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Katie Rose Nelson and Dustin Moran first met just north of Salt Lake City around 2008. Working at Barnes and Noble together, they started talking about art: folk music, punk rock, poetry, Bob Dylan, movies, and every other topic they shared a mutual interest in. They started playing music together, starting with gigs in coffee shops around the area. Around 2010, they decided they both wanted a change of scenery, so they moved to Colorado, on the other side of the Rockies.

The two have always played music together, but in 2013, they decided they wanted to focus more seriously on writing and performing together. They released their first EP that year, which is labeled on streaming as Katie Rose and Dustin Moran, as when they initially released the EP, they hadn’t decided on a moniker yet. The two cemented their name using a line taken from one of the songs on that EP, “Spoon,” which goes “Oh, please come and show me to the fountain, I have seen so many mountains.” From that line, Many Mountains stuck.

By 2015, the two had cemented a band to back them up and started playing the brewery and coffee shop circuit. For the last seven years or so, they have brought the group back to a duo, focusing completely on their writing and performing together. Between 2013 and 2021, they released three EPs and two full-length albums, and at the beginning of 2024, they released the standalone single “Moment.”

Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here.

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Selasee Atiase was born and raised in Accra, Ghana. His upbringing was Christian, so he attended church every Sunday. On one particular Sunday, he heard someone playing guitar at the church, and something clicked for him. The melodies this musician played and the way they made Atiase feel inspired him to pick up the guitar, and by the age of twelve or thirteen, he had started performing his own compositions at church. He started studying in the School for Performing Arts at the University of Ghana, played with a local band, and continued performing and writing music however he could.

In 1998, a church group in which Atiase was involved hosted a worldwide seminar, and his band performed for those in attendance. The band was invited to perform in Minneapolis, where the members stayed for two weeks and hosted workshops in schools. Atiase returned to Ghana shortly after and graduated from the University of Ghana in 1999. He moved back and forth between Ghana and the United States until 2001. The fallout from the September 11th attacks made it harder to travel outside of the country, and Atiase ended up settling permanently.

After emigrating to the United States, he pursued a solo music career, and in 2005, under the management of Sean Cassidy and signed to Running Dreams Records, he released his debut album Run. The title track earned first place in the world music genre and second place in the people’s choice category at the International Song Writers Competition, that same song was included in the soundtrack of the EA Sports video game FIFA Soccer 06, and another song of his, “Makuma,” was included in the soundtrack for EA’s Cricket 07 (this song has not been officially released as of this writing). Selasee has since released two more albums, African Gate and Time for Peace, and the single “Count on Me” with David Hinojosa, and he is currently working on his fourth album, which will emphasize his current project Selasee and the Fafa Family.

Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here.

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Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.

If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact:

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Wylie Jones occasionally plays the keyboard for Selasee and the Fafa Family. For him, music is a necessary part of his life. He says that music has always been in his blood and that he primarily inherited it from his uncle, perhaps also from the universe. He initially sang in church and took piano lessons before he chose the guitar as his primary instrument, inspired by the playing of Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. While living in Virginia, he played in the reggae band Antero, fronting with Richmond reggae veteran Joshua Dowell-Achalam, known by his artist name “Mighty Joshua.”

Antero has since parted ways, with Mighty Joshua focusing more on his solo work. After the band members parted, Jones picked up the keyboard again, playing for another group formed by his bandmate called Mighty Joshua and The Zion #5. Jones started experimenting with effects on the keyboard and ways to add more sound as a whole to perform solo shows as if there was a band around him. He moved out of Virginia to support his wife, who was about to start graduate school, and he learned how to use a loop pedal to avoid building another band from the ground up. Jones and his wife started a family, he fell in love with Colorado, and while the couple have since divorced, he still supports and helps to raise their kids.

Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here.

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Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.

If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact:

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This week's Music of the Mountains episode has been postponed. In this episode, the host explains why and connects it to a column he wrote in this Audio Library segment! Also be sure to stay tuned for the regularly scheduled music mentions!

Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here.

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Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.

If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact:

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Local astronomer Frank Sanders will be hosting a talk at the Gilpin County Public Library on Tuesday, December 3! For more details, listen to today's segment and enjoy the host's reading of Sanders's most recent monthly Night Skies column for The Mountain-Ear!

Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here.

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Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.

If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact:

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Beth Gadbaw found herself drawn to Irish music because of her heritage. Her mother’s family emigrated to the United States during Ireland’s Great Famine (1845-1852), settling in upstate New York. From a young age, Gadbaw found herself inspired by that history and culture, particularly once she discovered their musical traditions. From a young age, she’s been singing Irish folk songs, writing limericks, learning the tradition of Irish pub songs, and harmonizing with her triplet sisters. Once she started singing, she never stopped. While she does explore various musical styles, most of her writing and musical performances have roots in Irish music.

