 | Bios From Left to Right: Jim Vekasi, retired National Park Service (and Acadia) facilities and construction manager and MDI resident since 1991, has been a musical enthusiast since buying a guitar and a Bob Dylan songbook in the 1960's, trying out the fiddle during the 1980ís, and finding the mandolin in the 1990's. He has been a founding member of several MDI bands including Green Mountain Railway, Dog Mountain, Halfway There, Big Moose, Beech Mountain Project, and Kelley Farm. These days, he appears to have settled on playing mandolins along with singing lead and harmony vocals. Rick Barter has been making music for over 50 years. Although he plays a handful of different stringed instruments, for the past several years he has focused mainly on the ukulele. He has been involved on MDI as a community cheerleader for the charms of the ukulele, … and for the sweetness of home-grown music. As a lifetime amateur luthier, he plays instruments of his own design and construction. Rick has been a public school educator on MDI for about 28 years. Amy Kurman has been singing with the Acadia Choral Society for 24 years. She is also honored to be a member of Evensong, the Hospice singing group. Other vocal endeavors in our community include the Acadia Summer Chorale, the Bar Harbor Summer Music Festival opera choruses and the Maine Women's Balkan Choir. Amy was inspired by performances of the Machias Ukulele Band to take up the ukulele herself. After years of vocal performing, Amy is happy to finally be a member of a band! Beth Herrick is relatively new to playing music, starting five or 6years ago with an MDI Adult Ed. ukulele class taught by Rick Barter. By day she is a painter. By night she dreams of being a blues singer. Beth is also a member of the Gray Farm Trio. Fred Benson started playing violin at age 9 and over the years added guitar, banjo, ukulele, Autoharp, and dulcimer. He enjoys playing and singing with five musical groups on and around MDI. |