Tim is primarily a composer, but he has always enjoyed playing stringed instruments. His first instrument was the piano at age 7, but it was at age 11 that the strings of the ukulele captured his heart. He hasn't stopped playing strings since, focusing on bass in junior-high orchestra, high-school band, college orchestra, and guitar in other ensembles. He was educated at the University of California at Santa Barbara, the Université de Bordeaux, and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (DMA, 1977). He studied composition with Peter Fricker, Lukas Foss, Scott Huston and Paul Palombo. Although his studies focused on composition and upright bass, he always found the time to continue work with guitar, banjo, and various other stringed instruments. He became Professor of Music at Concord University in 1978, where he has been a prolific composer and teaches music theory, composition, classical guitar, and classic banjo. His compositions include works for symphony orchestra, string quartet, wind ensemble, piano, flute, guitar, banjo, and electronic instruments. During the summers of 2001 and 2002, he took extra graduate classes at New York University in modern electronic music and composition. Tim is a member of the American Banjo Fraternity, the College Music Society, and the Viol da Gamba Society of America.
Maggie is a flautist and a piano tuner. She spent her youth performing folk music, primarily Irish, on various wind instruments. She began her formal education at the University of South Florida, and completed her Bachelors degree in music education at Concord University in 1998 where she became interested in piano technology. During her college years, she focused on art music, primarily 20th century. As a music education major, she spent much time with string and wind instrument pedagogy, which gave her a broad perspective on instrumental performance. She taught in the WV public school system from 1999 to 2003, and has taught private lessons in winds and strings since 1990. She started tuning pianos professionally in 2002, and has worked intermittently as an adjunct for Concord University teaching woodwinds class, music for elementary school teachers, and music history for non-music majors. In 2010, she started her graduate studies at Radford University where she is currently a student. Maggie is a member of the American Banjo Fraternity, the Piano Technicians Guild, and the Music Educators National Conference.
