Mild mannered scientist by day, obsessive compulsive folk musician by night, Fred likes to play home made music mostly for fun not profit. He remembers how daunting it can be for adult beginners and hopes that these classes will help to encourage a few people to have a go at joining in and playing with others. Fred has been playing folk and roots music since the late 70’s and during that time has started, played in and perturbed many bands in Canberra, Perth, Melbourne and Hobart. Although he started off his musical life playing Irish and Swedish folk music these days he focuses mostly on roots music from Australia and America. He can regularly be seen playing and singing solo and with the Rusticators, The HOT String Band and other combos. Fred mostly plays 5-string banjo, guitar, mandolin, double bass and fiddle and in 2005 became the inaugural Guildford Banjo Jamboree champion. As a member of the Island Coes, Fred was awarded a centenary medal for his contribution to the preservation of traditional Cape Barren Island Music. He is the founder and musical director for the Hobart Old-Time String Band – a more than twenty strong community orchestra of former Hillbilly Zen graduates and new friends. http://www.hotstringband.org).
