Find a Union Musician

Singer/songwriter and leader of the original bluegrass and Americana band Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, based in both Canada and the U.S., recording for Mountain Home records. He and the band have scored 24 #1 songs on the bluegrass charts and have won 11 IBMA awards. Chris is a widely heard and award-winning SiriusXM program host.

Robb Johannes (he/him/his) is currently currently channeling his 4-octave countertenor voice, composition, songwriting, multi-instrumental (guitar, bass, keyboards, lap steel, percussion), and multi-media (filmmaking, visual art, graphic design) skills into the newly-formed ensemble, a question of when (www.aquestionofwhen.com). Tagged as an "anonymous multi-media artistic collaboration between members of previously-established acts," a question of when's debut LP and accompanying visual immersions, when it happens to you, a cinematic and ambitious exploration of the five stages of grief, are available now on vinyl, CD, cassette, digital HD, and Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 surround sound (with funding support from the Ontario Arts Council).

Arthur performs with The Celtic Rathskallions, a children's musical theatre, Moore & McGregor, ( recording 'Dream With Me' ) a duo with my wife, Wendy, and McGregor and Lindsay with Graham Lindsay along with solo shows with a mix of my songs and others. I ran the Ottawa Folklore Centre for 34 years, and I'm currently the Canadian Vice-president of Local 1000. I've played and worked in folk music all my life...so far!

Zacharie Bachand is a pedal steel player and guitarist based out of Montréal, Québec. His musical voice lives near the intersection of experimental and folk music, and is rooted in his professional training as a jazz musician and improviser. He has had the pleasure of accompanying artists at some of the most illustrious venues and folk festivals across Canada, forging connections within the folk music industry and deepening his knowledge of folk music traditions. While his unique voice and professional attitude are sought after by many artists, it is with these that he seeks to infuse his own artistic projects. His own work seeks to creatively engage with the worlds of folk and experimental music, using compositional and improvisational practices to inform his artistic output. He is currently focused on writing music for small ensembles centered around the pedal steel.

Singer-songwriter, lap slide guitarist, improviser, music educator.

Valdy is a troubadour, a travelling folksinger, still digging it immenely after more than fifty years on the road; he says he is still learning and curious. More data is available from his website: www.valdy.com

Saskia Tomkins (she/her) is a master musician of violin, viola, cello and Nyckelharpa, an educator, and a composer. UK born, she is classically trained with a folk background and a B.A.hons. in Music (Jazz). She is an All-Britain Champion Irish Fiddler, and in 2022 received an award for services to Irish Music in Canada. Saskia was the official Artist in Residence in 2022 with Folk Alliance International, and is currently Artist in Residence with British-based

Faith Nolan singer/songwriter, plays guitar, harp, banjo, ukelele- songs focus on social justice , kids music, LGBTQI- Enviornment-anti racism, anti-capitalism-ani-sexism, anti-homophobia- pro peace , love and joy Heritage - Black-Mi'kmaq-Irish , born in Nova Scotia -have recorded 16 CD's, original many world languages used in lyrics and lots of blues folk jazz, reggae

Singer. Songwriter. Music Educator. Choir director.  I am especially passionate about music that gets ordinary people singing along.

Dave has been touring, recording and performing for 40+ years.

Balladeer / Songwriter based in Albuquerque, New Mexico and touring the U.S. and abroad full-time. In addition to being a touring solo artist, Daniel is a member of the 1960s folk trio The Limeliters and the group remains active. 2023 CD release on Berkalin Records -- "New Old Friends" -- a collaboration with Tom Paxton.
Former Western Regional Representative for Local 1000.

Tret Fure began her career at the age of 16, singing in coffeehouses and campuses in the Midwest. At 19, she moved to LA in hopes of obtaining a record deal. Within a year she was performing as guitarist and vocalist for Spencer Davis, touring with him and penning the single for his album "Mousetrap". She went on to record her own album “Tret Fure” in 1973, on MCA/UNI Records, with the late Lowell George of Little Feat as her producer. With the success of that release, she opened for such bands as Yes, Poco, and the J Geils Band.

Folksinger/Storyteller/Songleader

Folk singers often try to one-up each other with obscure details and pastimes. No slouch in that regard, Kray Van Kirk, who will be playing our house concert series on Friday, May 19th, has not one but two obscure distinctions. First, he holds a Ph.D. in fisheries population dynamics modeling. If that’s not obscure enough, he does a spot-on impression of Japan's nineteenth century blind swordsman, Zatoichi.

