R.A. Lautenschlager

R.A. Lautenschlager – Biography
The Biggest NAME in Canadian Music

With a Masters from Yale University and a PhD from the University of Maine, Dr. R. A. Lautenschlager [Lau (rhymes with “now”) – ten – schlager (like logger)] is used to balancing his musical career and his scientific one.

R.A. (who commonly plays live 2 to 3 times/week) has played from Vancouver, BC to Corner Brook, NL and South to Virginia Beach (but more commonly in New England), both alone and with sidemen. R.A. was working with Folk and Country-Rock groups long before his academic career, at one point leading the New York-based Aberdeen Street Band and sharing stages with musical greats ranging from Pete Seeger to Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee.

His musical interests took a back seat while working on academic degrees, but in nothern Ontario he teamed up with the great Canadian guitarist Tom Bird. That collaboration led to the production of his first two critically acclaimed CDs (Father’s Boots – 2002 and Remember – 2003).

Since moving to the East Coast in 2002, R.A. has teamed up with outstanding Halifax based musicians – producing his third (Never Alone – 2004), and fourth (Kiss My Axe – 2005) CDs, and more recently No More War – 2007, Songs for Seasons – 2008, Home for Christmas – 2009, a three song EP of original Curling Songs – 2009, and Songs for the Earth – 2011, at Patchworks in NB. Like his previous work, those CDs have received significant air-play across Canada, and excellent reviews. He is presently working on his 9th CD with the full band "Cookin'"

These days, R.A. concentrates on writing, recording, and playing within a few hours of his Sackville, NB home. He writes and sings a variety of difficult-to-categorize story songs (now ~ 250) that draw on his Folk, Country, Blues, Pop, and Rock musical roots.

His songs have universal themes and range from poignant love songs (lost and found) to the quirky and unconventional (aging, body piercing, artificial insemination, aliens…).

Many of his songs focus on relationships and family, while others focus on events and people around us. These days R.A. also fronts R.A. & SkipJack’, a Folk/Blues/Pop trio, Cookin’, that Trio plus a drummer, but he also plays a variety of more intimate gigs alone or backed, as appropriate, by bass, guitar, or piano.

R.A. has appeared on Global Noon, Breakfast TV, Rogers Cable’s The Songwriter’s Circle, has been featured on CBC’s Atlantic Airwaves, C103’s Action Atlantic, and a variety of local (atlantic Canada) radio stations. He recently opened for Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, and shared stages with Tresa Ennis, and Lennie Gallant. He also commonly hosts Open Mics and Songwriter Sessions (on behalf of Music NB) in southeastern New Brunswick.

Others say R.A is:
“One of Canada’s most prolific Songwriters” – Duane Lowe: Global TV
“A joy to listen to and watch play”- Jason Baxter – Breakfast TV
“A one-man musical army who writes with humor and about big topics” – Bob Mersereau – CBC
“Turns a Songwriter’s Circle into a show” – Blair Patton – Roger Songwriter’s Circle/C-103 Radio

Contact Information: R.A. Lautenschlager, PO Box 6416, Sackville, NB E4L 1G6; Phone: 506-364-2661; email: rlautenschlager@mta.ca; website:http://www.myspace.com/ralautens