Jake Armerding
Encyclopedia
Jake Armerding is an American
folk musician and multi-instrumentalist
from Boston, Massachusetts
. He plays mostly acoustic string instruments like the mandolin
, acoustic guitar
, and fiddle
. In 1990, Jake began playing with Northern Lights
occasionally. He joined the band full-time in 1992 and was a member until 1999 when he left the band to pursue a solo career. Jake attended Wheaton College
where he received a degree in English literature
. In 2001, Armerding won the Best New Artist Award from Boston's folk-radio station, WUMB.
In addition to his solo efforts, Jake makes up half of a duo, The Fretful Porcupine, along with saxophonist Kevin Gosa. Armerding is also a member of Barnstar!, a "bluegrass [band] for people who hate bluegrass." He is on the faculty of the Traditional Music Project housed at the Real School of Music in Burlington, Massachusetts.
Jake recently played violin and mandolin as part of an ensemble recording music for the audiobook version of Josh Ritter
's first novel, Bright's Passage
.
in Washington, D.C.
Solo
The Fretful Porcupine
Barnstar!
Contributions
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk musician and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
from Boston, Massachusetts
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. He plays mostly acoustic string instruments like the mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, and fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
. In 1990, Jake began playing with Northern Lights
Northern Lights (bluegrass band)
Northern Lights was an American Progressive bluegrass band formed in 1975 in New England, which musical career spanned more than three decades....
occasionally. He joined the band full-time in 1992 and was a member until 1999 when he left the band to pursue a solo career. Jake attended Wheaton College
Wheaton College (Illinois)
Wheaton College is a private, evangelical Protestant liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago in the United States...
where he received a degree in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
. In 2001, Armerding won the Best New Artist Award from Boston's folk-radio station, WUMB.
In addition to his solo efforts, Jake makes up half of a duo, The Fretful Porcupine, along with saxophonist Kevin Gosa. Armerding is also a member of Barnstar!, a "bluegrass [band] for people who hate bluegrass." He is on the faculty of the Traditional Music Project housed at the Real School of Music in Burlington, Massachusetts.
Jake recently played violin and mandolin as part of an ensemble recording music for the audiobook version of Josh Ritter
Josh Ritter
Josh Ritter is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and author who performs and records with The Royal City Band. Ritter is known for his distinctive Americana style and narrative lyrics. In 2006 he was named one of the "100 Greatest Living Songwriters" by Paste magazine.- Early life :Josh...
's first novel, Bright's Passage
Bright's Passage
Bright's Passage is the debut novel by singer/songwriter Josh Ritter. It is published by Dial Press and was released June 28th 2011. The entire first chapter had been previously released for free download on Ritter's official website.-Blurb:...
.
Notable Performances
Jake has made multiple appearances at The Kennedy CenterJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Discography
Northern LightsNorthern Lights (bluegrass band)
Northern Lights was an American Progressive bluegrass band formed in 1975 in New England, which musical career spanned more than three decades....
- 1994 - Wrong Highway Blues
- 1996 - Living in the City
Solo
- 1999 - Caged Bird
- 2003 - Jake Armerding (released by Compass RecordsCompass RecordsCompass Records is a Nashville-based independent record label founded in 1995 by musicians Garry West and Alison Brown. Currently home to nearly 100 folk, bluegrass, Celtic, jazz, and new acoustic artists, the label releases about 20 records a year...
) - 2007 - Walking on the World
- 2009 - Songs in Stained Glass
- 2009 - Her
The Fretful Porcupine
- 2010 - Cellar Sessions EP
Barnstar!
- 2011 - C'mon!
Contributions
- 2005 - Mark Stepakoff - There Goes the Neighborhood (fiddle)
- 2006 - Scott Alarik - All That Is True: Folk Songs Old and New
- 2009 - Taylor Armerding - Head That Way (fiddle and voice)