Aaron has been performing since he was 16. Working alongside several musicians throughout his career he has built a breadth of musical experiences from house concerts to festivals and concert halls. His passion for the music and the power it can have with groups of people is part of why he keeps bringing the music to audiences across the country. Aaron brings a polished fingerstyle and rhythm guitar playing to a warm tenor voice. His songwriting tells the stories of common folks bringing uncommon stories to life. Whether one of the more than 100 songs from rural communities across this country or songs of passion and purpose, Aaron delivers a performance that will move you. As an educator, Aaron began his teaching career in 1984 after he graduated from Friends University in Wichita, KS. Aaron intended to teach a couple of years at the elementary level then move to middle school and then high school and then land a career at the college. Well, part of that became a reality. Aaron taught 2 years at the elementary level and 2 years at the middle school level. The problem is that he stayed another 7 years, teaching middle school for 11 years! Some love middle school kids and Aaron is one of them. It was in 1995 when Aaron decided to pursue songwriting and touring more intentional. Now 32 years later he still loves working in the classroom drawing music and stories out of students. Aaron's work includes work with the itty-bitty one, birth through 6-year-olds through Wolf Trap Early Learning Through the Arts. As a National Trainer, he loves getting these very young ones finding the music and rhythm inside themselves. Aaron is a Certified National Teaching Artist with Young Audiences in New York and a Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist with Wolf Trap Early Learning through the Arts in Vienna Virginia. His current home in Wichita, Kansas keeps him connected with Arts Partners Wichita working with students K-12. The work of integrating the arts into science, math and language arts is a wonderful way to inspire kids to use the creative space in their heads to think about the world they live in. In early 2020 Aaron began thinking about how to leave some of the stories he was telling students about Bella and Choco, the two classroom therapy dogs that work with Aaron in the classroom. He came up with the concept of a children's book about the two adventurous dogs that visited the classroom with him as Therapy dogs. The first book, Being YOU-Neek, was written during the 2020 Pandemic. It became the first book in the series The Adventures of Bella and Choco. This book helps children learn about character traits and a variety of academic lessons. The second book is entitled, The Boat, and is about how all us belong on this great plant we call Mother Earth. The 3rd book will come out in the spring of 2022 and is an Alphabet book highlighting local businesses in Wichita Kansas where Aaron and illustrator Peter Mader live.

Bill Garrett is a musician, producer and occasional songwriter. Involved in folk music for decades, he has performed internationally, recorded several albums both solo, and with partner Sue Lothrop and has produced some 65 albums for other artists. Until its sale in 2021 He was a partner in Borealis Records. He has sat on the boards of Folk Alliance International, the Canadian Folk Music Awards and  Folk Music Canada. He is a proud recipient of Folk Music Ontario’s Estelle Klein Award with whom he had the privilege of working on the Mariposa Folk Festival.  Prior to Borealis he worked for several years as a music and program producer at CBC Radio. He currently stays busy in the studio producing other artists including James Keelaghan, Mamas Broke, Shelley Posen and The Durham County Poets. When not producing others he performs and records with his wife Sue Lothrop.

I, Kevin Neal, am a pedal steel guitarist and dobro player currently living in Toronto, Ontario. 

Touring folk music performer specializing in community singing and song leading. I also do a variety of educational programs--as a solo and with the amazing Robert Jones.

Elise Witt’s concerts of Global, Local & Homemade Songs™ and her Impromptu Glorious Chorus™ workshops create and connect singing communities around the globe. Her songs are available for choruses and choirs through the Elise Witt Choral Series and for solo and community singing in All Singing: The Elise Witt Songbook, as well as on 12 CDs.
She currently serves as Director of Music Programs at the Global Village Project, a special purpose middle school for teenage refugee girls in Decatur GA, where she uses singing to help students learn English, share their cultures, gain self confidence, and learn to navigate their new world.

Multi-instrumentalist Ben Deschamps plays regularly with Celtic artist Heather Dale, and also tours internationally as a side musician for other folk and blues acts. Ben's long recording career includes producing and/or engineering over 40 albums, and running live sound for performances. Ben Deschamps and Heather Dale have played 1500+ shows across 3 continents. Together they run the musician-friendly OnlineConcertThing.com music platform. Ben has been a proud Local 1000 member since 2011.

Award nominated songwriter Zachary Lucky is unapologetically old-school country, armed with a husky, baritone voice - He carries himself like a younger Richard Buckner or a heartier Doug Paisley and often receives comparisons to songwriters such as Gordon Lightfoot and Kris Kristofferson. He sings of Canadian places and people as knowingly as he might Townes Van Zandt or the Rio Grande. His shows and songs are relatable on many levels, and conjure universal feelings that have passed through our collective timelines. Hailing from Saskatchewan Canada, but now based in Orillia, Ontario.