About the Program

Behind the
Scenes

LOMAX BIOGRAPHIES

PRINCIPAL PUPPETEERS AND ACTORS (listed in alphabetical order)

Pam Arciero (Louise the Flea, Avocado Jane)

Pam Arciero was born in Hawaii, and literally stumbled into puppetry after breaking her leg while studying acting at the University of Hawaii. Someone suggested she try something that didn't require much agility. She liked it and eventually went on to earn a master's degree in puppetry from the University of Connecticut, which offers some of the most extensive puppetry course work in the country. She is a principal puppeteer with Sesame Street and Between the Lions, performing numerous characters, most notably Grundgetta Grouch and Leona Lion, respectively. She is the Artistic Director of the Eugene O'Neill Puppetry Conference, and has worked on a multitude of adult and children's programs including Blue's Clues, Blue's Room, Chappell's Show, Allegra's Window, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, TV Funhouse, Eureeka's Castle, and The Great Space Coaster.

Anthony Asbury (Gooney Bird, Roger Codger, Michael, Paulie, the Bucket Repair Man, etc.)

A native Texan, Anthony Asbury studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York before being discovered by Julie Taymor of Lion King fame. He has been puppeteering in film and television for over 20 years, and has worked extensively on several Henson productions, including the movie, Labyrinth, and the Nick Jr. television series, Seuss. Asbury has guested on British programs like Absolutely Fabulous, and was a mainstay of the landmark satirical puppet show, Spitting Image. He created such popular children's program characters as Rondo on Allegra's Window, and Lionel Lion on Between the Lions. Anthony has had an impressive theatrical career as well, playing three seasons in The Haggadah at New York's Shakespeare Festival, and performing Audrey II in the original off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors. He followed Little Shop to London and Sydney, and also performed in the Frank Oz-directed film version. Recently, he assisted Marty Robinson and others in the Broadway revival of the musical (also performing in the ensemble), and continued on with the touring company. Anthony's directing credits include Between the Lions for PBS and Out of the Box for Disney.

Jennifer Barnhart (Delta, Miss Liza, Cowgirl)

Born and bred in Connecticut, Jennifer Barnhart graduated from the University of Connecticut with a BFA in Acting and a Concentration in Puppetry. She began her professional puppetry career on a show called Once Upon a Tree for a then-fledgling cable channel called Animal Planet. Two years later, she got her "big break" when she was cast as the mother lioness Cleo for PBS's Emmy-Award winning literacy series, Between the Lions, currently in its eighth season. This led her to other shows such as Sesame Street, Bear in the Big Blue House, Book of Pooh, and Johnny and the Sprites for Disney Channel, as well as Oobi! for Noggin. Jennifer can be seen six nights a week on Broadway in the Tony-Award winning musical Avenue Q. As a human actor, she has been featured on As the World Turns, The Order of the Serpentine, and Law and Order: SVU as well as performing many regional theatre roles include the Angel in Angels in America and Olivia in Twelfth Night.

Jim Kroupa (Clark the Flea)

For over 25 years, Jim Kroupa has been designing, building and performing puppets. Through 3/Design Studio his work has been seen on TV (Eureeka's Castle, Sesame Street, Bear In the Big Blue House, Book of Pooh, Barney, Gullah Gullah Island, Between the Lions, It's A Big Big World, and Johnny and the Sprites) film, (Woody Allen's Alice, Little Monsters, various Muppet films, and Joe's Apartment) and commercials (Wise Owl, Snuggle, and Leatherman's Bionic Lobster. Now Jim gets to add "Clark the Flea" of Lomax: The Hound Of Music to his resumé. Life," he says, "is good."

Peter Linz (Lomax, Old Pete, Uncle Ned, etc.)

