Music To Read By CD Contributors

We are the artists of Music To Read By. We all live on Chincoteague Island. Our ages range from 21 to 92 years. Our music includes classical, bluegrass, new age, blues, old time, Celtic and our own compositions. We hope you enjoy this CD, and we thank you for helping to expand Chincoteague’s Library.

John Beam is a musician and an artist. He is an original member of the Double Decker Stringband and teaches at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. He is the creator of the aNoPheles Blues Gallery on Main Street. John and his wife, Madeleine Adamson, designed the graphics for this CD.

Dottie Beck learned to play the concertina—a small “squeezebox”—as an adult. She plays with the Washington, D.C. area amateur folk band, Peascods Gathering, which provides music for English country dancing and Scandinavian couple-dancing. Retired from the federal government, Dottie is a part-time resident of Chincoteague.

Michael J. Brizak was born in North Plainfield, NJ, on the couch, and ended up in Chincoteague as an auto mechanic. He started playing music when he was 14 years old and has become an accomplished multi-instrumentalist. Michael and Webber Willer have been a musical duo since their early teens.

Bill Chrisman taught Industrial Arts at Chincoteague Combined School. He has been a seasonal Park Ranger on Assateague National Seashore, and for 20 years with his wife, Mary, owned and operated the Lighthouse Motel. Bill is the founder of the Island Bluegrass Alliance and is the Island’s only locksmith. He is a self-taught 5-year banjo picker and will go almost anywhere to jam.

Therese Hamilton is the Executive Director of The Chincoteague Convention/ Community Center. Therese is also a Tourism Commissioner on the Eastern Shore Tourism Commission. While vacationing in the Badlands, Therese wrote the music and her daughter, Jami-Lee, wrote lyrics for Indian Nation. [flute track 14]

Pauline Lewis grew up surrounded by a family of professional concert hall musicians. She has concertized in Europe and on Chincoteague as both a soloist and accompanist. Ms. Lewis has taught piano and lived on Chincoteague Island for the past ten years.

Megan McCook painted the watercolor of the Chincoteague Library for the cover of Music To Read By.She operates Egret Moon Artworks on Main Street.

Brian Richardson has worked at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility for 22 years. He is the guitarist for Christ United Methodist Church Praise Team.

Richard Pawelski is a retired physician who has always enjoyed his musician’s alter ego. In medical school he played piano on an album recorded by a jazz combo made up of fellow students called the Infirmary Five. He plays organ and theater organ at St. Andrews Church on Chincoteague and harbors a secret love for theaccordion.

Christy Scarborough started her musical training with piano, but there were too many notes at a time. She then switched to guitar—better, but hard on the fingers. Fourteen years ago, she found the flute—one note at a time, easy on the fingers—life is good. Christy has lived on the Island for 23 years. She is the guidance counselor at Holly Grove Christian School and plays the flute with the Methodist Church Praise Team.

Pamela Sheehan is a vocalist and the keyboardist for the Christ United Methodist Church Praise Team. She is a former member of the Eastern Shore Madrigals. Pamela works at the Main Street Coffee Shop on the Island.

Bill Troxler retired to Chincoteague Island after serving 27 years as a college president. Bill was the engineer and producer for Music to Read By, as well as a solo performer and backup musician for others.

Webber Willer moved to Chincoteague when he was in the sixth grade and today works as a carpenter. He came to the Island as an avid drummer and budding guitar player and over the years has inspired many friends to become musicians. Webber lives by the motto: Eat...Work...Sleep...Play music.