Bill Schustik - The American Troubadour

DeSoto County will be welcoming an American troubadour, Bill Schustik, from the Florida Arts and Tour program on April 3, 2009. He will be performing his “Troubadour in the Classroom” program at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 6:30 pm.
Bill Schustik has gained many talents over the past 25 years venturing throughout America. He delights his audience with his baritone voice, keen sense of drama, a variety of folk instrument abilities, and a passion for traditional American lore. He has performed for three U.S. presidents, appeared on and off Broadway, and authored two full length ballets with authors Edward Villella and Edward Verso. He has also done several commercial and public TV specials, and he wrote a show about the American Civil War, “Shiloh Hill”, produced by Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. On his time off from touring, he performs with his whimsical drawings and incredible sand castles. Lately, he has been sharing his talents with students across the country.
Now he will be coming to enrich the DeSoto County community and students with his - DeSoto School Board

DeSoto County will be welcoming an American troubadour, Bill Schustik, from the Florida Arts and Tour program on April 3, 2009. He will be performing his “Troubadour in the Classroom” program at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 6:30 pm.
Bill Schustik has gained many talents over the past 25 years venturing throughout America. He delights his audience with his baritone voice, keen sense of drama, a variety of folk instrument abilities, and a passion for traditional American lore. He has performed for three U.S. presidents, appeared on and off Broadway, and authored two full length ballets with authors Edward Villella and Edward Verso. He has also done several commercial and public TV specials, and he wrote a show about the American Civil War, “Shiloh Hill”, produced by Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. On his time off from touring, he performs with his whimsical drawings and incredible sand castles. Lately, he has been sharing his talents with students across the country.
Now he will be coming to enrich the DeSoto County community and students with his - DeSoto School Board

American Troubadour’ sings songs of Lincoln for TTH
March 4, 2010
Tribune Chronicle
The next Trumbull Town Hall lecture will tell the life of Abraham Lincoln in stories and songs.

Bill Schustik bills himself as ''an American Troubadour,'' and he plays guitar, banjo, mouth harp and bones in addition to his baritone singing voice.

The New York native got his start performing at the Nantucket Straight Wharf Theater in the 1960s. Since then, Schustik has performed for three Presidents, including a special show at the White House for Richard Nixon and Indian leader Indira Ghandi.

According to the biography on his Web site (www.billschustik.com), he has performed in Broadway and off-Broadway productions; written full-length ballets with Edward Villella and Edward Verso; recorded ''Storm Along,'' the official album for the Tall Ship Festivities; starred in the Canadian television program ''Songs for Louisa'' and appeared on several PBS specials.

For his Trumbull Town Hall performance, ''Lincoln and the Songs He Loved,'' Schustik will mix tales of the 16th president with such familiar songs from the era as ''Jim Crack Corn,'' ''Dan Tucker,'' ''My Old Kentucky Home'' and ''Old Abe Lincoln.''

The program starts at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Packard Music Hall, 1703 Mahoning Ave. N.W., Warren, and refreshments will be sold in the lobby starting at 9:30 a.m. Tickets are $25 with college and high school students admitted for $15.

Following the lecture will be a luncheon at Leo's Ristorante in Howland for Trumbull Town Hall subscribers and their guests. Luncheon tickets are $16 and reservations are required by calling 330-841-1900.
© Copyright 2012 Tribune Chronicle | TribToday.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. - Tribune Chronicle

NHA News - Recent Press Releases
August12, 2011

Bill Schustik Performs at the Whaling Museum Tuesday, August 23 at 7 p.m.

NANTUCKET: He has been called an “agent of magic.” His voice is described as “deep and resonant.” He is said to “captivate, delight and charm.” He is American troubadour Bill Schustik, and he is coming to perform at the Whaling Museum on Tuesday, August 23, at 7 PM.

A long-time island favorite, Schustik is best known locally for crooning well-known sea chanteys that appeal to young and old alike. Schustik’s talent for performing folk music is matched by his love of American history and lore, both qualities he credits his parents with instilling in him. They were history buffs, and on family camping trips during Bill’s childhood, they would sit around the fire and sing traditional folk tunes. He also credits a Burl Ives record given to him by a former girlfriend and the encouragement of a ninety-one-year-old music teacher as inspirations for fostering his love of music and singing.

