We're excited to bring Todd's Musical Instrument Petting Zoo back to New Mexico and the Folk Festival. This fully-interactive, hands-on exhibit, which was a huge hit last year, will let you explore acoustic folk instruments from A (accordian) to Z (zampoya).
Todd Crowley began singing folk music as a boy when he fell in love with the melodies and the stories folk songs tell. Woody Guthrie said, "It is the job of the folk singer to comfort the disturbed and to disturb the comfortable." Ever since he started singing folk songs, Todd has felt this pull and tension in the music, at once comforting and disturbing.
In 1981 Todd's interest in folk music was rekindled when he met and lived with the legendary autoharp player Bryan Bowers. In the 25 years since, Todd has collected autoharps of every kind from vintage Oscar Schmidts to modern luthier autoharps. He also collects mountain dulcimers, bouzoukis, guitars and assorted other folk instruments. Todd and his family often have enjoyed hosting Todd's Musical Petting Zoo at the Washington Folklore Society Midwinter MiniFest and other fairs and folk festivals in the greater Washington D. C. area. His big Musical Petting Zoo has been an integral part of Common Ground on the Hill's American Roots & Arts Festival for the past three years. Now Todd's starting to take his zoo on the road to festivals all over the country.
Be sure to allow plenty of time to visit with Todd and his instruments at the Festival this year.
For more information on Todd, visit his website at www.diatoddnics.com.
For pictures of the Musical Instrument Petting Zoo at last year's Festival, check out our on-line photo album.