Richard Kean has 25+ years experience as a bagpiper and has performed extensively throughout Europe and North America. Richard began his career under the tutelage of his father Pipe Major Eric Kean and continued to learn under several prominent Scottish bagpipers. In 1996 Richard formed a performance group with P/M Lindsay Davidson and began to develop the bagpipe beyond its traditional role in music. During this time he studied other types of bagpipe music in addition to exploring ways to integrate dance and audience interaction within a musical performance. Since then Richard has performed with several groups continuing his interested in taking the bagpipes outside the norm. In his spare time he rummages for unique instruments and listens to some very strange music.

[Unofficial Bio: Richard has fingers faster than lightning, especially when there's good beer around.  He's also able to levitate. (see photo #4)]

EJ Jones has 20+ years experience as a bagpiper with great success in both the concert and competitive aspects of Scottish piping. He began playing the Texas Renaissance Festival as a bagpiper with the group Clandestine in 1991 and the Rogues in their inaugural year 1994. EJ competes at the Professional level in the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association and won the Houston Highland Games Professional Piobaireachd competition in 2006. In his spare time EJ makes Scottish smallpipes in his home workshop and plays the flute.

[Unofficial Bio: EJ is one of those odd musicians who actually practices his instrument.  He enjoys good food, and has an iPhone growing out of one hand.  We have no idea why he's pouring water on his flute in the last photo.]

Al Cofrin earned a BA in Jazz Theory & Composition and a BS in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas in the early 1980s. He became interested in medieval music when a pretty professor pointed out that both jazz and medieval monophonic music utilize similar improvisation skills. Al is the director of Istanpitta Early Music Ensemble. In 2006 Al began playing with the Celtic band, Clandestine, who has performed worldwide. He is also a Riverrun records recording artist. Al has been a professional jazz musician in the Houston area for 15 years and was the principal clarinetist for the Houston area’s Pasadena Symphony. Al Cofrin is by day a NASA flight controller for the Shuttle Program in which he is designated as a Flight Activities Officer (FAO) working in the front room of Mission Control during Shuttle flights.

[Unofficial Bio: Sadly, Al is actually a true gentleman, so it makes it very difficult to confess to you that he's also...SMART!  Yes, the rarest of all musicians, he's extremely intelligent AND friendly.  What a weirdo!  We refuse to comment on why he's wearing bunny ears.]

Kevin Hartnell comes from a family of drummers and was raised in Illinois. 34+ years of drumming experience has seen him involved with musical projects ranging from Big Band to Punk, Country to Goth, Metal to Folk. He began his professional drumming career at the age of 12. Credits include thousands of performances across the United States and parts of Europe and Scandinavia, studio session work since the age of 15, a handbook on drumming, music published in film as well as in television commercials & dance instructional/performance videos, a #1 single on the MP3.Com “Dark Ambient” charts (12/2000), and teaching drums since 1997. He is also a photographer, graphic/web designer, and a fan of zombie films.

[Unofficial Bio: This one is dangerous, so don't get your fingers near his mouth!  Rumor has it he auditioned for Spinal Tap but refused to spontaneously combust on demand. (see photo #4)]

~photos courtesy of Jay Ford, Leisa McCord, and Paul 42~