He has performed in some of the world’s biggest venues – Broadway, the White House, Ford’s Theater – but at his core, Bill Schustik will always be a small-town boy who loves nothing more than to pull up a stool and pluck a few chords on his banjo or guitar, and sing for an adoring audience that sits mesmerized by his talents.

The Nantucket Historical Association this year commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, and they have invited Schustik to kick-off their series of events tied to the celebration. The concert will showcase both Schustik’s musical talents and his love of history, as he recounts the fears, triumphs, dreams and aspirations of those who fought the Civil War through such tunes as “Tenting Tonight,” “All Quiet Along the Potomac,” Goober Peas,” “The Vacant Chair” and many others.

The Nantucket Historical Association hosts Bill Schustik in concert at the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street, on Tuesday August 23, at 7 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Bill will perform two sets, with a brief intermission between the two. Tickets for the event are $15, and may be purchased in advance by by calling Mellissa Kershaw of the Nantucket Historical Association at 508-228-1894, ext. 117 or melissa@nha.org , or they may be purchased at the door. - Nantucket Historical Association

NHA News - Recent Press Releases
August12, 2011

Bill Schustik Performs at the Whaling Museum Tuesday, August 23 at 7 p.m.

NANTUCKET: He has been called an “agent of magic.” His voice is described as “deep and resonant.” He is said to “captivate, delight and charm.” He is American troubadour Bill Schustik, and he is coming to perform at the Whaling Museum on Tuesday, August 23, at 7 PM.

A long-time island favorite, Schustik is best known locally for crooning well-known sea chanteys that appeal to young and old alike. Schustik’s talent for performing folk music is matched by his love of American history and lore, both qualities he credits his parents with instilling in him. They were history buffs, and on family camping trips during Bill’s childhood, they would sit around the fire and sing traditional folk tunes. He also credits a Burl Ives record given to him by a former girlfriend and the encouragement of a ninety-one-year-old music teacher as inspirations for fostering his love of music and singing.

He has performed in some of the world’s biggest venues – Broadway, the White House, Ford’s Theater – but at his core, Bill Schustik will always be a small-town boy who loves nothing more than to pull up a stool and pluck a few chords on his banjo or guitar, and sing for an adoring audience that sits mesmerized by his talents.

The Nantucket Historical Association this year commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, and they have invited Schustik to kick-off their series of events tied to the celebration. The concert will showcase both Schustik’s musical talents and his love of history, as he recounts the fears, triumphs, dreams and aspirations of those who fought the Civil War through such tunes as “Tenting Tonight,” “All Quiet Along the Potomac,” Goober Peas,” “The Vacant Chair” and many others.

The Nantucket Historical Association hosts Bill Schustik in concert at the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street, on Tuesday August 23, at 7 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Bill will perform two sets, with a brief intermission between the two. Tickets for the event are $15, and may be purchased in advance by by calling Mellissa Kershaw of the Nantucket Historical Association at 508-228-1894, ext. 117 or melissa@nha.org , or they may be purchased at the door. - Nantucket Historical Association

“Crossover” is a term that has been widely used in recent years to describe quite a few things. The term has been used to refer to a figure skating maneuver, a linguistic concept, automobiles, and even something that is cryptically referred to as “a Windows operating system emulator.” And singers who gain a following in two different genres are also referred to as “crossovers” with a certain degree of regularity. On Tuesday, August 25, the Nantucket Historical Association is bringing one of Nantucket’s favorite crossover musical acts to the Whaling Museum, when American troubadour Bill Schustik offers up his signature style of entertainment – a unique blend of toe-tapping folk and theatrical history – for your listening enjoyment.

A long-time island favorite, Schustik is best known locally for crooning well-known sea chanteys that appeal to young and old alike. My mother first “discovered” Bill for herself about twenty-five years ago, when she dragged my father to a concert Schustik was giving on-island. I secretly think that my mother had a schoolgirl-style crush on the man – Bill, not my father – and that was the main motivation for going. However, after hearing him sing for just a few minutes, my parents were both adoring fans of both the music and the man, and they now make it a point to see him in concert whenever the opportunity arises. And there is yet another of Bill’s crossover traits. He appeals to audience members of all ages, genders and backgrounds. He is the embodiment of America wrapped up in a single, wildly talented package.

