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We play for festivals, events, weddings, dances,
bar- and bat-mitzvahs, christenings, for school kids, seasonal gatherings,
parties and barn-raisings. May we play for you?
Send us an e-mail or call (408) 749-0184.

Paul Clarke
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History | The
Name | The Music | Testimonial
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Harmon's Peak
Traditional Old Time Music Quartet
...has a long history. Ernest and Karl met back around 1986 playing primarily
Celtic music. After a while, they started playing at the Red Rock in Mtn.
View under the name Mr. Barky.
It was during this time that they caught the attention of Art Friedman,
the fiddler (from the group Wonderbeans),
and his friend Paul Clarke, the banjo player, who asked if they wanted
to form a new group. Today, between the four of them, they have over a
hundred years experience performing and playing.
History | The
Name | The Music | Testimonial
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Where'd they get the name?
When I was a kid there was an old fellow named John Harmon who lived
in the neighborhood who was quite an interesting character. He was fairly
gruff and not that good with kids, but he had lived a fascinating life
-- owned a handmade blowgun that he had bartered for in the Amazonian
jungle in the 1930s and had photos to back up the story, that kind of
thing. Anyway, he and his wife (who was GREAT with kids, by the way, used
to make us snacks and play dominoes with us and whatnot) used to go wandering
around the back-country in Arizona and elsewhere, hiking and taking photos.
One day they ran across a surveyor out in the middle of nowhere, and they
got to talking and all made friends, and somewhere in the middle of their
conversation John gave the fellow some whiskey. It was either a swig or
a flask or a whole bottle, I can't quite remember. I also can't remember
whether John wanted the peak named after him and bribed the surveyor with
whiskey, or whether John gave him the whiskey out of good will and the
surveyor did it as a spontaneous gesture, but the surveyor wound up drunk
and the maps still say Harmon's Peak.

Harmon's Peak at the san Francisco Free Folk Festival |
History | The
Name | The Music | Testimonial
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Old Time Music
Harmon's Peak plays a style of music known as Old Time.
Stretching from the Civil War to about 1930 or so, this kind of recreational
folk music has formed and influenced the modern bluegrass, country,
contra and square dance music of today. Harmon's Peak plays with a bright,
uplifting style, in an authentic manner, with voices, guitar, two fiddles,
a banjo and occasional tin whistles or accordion.

Art, Karl, Ernest, and Paul at the Los Cumbres
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Forged by the people of the rural 19th Century,
with roots in Europe, Africa, and United States, Old Time contains powerful
rhythms, bravado and a great deal of soul. Appealing to adults and children,
it is a wonderful event at family gatherings. The melodies and songs
convey a kind of natural woodland charm, and can transport you to a
simpler time when homespun music was a major source of fun for generations.
Pictured here (L-R) is Lee Clarke (she likes
to instigate "clog dancing" at our shows), Paul Clarke,
Karl Franzen, and our friend Chip Curry. The event was
the Miramonte School Western Spring Fling.
Photo by James Cho.
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History
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Testimonial | Lessons
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From: Lauren John
To: Harmon's Peak
Subject: A Big Thank You From the Palo Alto Farmer's Market
Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2006
Dear Karl:
On behalf of the entire board of the Palo Alto Farmer's Market, I wanted
to thank you and Harmon's Peak for the wonderful music that you provided
for our opening day of the market on Saturday, May 13th. We were all
so impressed with the high quality of musicianship--and the variety
of songs and styles that we heard. We have learned that live music
is as big a deal for the kids in our neighborhood as it is for the grownups--and
the performers at the market often provide their first up close and
personal experience with musicians. The kids watched you with great
fascination and enjoyment--thanks so much for being so patient with
them. We look forward to your next appearance with us in August.
Yours truly,
Lauren John
Music coordinator
Palo Alto Farmer's Market
Harmon's Peak has also played at:
The
Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival
Palo
Alto & Monterey
Contra Dances
The Bing
and Reller
concert series at Stanford Hospital
Fresno
Historical Society Civil War Re-enactment
History
| The Name | The Music |
Testimonial | Lessons
| Contacts
We teach
The traditional music of the United States was played in log cabins
and tenant shacks, often on homemade instruments, and usually by people
wh spent all day trying to scrape together a living any way they could.
It is informal, homespun and very accessible to beginners and experienced
musicians alike. We've helped start many people on their way to becoming
traditional musicians; if you like our music and would like to make some
of your own, please e-mail us to set up an introductory lesson.
Paul
Clarke:
Five string banjo. Ph: (408) 749-0184
Ernest
Kinsolving:
Fiddle (arm style). Ph: (650) 365-4392
Art
Friedman:
Fiddle (chin style), bodhran and five string banjo. Ph: (650) 224-5604
Karl
Franzen:
Guitar, harmonica, pennywhistle, bodhran. Ph: (650) 856-6445
Some friends of ours who teach music in
the Bay Area:
Gary Breitbard:
Keyboard and button accordion, fiddle, guitar, piano, and banjo. Also
does French and other Euro-music. Ph: (650) 493-0693
Alan Keith:
Bagpipes & Diatonic Button Accordions, Misc. Wind Instruments &
Percussion. Ph: (650) 964-5279
Angeline
Leleux:
Irish Fiddle, Piano and Alexander Technique. Email.
Peter Tommerup:
Hammered dulcimer and Appalachian mountain dulcimer. Ph: (408) 867-9762.
He also teaches at the Redwood Dulcimer Day Workshops.
His wife Lee Anne Welch (from the group Sidesaddle
and Luceo) teaches fiddle in Saratoga.
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