Peter Linz has been playing with puppets since the age of three and has wanted to work in children's television since age 10. After a short detour, during which he obtained a degree in psychology from the University of Georgia, his dream was realized when he was hired to be a puppeteer with the Jim Henson Company. His puppet characters can be seen on Sesame Street, Between the Lions (Theo, Announcer Bunny, Gawain), It's A Big Big World (Snook the Sloth, Oko), Blue's Room (Polka Dots, Doodle Board), The Book of Pooh (Pooh) and Bear in the Big Blue House (Tutter, Pip). Peter's film credits include the recent remake of The Producers, as well as Muppets From Space and Men in Black. He has created and led workshops in television puppetry under the auspices of the Jim Henson Company in Germany, China, Mexico and the United States. Peter is an original Broadway cast member of the Tony Award winning musical Avenue Q.

Amy Miles (Amy)

Amy Miles is a New York based singer and songwriter originally from Conway, Arkansas. As a solo musician, Amy Miles has recorded three albums, including the critically acclaimed Nobel Hatch, and King of Girls that will be released in 2008. Amy has toured with They Might Be Giants, opened for Robyn Hitchcock, and performed on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. In addition to her solo music, Amy Miles is a member of the Disco-Punk band "Baby", and has worked frequently in television as a musician, actor, writer, and producer. She created and produced the hit musical theater show "Sound Tracks Live," which was recently made into a VH-1 pilot starring Tina Fey, Will Arnett, Michael Ian Black and Paul Rudd. Amy also wrote the theme song for Amy Poelher's new web based series, Smart Girls at the Party, in which she also appears as a regular cast member and musical performer.

Fred Newman (Fred the Conductor)

Fred Newman was once a freckled-faced kid in his native LaGrange, Georgia, making sounds behind teachers' backs, He briefly tried going legit, graduating from the Harvard Business School and taking a job with Newsweek magazine. But he soon decided instead to capitalize on his talent for making weird vocal noises, writing the book MouthSounds (first published in 1980, and recently reprinted in an expanded edition). He went on to work as an actor, a writer, and a fairly inept puppeteer with Jim Henson, and has since hosted many shows for Nickelodeon and Disney (including The New Mickey Mouse Club) He created voices, music, and sound effects for the long-running Nickelodeon and Disney cartoon series "DOUG" and has won, among other awards, Aces, Emmys, Peabodys, and Clios. Fred has also appeared as a voice actor in numerous films including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Harry and the Hendersons, and Gremlins. Fred's vocal sound effects are showcased frequently on Garrison Keilor's radio variety show A Prairie Home Companion, and he is also a featured player on public television's award-winning daily reading show, Between the Lions. Fred lives in New York and Connecticut with his wife and two children, a cat, and two surly parakeets. They are all loud.

PRINCIPAL MUSICIANS AND VOCALISTS:

Larry Campbell (Music Director; guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, dobro, pedal steel)

Larry Campbell has enjoyed a long and varied musical career, having played on dozens of albums by artists of nearly every variety. He is probably best known for his eight-year stint playing guitar with Bob Dylan for the "Never Ending Tour" from 1997 to 2004. The Manhattan-based musician has worked with such artists as Sheryl Crow, Rosanne Cash, Willie Nelson, Steve Forbert, Shawn Colvin, Judy Collins, Levon Helm, Little Feat, Edie Brickell, Marc Cohn, Leon Redbone, Joan Osborne, the Dixie Hummingbirds, B.B. King, Ollabelle, Lyle Lovett, Phil Lesh & Friends and many more. Campbell is an incredibly talented and versatile musician, who moves effortlessly from genre to genre-from country to blues, folk to rock. He has a mastery of a variety of instruments including the fiddle, pedal steel guitar, mandolin, acoustic guitar, banjo, and dobro, all of which he played at one time or other on Lomax: The Hound of Music. He continues to make guest appearances with various artists including Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Phil Lesh, Levon Helm (He and his wife, singer Teresa Williams, are regular performers at Levon Helm's famous Midnight Rambles in Woodstock, NY), and many more. Campbell has also produced recordings for artists such as The Dixie Hummingbirds ("Diamond Jubilation," 2003), and Willie Nelson ("He Was A Friend of Mine" for the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack, 2005). Also in 2005, he produced his own album, "Rooftops". He earned a Grammy in 2007 for co-producing and playing on Levon Helm's highly acclaimed Dirt Farmer album.

