

Other Groups
Ernest plays in Biddy Early's Bottle, and Paul plays with Page Brownton in Sidetrack. Art leads an Irish Session at O'Flaherty's. Peter, Paul and Karl regularly attend the Fandango Old Time Session.

Book Us
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Harmon’s Peak musical productions can supply music for festivals, events, weddings, dances, for schools, seasonal gatherings, concerts, parties or whatever your imagination may create.