Jeff Ksiazek
After primarily playing jazz and improvised music on saxophone for two decades, Jeff eventually found his musical voice accompanying Irish traditional music on guitar. He also plays octave mandolin, Irish flute, and whistle. Classically trained, he studied jazz improvisation and arrangement with Don Chamberlain and saxophone performance with Bruce Western at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Since discovering Irish traditional music, Jeff has studied flute with Shannon Heaton, Mike Rafferty, Sean Ryan, and Harry Bradley and guitar with Matt Heaton. He is very active in Milwaukee's Irish community, working as the archivist at the Ward Irish Music Archives and teaching flute and whistle at the Irish Fest School of Music. In 2007, Jeff recorded a duo album with Milwaukee-based fiddler TJ Hull entitled Éist.
Amy Richter
Amy was the bodhrán champion (adult division) at the 2006 Midwest Fleadh and competed in the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. She's been playing Irish music since 2003 learning her craft from Jackie Moran, Colm Phelan, Paul Phillips, Paul Marshall, Pat Roe, Brian Morrissey and Rob Forkner. In 2009 Amy attended the Coleman Country Bodhrán School run by five-time All Ireland Champion, Junior Davey. She’s played with Chicago based band, Bua and has had the pleasure of playing alongside John Whelan, since 2006, for the annual Milwaukee Midwinter Set Dance Weekend. Amy teaches bodhrán at the Irish Fest School of Music and was the 2008 recipient of the Ed Ward Irish Music Scholarship. Listen to Amy's interview with Lake Effect.
Heather Lewin-Tiarks
Heather has been playing stringed instruments (violin, viola, cello) for 26 years and took up Irish fiddle in 1999, as a result of her involvement in Irish Ceili and Set dancing. Heather studied Irish fiddle from Liz Carroll, Liz Knowles, Matt Cranitch, James Kelly, Denis Liddy, Sean Cleland, Tommy & Siobhan Peoples, Paul O’Shaughnessy, Paddy Glackin, Eileen O'Brien, Seamus Connolly, Maire Breatnach, Paul Kelly, Randal Bays, & Ciarán O’Maonaigh. She was the Miscellaneous (Viola) champion in the Adult division at the 2006 Midwest Fleadh, and competed in the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Heather was the 2007 recipient of the Ed Ward Irish Music Scholarship. She is a feis musician, and also performs with bluegrass group The Mighty Lumberhorn.
Kathleen Bremer
Kathleen, a lifelong Chicagoan, first started her musical training, at age 3, learning the organ while seated alongside her father. She plays the concert flute, Irish flute, whistle, piccolo, piano and sings. Classically trained, Kathleen earned a BM and MM in Flute/Piccolo Performance, from Indiana University and Northwestern University. She started learning Irish music in 2002, attending the Willie Clancy Festival and the Milwaukee Irish Fest Summer School. Kathleen’s Irish flute and whistle teachers include Kevin Crawford, Garry Shannon, Joanie Madden, Marcus O’Murchu, Eamonn Cotter, Francis McPeake, Harry Bradley, Jimmy Noonan, Cathal McConnell, Michael Tubridy and Sean Ryan. Vocally, she has studied Irish singing with Maiti Jo Sheamuis, Ann Mulqueen and Darryl Simpson. Kathleen has assisted Garry Shannon at Meitheal Summer School and performed at Irish Fest . She is an accomplished private teacher in the award winning Glenbard High School District (IL) and an active adjudicator, clinician and freelance and session musician in the Chicago area.
Christina DeCheck - Graphic Designer