Temperance Babcock (fiddle)

Temperance Babcock is an Oklahoma transplant who has become a well-known fiddler on the Mississippi bluegrass scene. She has been playing the violin for over 20 years, having studied with such world-renowned teachers as Felicia Moye and the Manhattan School of Music's Lucy Robert. A burgeoning interest in bluegrass music took Temperance to Nashville in 2003, where she studied with Grand Ol' Opry fiddle players Daniel Carwile and Hoot Hester, and recorded with members of Ricky Skagg's band, Kentucky Thunder. Since moving to Jackson, Mississippi, she has teamed up with guitarist and banjo player (and well-known radio host), Bill Ellison, with whom she first collaborated on Lomax: The Hound of Music. Among Temperance's accomplishments on Lomax was playing the fiddle while dressed in a bear suit, something she confesses she had not attempted previously.

Deni Bonet (accordion)

Deni Bonet's credits as a violinist, accordion and mandolin player, and singer-songwriter are like reading a Who's Who of alternative-pop music. Deni was an original member of the cast of Mountain Stage, a weekly, live performance radio show featured on more than 100 NPR stations across the country, and has either performed or recorded with REM, Sarah McLachlan, Indigo Girls, Shawn Colvin, Cyndi Lauper, Richard Thompson, Warren Zevon, Bruce Cockburn and many others. In 2007, Deni was invited by REM to appear as a special guest (along with Patti Smith) on their "UP" tour. Deni and her band have toured independently in the US, opening for Patti Smith, Lisa Loeb, Midnight Oil, The Tubes, Marshall Crenshaw, and Robyn Hitchcock, among others.

Byata (vocalist)

Byata was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian immigrant parents, both of whom were musicians. She was introduced to hip-hop during her junior high school years in Brooklyn and instantly fell in love with the music and the culture. She began writing rhymes to different instrumentals and, before long, she was performing in open mics all over New York City, in corner freestyle battles, and on 106 & Park's "Freestyle Friday" Competition on BET. Byata has worked with legendary hip-hop producers Marley Marl and DJ Premier, and was a featured performer on the Mario "Let Me Love You" remix with Jadakiss and T.I., and on Jay-Z's "99 Problems" remix. She is also featured on the Wu-tang compilation album, Dreddy Kruger Presents: Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture.

Tom Chapin (vocals, banjo, guitar)

Adult albums and kids' albums, contemporary folk and pop, Tom Chapin's music spans styles and generations. For more than thirty years and through eighteen compact discs, Chapin has entertained, amused and enlightened audiences of all ages with life-affirming original songs told in a sophisticated array of musical styles. The New York Times calls Tom Chapin "one of the great personalities in contemporary folk music." He has recorded seven albums of adult-oriented material, with his eighth in progress. His concerts and recordings are sparked by strong, intelligent songwriting with clear, engaging vocals and the intricate, melodic guitar work that has become his trademark. Tom has also gained widespread critical and popular acclaim for his recordings aimed at 4 to 11 year-olds and their families. His family albums have been recognized with awards from the American Library Association, Parents' Choice, the New York Music Awards, the National Association of Parenting Publications and Parents Magazine. Five of his family recordings have received Grammy nominations for Best Musical Album For Children, and he has also won three Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. Billboard magazine calls Chapin "the best family artist around." Says Chapin: "My musical heroes are people like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie who wrote and sang real songs for real people; for everyone, old, young, and in between."

Bill Ellison (banjo, guitar)

Bill Ellison has been a mainstay in Mississippi's acoustic music scene for decades, both as a performer, and as the host of Grassroots, Mississippi Public Broadcasting's weekly Saturday night radio program featuring bluegrass and folk music. He is a founding member of the string band, The Vernon Brothers (which has the distinction of never having had anyone named Vernon associated with it), and currently plays in a duo with fiddler Temperance Babcock, whom he met during a taping of Lomax: The Hound of Music.