Schustik’s talent for performing folk music is matched by his love of American history and lore, both qualities he credits his parents with instilling in him. They were history buffs, and on family camping trips during Bill’s childhood, they would sit around the fire and sing traditional folk tunes. He also credits a Burl Ives record given to him by a former girlfriend and the encouragement of a ninety-one-year-old music teacher as inspirations in fostering his love of music and singing.

Today, Bill’s talents have taken him a long way from those sing-alongs around the campfire. He has served as the chantey man on the square-rigger sailing yacht Shenandoah, herself a periodic visitor to Nantucket Harbor and one of the true sailing icons of the maritime world. He has performed for three United States presidents and he has been featured in musical acts both on and off Broadway. His love of history propelled him to write a historical stage play entitled Shiloh Hill that was produced by Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. Ronald Reagan was at the premier of Shiloh Hill, and the former president said at the time that he had felt “honored” to have been in the audience. Today Bill travels around the country, belting out folk medleys in his deep baritone voice while he plays a variety of folk musical instruments as he entertains fans both old and new.

He also works as a mentor, training educators across the country to use music to teach American history to their students, a job he is not only well-suited for, but one at which he also excels. Despite his huge success, though, there is little that Schustik would rather do than perform in an intimate setting for his fans. That is, after all, the essence of the troubadour.

In the truest historical sense of the term, a troubadour was a French poet of the Middle Ages who traveled the land singing lyrical poetry that traditionally dealt with themes of courtly love and chivalrous actions. The troubadour of old didn’t aim for riches or stardom; rather, he was moved to perform by a love for his art. It was one of the purest forms of art-for-art’s-sake to be encountered anywhere.

And that, in a nutshell, is Bill Schustik. He is a modern American troubadour in every sense of the word—a performer who takes the stage with his guitar and banjo and voice, and performs for the sheer love of the music.

The Nantucket Historica - Yesterday's Island - Today's Nantucket

Here's What the Critics Have Said:

"The auditorium was transformed... it all happened in such a smooth and exciting manner that at moments the audience fell into a trance-like spell."

"...Deep resonant voice filled the theater... brought to his audience the color and love that frames his repertoire."

"Captivates... delights... charms... one of the most intriguing and enjoyable presentations in years."

"Bill Schustik sings country music - music of his country from the Eastern seaboard to the badlands of the West... He tells stories about Sir Winston Churchill and his eighth grade music appreciation teacher, making them as real as your next door neighbor; an enchanted musical journey through American history and folklore!"

"An evening of true theater... there was not a dry eye in the house."

"Very few seasoned entertainers can appear alone and hold an audience for a couple of hours. Schustik does it with ease."

"...He picked up his guitar... it was a song we all think we know, but it is doubtful anyone heard it with so much understanding before or with such a touch of the heart or clutch at the throat. It is called "The Star Spangled Banner" and never again, one thinks, will anyone who heard it regard it lightly or reduce it to meaningless chauvinism..."

"The agent of the magic is Bill Schustik, a minstrel taught by heaven to touch the hearts of men" Sun Magazine, Baltimore, MD.

"The mystical rays of sunlight from one painting glowed behind Schustik. Strangely, the rays glowed upon him. In this setting, Schustik was almost ethereal" Clearwater Sun

"Making friends even up the stairs and out the front door, Schustik finally bid the last stragglers good night. Two minutes later he had vanished from sight. The Spirit had departed, but the spirit remains" Rockhurst Hawk (Rockhurst College)

"It's strange how 1100 women will give a standing ovation to an entertainer that makes them sad. Especially when he arrived 45 minutes late due to the fog. But it's not at all strange when you hear Bill Schustik, master balladeer, sing about the American heritage he loves" Lansing State Journal

"Schustik is one folk singer who needs so electronic amplifying equipment. His voice fills the room with richness and his diction is such that every word of his ballads is understandable" FAMILY, Flint Michigan

"Bill Schustik's powerful rendition of a sea chantey can boom you out of the chair" Buffalo Courier-Express

"Nancy and I are honored to be here tonight. And I know I speak for everyone in the audience when I thank Bill Schustik, the playwright, for the play, and the the entire cast of 'On Shiloh Hill' for that magnificent performance." President Ronald Reagan, Ford's Theatre Benefit Gala, 1984 - Various

Here's What the Critics Have Said:

"The auditorium was transformed... it all happened in such a smooth and exciting manner that at moments the audience fell into a trance-like spell."

"...Deep resonant voice filled the theater... brought to his audience the color and love that frames his repertoire."

"Captivates... delights... charms... one of the most intriguing and enjoyable presentations in years."

"Bill Schustik sings country music - music of his country from the Eastern seaboard to the badlands of the West... He tells stories about Sir Winston Churchill and his eighth grade music appreciation teacher, making them as real as your next door neighbor; an enchanted musical journey through American history and folklore!"

"An evening of true theater... there was not a dry eye in the house."

"Very few seasoned entertainers can appear alone and hold an audience for a couple of hours. Schustik does it with ease."

"...He picked up his guitar... it was a song we all think we know, but it is doubtful anyone heard it with so much understanding before or with such a touch of the heart or clutch at the throat. It is called "The Star Spangled Banner" and never again, one thinks, will anyone who heard it regard it lightly or reduce it to meaningless chauvinism..."

"The agent of the magic is Bill Schustik, a minstrel taught by heaven to touch the hearts of men" Sun Magazine, Baltimore, MD.

"The mystical rays of sunlight from one painting glowed behind Schustik. Strangely, the rays glowed upon him. In this setting, Schustik was almost ethereal" Clearwater Sun

"Making friends even up the stairs and out the front door, Schustik finally bid the last stragglers good night. Two minutes later he had vanished from sight. The Spirit had departed, but the spirit remains" Rockhurst Hawk (Rockhurst College)

"It's strange how 1100 women will give a standing ovation to an entertainer that makes them sad. Especially when he arrived 45 minutes late due to the fog. But it's not at all strange when you hear Bill Schustik, master balladeer, sing about the American heritage he loves" Lansing State Journal

"Schustik is one folk singer who needs so electronic amplifying equipment. His voice fills the room with richness and his diction is such that every word of his ballads is understandable" FAMILY, Flint Michigan

"Bill Schustik's powerful rendition of a sea chantey can boom you out of the chair" Buffalo Courier-Express

"Nancy and I are honored to be here tonight. And I know I speak for everyone in the audience when I thank Bill Schustik, the playwright, for the play, and the the entire cast of 'On Shiloh Hill' for that magnificent performance." President Ronald Reagan, Ford's Theatre Benefit Gala, 1984 - Various

The last time Bill Schustik was in Wilson, he stood alone on the Fike
High School Auditorium stage and performed his American Troubadour show
for subscribers to the now-defunct Wilson Concert series. That was about
25 years ago. He’s back, and this time his solo act has a choir and some
musicians to back him up.

Schustik kicked off the 2011 edition of Theater of the American South
Thursday night with a look back 150 years with his “The Civil War in
Song and Legend” show. Although Schustik has been performing as a
one-man show through much of his career, he chose to involve some local
talent in his Theater of the American South performance. He proved that
he “plays well with others,” especially the St. John AME Zion Unity
Choir whose soloists Toshika Smith and Jean Jones provided a nice
contrast to Schustik’s rich baritone. Jones’ soprano filled the Boykin
Center on “Let My People Go” and “Motherless Child.” The 17-member choir
under the direction of local musical legend Bill Myers sang harmony as
well as lead vocals, giving Schustik’s troubadour act a new dimension.
Young singers/musicians/dancers dubbed The Many Thousand Gone Youth
Chorus also added to the show, especially with their toe-tapping drumbeats.

Myers, playing flute and melodica, and other local musicians
supplemented Schustik’s talent on a variety of instruments, including
guitar, banjo, harmonica, dulcimer, drum and jaw harp. Abby Dorfmann on
the fiddle stood out among these skilled supporting musicians, and also
sang a haunting ballad.

Last night’s performance was originally pitched as a one-man show, and
it’s obvious that Schustik can hold the stage by himself. As he moved
confidently from one instrument to another and from one musical style to
others, this self-described troubadour conjured songs of yore and the
history of a nation. As talented as a storyteller as he is as a
musician, Schustik taught Civil War history by telling personal stories
of the men and women who lived through it or died in it. And the Civil
War facts he subtly teaches are, as Mark Twain might say, “mostly true.”

At times Thursday night, the mood was as much like the 1960s as it was
the 1860s. Schustik’s rendition of “Follow the Drinking Gourd” brought
back memories of the late folk singer Josh White on the “Hootenanny”
television show 50 years ago.And his “Cumberland Gap” could have been
sung by the New Christy Minstrels or by the Limelighters. Schustik’s
style is clearly lost in the sixties of both the 19^th and the 20^th
centuries.

He guided his embarrassingly small opening-night audience through the
Civil War playlist of raucous, boastful, longing and mournful songs,
telling the story of songs each side in the war adopted as its own. He
told of Julia Ward Howe writing new words to a military marching song to
create “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”; of the contradiction of
Shiloh, a biblical name meaning “place of peace” where 20,000 perished;
and of the poignancy of the empty chair at the table and soldiers’ wish
to “perish nobly.”

At the end of the two-hour show, the audience stood reverently as
Schustik sang the little-known latter verses of “The Star-Spangled
Banner.” The audience continued standing and clapped their hands to the
beat as Schustik and the entire company sang “This Land is Your Land,”
the Woody Guthrie song written long after the Civil War, but a
poignantly perfect fit to close this show.

*—Hal Tarleton* - Wilson Times

The last time Bill Schustik was in Wilson, he stood alone on the Fike
High School Auditorium stage and performed his American Troubadour show
for subscribers to the now-defunct Wilson Concert series. That was about
25 years ago. He’s back, and this time his solo act has a choir and some
musicians to back him up.

Schustik kicked off the 2011 edition of Theater of the American South
Thursday night with a look back 150 years with his “The Civil War in
Song and Legend” show. Although Schustik has been performing as a
one-man show through much of his career, he chose to involve some local
talent in his Theater of the American South performance. He proved that
he “plays well with others,” especially the St. John AME Zion Unity
Choir whose soloists Toshika Smith and Jean Jones provided a nice
contrast to Schustik’s rich baritone. Jones’ soprano filled the Boykin
Center on “Let My People Go” and “Motherless Child.” The 17-member choir
under the direction of local musical legend Bill Myers sang harmony as
well as lead vocals, giving Schustik’s troubadour act a new dimension.
Young singers/musicians/dancers dubbed The Many Thousand Gone Youth
Chorus also added to the show, especially with their toe-tapping drumbeats.

Myers, playing flute and melodica, and other local musicians
supplemented Schustik’s talent on a variety of instruments, including
guitar, banjo, harmonica, dulcimer, drum and jaw harp. Abby Dorfmann on
the fiddle stood out among these skilled supporting musicians, and also
sang a haunting ballad.

Last night’s performance was originally pitched as a one-man show, and
it’s obvious that Schustik can hold the stage by himself. As he moved
confidently from one instrument to another and from one musical style to
others, this self-described troubadour conjured songs of yore and the
history of a nation. As talented as a storyteller as he is as a
musician, Schustik taught Civil War history by telling personal stories
of the men and women who lived through it or died in it. And the Civil
War facts he subtly teaches are, as Mark Twain might say, “mostly true.”

At times Thursday night, the mood was as much like the 1960s as it was
the 1860s. Schustik’s rendition of “Follow the Drinking Gourd” brought
back memories of the late folk singer Josh White on the “Hootenanny”
television show 50 years ago.And his “Cumberland Gap” could have been
sung by the New Christy Minstrels or by the Limelighters. Schustik’s
style is clearly lost in the sixties of both the 19^th and the 20^th
centuries.

He guided his embarrassingly small opening-night audience through the
Civil War playlist of raucous, boastful, longing and mournful songs,
telling the story of songs each side in the war adopted as its own. He
told of Julia Ward Howe writing new words to a military marching song to
create “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”; of the contradiction of
Shiloh, a biblical name meaning “place of peace” where 20,000 perished;
and of the poignancy of the empty chair at the table and soldiers’ wish
to “perish nobly.”

At the end of the two-hour show, the audience stood reverently as
Schustik sang the little-known latter verses of “The Star-Spangled
Banner.” The audience continued standing and clapped their hands to the
beat as Schustik and the entire company sang “This Land is Your Land,”
the Woody Guthrie song written long after the Civil War, but a
poignantly perfect fit to close this show.

*—Hal Tarleton* - Wilson Times