Gadbaw especially loves collaborating with others musically, citing the intimacy that develops between artists as a primary reason. Margot Krimmel is one of her longest collaborators, as they’ve been performing for almost three decades. After returning from Ireland in 1998, realizing she missed the sound of her roommate’s Celtic harp, she decided she wanted to learn it herself. David Kolacny, a Denver harpist who co-owns the music store founded by his grandfather, Kolacny Music, recommended Krimmel to Gadbaw. Krimmel’s daughter soon took voice lessons with Gadbaw, and the two teachers quickly embraced their shared passion for traditional music and played it together.

Krimmel likes to say she started her music career at three years old when she started singing whatever came into her head. Playing music, listening to it and dancing along, singing in choirs, playing guitar, exploring various styles, and being a musician in general have always been important parts of her life. Early in her career, she played acoustic bass in a swing band, sang and provided guitar for a country-western band, and dabbled in piano and flute. However, once she started playing the harp, she completely fell in love and embraced it as her primary instrument. 

Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here.

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Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.

If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact:

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Violin performer and teacher Anthony Salvo will be performing his original material at the Nederland Community Library very soon for an event that combines a concert with a meditation. Learn more about Anthony, his career, and the upcoming event by tuning in to this Miscellaneous Monday episode! 

Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here.

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Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.

If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact:

Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chief, at [email protected]

Tyler Hickman, multimedia producer, at [email protected]

Jamie Lammers, podcast host, at [email protected]

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Andrew's Website: https://andrew-cooney-music-f9ba9d40c8c60139123.webflow.io/

Andrew Cooney has embraced a very busy schedule as a musician. He plays solo gigs with his acoustic guitar across the Front Range, from Telluride to Copper Mountain to Denver to Boulder, and freelance gigs as a bass player for many groups, including periodically with Kind Hearted Strangers. Other groups he has played with include the hodgepodge country group Last Call, which features members of Brandywine and the Mighty Fines and Liver Down the River; Tenth Mountain Division (TMD), currently on hiatus; and the Bob Barrick-led tribute group Jammy Buffett. He also occasionally plays in a spinoff group called Cashmere Sweater, with the original lineup consisting of Cooney (donning the alter ego Chris Staplegun), TMD drummer Tyler Gwinn (Charles Romancin), and keyboard player Campbell Thomas (Curls Sweatshirt). Campbell has since moved to San Diego, and the lineup now includes guitar player Kevin Hinder (as of this article, he does not have an alter ego yet).

Cooney built his career through consistent practicing and performing from a young age. His grandmother, a jazz and classical pianist, introduced him to the piano when he was around four or five. Also a piano teacher, she helped him start lessons, and he continued though his discovery of the saxophone, which he played in his middle school band. When a friend needed a bass player to start a band, Cooney took on the instrument for the first time, encouraged by the friend’s belief in his ability. He performed in the school jazz band and in a rock band in middle school, and he even performed at places such as Disney World during high school. Of course, he has since also learned guitar, but considers himself primarily a bass player by trade.

Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.

If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact:

Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chief, at [email protected]

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In this very special episode of Maryann Rosen's regular segment, she talks about what the term "history" means and transitions into the history of the Thanksgiving tradition! Also be sure to tune in for this week's movie at the Backdoor Theater and Thanksgiving events in the Peak to Peak area! 

Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here.

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Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.

If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact:

Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chief, at [email protected]

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Earlier this week, The Mountain-Ear Podcast brought you the first of two interviews with founding members of The Yonder Mountain String Band, the first being with guitarist Adam Aijala. Now, here's the second one, with banjo player Dave Johnston!

Yonder Mountain String Band has built a legacy over the last 26 years, and it all started completely spontaneously. The band has primarily focused on bluegrass stylings over their career, but none of the founding members started by playing bluegrass. Dave Johnston didn’t pick his instrument of choice until college when a friend brought his father’s banjo to the University of Illinois. Eventually, Johnston played in his first ensemble, Giblet Gravy, and when he and others split from that group, those members formed The Bluegrassholes.

At one point, Johnston invited Jeff Austin to sing and play with The Bluegrassholes. Austin revealed he didn’t play an instrument but did have a mandolin. In response, Johnston encouraged Austin to “play anything, just play fast and loud” at the performance. After the Bluegrassholes dissolved, Johnston moved to Boulder and Austin moved to Nederland. The two played in other Colorado projects, including Johnston’s project Fireweed with Patrick Latella. However, one night in 1998, something magic happened.

Read the Music of the Mountains article for Yonder Mountain String Band and both parts of this week's podcast segment to learn more about how the band started with founding members Johnston, Austin, Aijala, and bassist Ben Kaufmann, and how their history has grown with four other people joining the lineup over the last 26 years! 

Our theme song is courtesy of singer-songwriter Brittney Wagner. Stream her record Better off Dead here.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Mountain-Ear Podcast, featuring news and culture from peak to peak! Additional pages are linked below.

If you want to be involved in the podcast or paper, contact:

Barbara Hardt, our editor-in-chief, at [email protected]

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