Joe Franco (drums)

Joe Franco started his career as a drummer playing the clubs of New York City with the legendary band Good Rats. He went on to play and tour with such artists as Leslie West, Jack Bruce, and Twisted Sister. Joe has recorded on multi-platinum albums by Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Taylor Dayne, Diana Ross and Hall & Oates. His drums and percussion are also heard on music for film and advertising, as well as a number of Alvin Ailey ballets. Joe's recent projects include recording with Kelly Osbourne and Ashley Simpson, two albums with Kansas' Steve Walsh, and a collaboration with Twisted Sister's Dee Snider named Van Helsing's Curse, which Joe produced and played drums on. Joe has also made a mark for himself in music education with his best-selling book and DVD, Double Bass Drumming. The book is used in leading music institutions throughout the world including the Berklee School of Music and the Music Institute of Technology. In 1995, Joe founded Beatstreet Productions, a state-of-the-art production facility in New York City's Flatiron district. In 1998, Joe was called on by Sirius Thinking to work on their Emmy-Award-winning PBS TV series "Between the Lions". For the show, Joe plays drums and composes segué music. Joe is also playing a major role in Lomax: The Hound of Music. Joe helped recruit the Music Director, Larry Campbell and, in addition to playing drums (most notably along with Levon Helm on the Lomax Theme Song), he coordinates music and post production services for the series.

Charles Giordano (accordion)

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Charles Giordano is best known for playing keyboards with Pat Benatar in the 1980s, and for playing keyboards and accordion with Bruce Springsteen's Sessions Band on the 2006 album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions and the subsequent Sessions Band Tour. In late 2007, Giordano joined Springsteen's legendary E Street Band during the serious illness of longtime E Street organist Danny Federici. After Federici's death in April 2008, Giordano has continued playing with the E Street Band. During his Benatar days, Giordano was identifiable by the distinctive array of berets, blazers and 1980s-style ties he sported. Giordano also was a member of The David Johansen Group and went on to perform with Buster Poindexter and The Banshees of Blue. As a session musician, Giordano's playing has included Madeleine Peyroux's 1996 album Dreamland and Bucky Pizzarelli's 2000 album Italian Intermezzo; the latter's mix of opera, Italian folk, and swing presaged his inclusion in the similarly genre-mashing Sessions Band Tour with Springsteen. Giordano also participated in a 2002 revival of garage rock icons ? and the Mysterians.

Sarah Lee Guthrie + Johnny Irion (vocals, guitar)

Sarah Lee Guthrie (born in Massachusetts in 1979) and Johnny Irion (born in South Carolina in 1968) were married in 1999, and began performing together as an acoustic duo in the fall of 2000. Their music combined Irion's love of rock and blues with Guthrie's roots in folk and country. The distinguishing feature throughout is the couple's caressing harmonies. Guthrie is the youngest daughter of world-renowned folksinger Arlo Guthrie and the granddaughter of the legendary Woody Guthrie. She was two years old when she made her singing debut as part of a children's chorus on Arlo's 1981 album, Power of Love. She worked as her father's road manager on the 1997 Further Festival tour, and, when she saw other members of the tour group enjoying themselves at late-night hootenannies, she picked up an acoustic guitar and started playing as a way of joining in. Like Sarah Lee, Johnny Irion was born into a family of artists. His uncle is author Thomas Steinbeck (John Steinbeck's son), and his grandmother, Rubilee Knight, is a classical violinist. Johnny was a central figure in the vibrant Carolina indie-rock scene of the early '90s, first as a member of Queen Sarah Saturday and later with Dillon Fence. Irion and Guthrie were introduced by a mutual friend (Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes) while the two were working together in Los Angeles. In 1999 Guthrie and Irion joined guitarist Tao Rodríguez-Seeger, grandson of Pete Seeger, and performed as a trio under the name RIG. Since setting out on the road together in 2001, Guthrie and Irion have averaged 180 shows a year. When not performing on their own, they tour nationally with Arlo Guthrie, recently accompanying him at Carnegie Hall with Pete Seeger. Their initial album collaboration, the critically acclaimed Exploration, was released on the New West label in 2005.

Levon Helm (drums)

Levon Helm's celebrated career has spanned almost five decades. The drummer, and sometime lead vocalist, for the legendary rock group The Band, Helm is acclaimed for his work on such all-time classic recordings as "The Weight," "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," and "Up on Cripple Creek." Levon Helm grew up working on a farm in Arkansas. He began playing guitar at the age of eight, but after seeing the F.S. Walcott Rabbits Foot Minstrels, he decided to switch to drums. Helm developed a keen interest in rock & roll, and eventually moved to Memphis, where, at the age of 17, he was discovered by a fellow Arkansan, rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins, and joined Hawking backing band, the Hawks. After adding Canadians Rich Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, and Robbie Robertson to their lineup, and parting ways with Hawkins, the group changed their name to the Band, became Bob Dylan's backing combo, and, in 1968, became instantly famous with the release of their album Music from Big Pink, ranked #34 by Rolling Stone magazine on its 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Helm's famous Midnight Ramble Sessions at "the Barn," his home and studio in Woodstock, NY, feature a variety of musical guests including Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, Jimmy Vivino of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," Ollabelle (which features, among others, his daughter Amy and Byron Isaacs), Catherine Russell, Gillian Welch, Teresa Williams, and Lomax's music director, Larry Campbell. The recently released Dirt Farmer is Levon's first solo, studio album in twenty-five years. Co-produced by Helm, his daughter Amy, and Larry Campbell, Dirt Farmer was awarded a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album in February 2008.

Byron Isaacs (bass, vocals)

Byron Isaacs is the bassist, dobro player, and co-vocalist for the celebrated New York City-based roots music sextet, Ollabelle. Byron, who currently resides in Brooklyn, is also a talented songwriter, who wrote the song "Calvary" on Levon Helm's Grammy-winning album, Dirt Farmer. Byron's bass playing is featured on most of the songs included in the first season of Lomax: The Hound of Music.

Paul Jacobs (piano, organ)

A native of New York City, Paul started playing piano at age 6, and entered the Juilliard School of Music at age 7. He played at Carnegie Hall at 9 and on Radio Free Europe at age 11. Temporarily forsaking classical piano for rock keyboards and guitar, Paul made his mark in the New York theater scene, co-writing, and serving as musical director of, National Lampoon's famous theatrical review Lemmings, starring Christopher Guest, Chevy Chase and John Belushi, and writing the music for The National Lampoon Show, featuring Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Richard Belzer and Harold Ramis. Paul was the musical director for Meat Loaf, composing and producing music that earned gold and platinum records in almost every country in the world. Other artists Paul has written for include Mel Tormé, Roger Daltrey, Faith Hill, india.arie, Brian McKnight, Wynona Judd, Ziggy Marley, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Paul Jacobs' work in children's television has earned him two Emmy awards. He is currently the musical director of Between The Lions, and he's written, arranged and produced over 100 songs for Sesame Street. Getting back to his classical roots, Paul won the 2000 Van Cliburn Institute Amateur Concerto Competition and performed with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Indeed, it is as a classical pianist - and also as a gospel organist - that Paul contributed to Lomax: The Hound of Music. Paul lives in New York City with his wife (and 4-time Emmy winner), Sarah Durkee, and their two children.

Howard Johnson (tuba, penny whistle)

Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Howard Louis Johnson is a self-taught post-bop jazz musician who has become one of the world's most celebrated tuba players, and who is also widely known for his work on baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, cornet, and penny whistle. In the 1960s he worked with Charles Mingus, Hank Crawford, Archie Shepp, and Hank Mobley on the album A Slice of the Top. He also began a long association with Gil Evans in 1966. He was the arranger for the horn section that backed Taj Mahal on Mahal's 1971 live album, The Real Thing. During the 1970s, Howard led the Saturday Night Live Band. Johnson played with The Band on their Rock of Ages live album and on The Last Waltz, and, through the past several years, has appeared as a semi-regular member of the Levon Helm Band. Howard has also founded and led three tuba bands: Substructure, Tuba Libre, and his current and perhaps best-known aggregation, Gravity.

The Mississippi Mass Choir, