GirlandPiano

GirlandPiano has shared stages with Denison Witmer, Humanwine, The Daredevil Christopher Wright, Brown Bird and many other friends. We are influenced by the changing seasons, the chips in concrete roads, the way that sticky-fingered children tell the sweetest of lies, the sounds that haunt us from our pasts, the altruistic sinner, the good, the true, and the beautiful as it emerges unexpectedly from the darkest of worlds, and most of all from the life for which we have been chosen with all its tragic beauty and mysterious flaw.

MEMBERS:

Laina Barakat - Piano/Vocals - Studied with Over The Rhine for an intensive song-writing workshop, considers daily whether or not to run away with the circus. Wonders if circuses still runaway these days at all. Still figuring out who she is, but knows what she thinks.....If music truly resounds in the very movement of the spheres, as dear Pythagorus mused, should it not also stir within the core of every life form of the universe? Restlessly it waits, starving yet resolved, for the mind which can transcend the gutteral tones of bark and bite, to listen and communicate a lost cellestial sound. The Prophet has turned Poet who forever sings his song. From David to Duritz, his essence has lived long. By the bravest of notes, the heart can be stirred, beyond all the stiches on eyes scarlet burned. So open your souls...and here the word.

Paul Vittum – Drums - Founder of the now defunct obscure NH record label Red Carpet Ring, Paul cut his teeth in the late 90’s fronting the fairy-tale fuzz pop band the Princeton Reverbs Colonial. He later teamed up on drums with Liz Janes (Asthmatic Kitty) to tour in support of her “Done Gone Fire” album and subsequently played in an early incarnation of Redwing Blackbird. It is through performances with Burnt Norton Abbey alumni Routine Homecoming though that Paul met Laina and Andrew and teamed up as GirlandPiano to record an early five song EP.

Ian Galipeau - Bass - Raised by wild llamas in wilderness of the White Mountain National Forest, Ian eventually strayed from his flock and wound up in the hamlet of Lancaster, New Hampshire, where he was taken under the wing veteran musician Steve Galipeau. It was here that he learned the art of groove-tastic bass playing, which he later forgot due to head trauma suffered in a freak croquet accident. Despite this setback, he still owns a bass and attempts to play it occasionally. He is also convinced, despite a growing wealth of evidence to the contrary, that he is absolutely hilarious.

Andrew Cunningham - Cello - Classically trained cello player from NYC. He served as section leader of the Mannes Community Orchestra for 10 years. During that time he dabbled in other musical genres, eventually recording with funk band Female Bureau of Investigation. In 2003 Andrew moved to New Hampshire where he was swept up in the bluegrass scene, influenced greatly by cello fiddlers Rushad Eggleston (Crooked Still) and Ben Sollee (Sparrow Quartet). In addition to GirlandPiano, he is a founding member of the bluegrass-fusion band Rise!, and principle cellist of the Keene Chamber Orchestra.

Jon Braught - Guitar/Mandolin - Wouldn't you like to know (sorry folks, that's Jon for you)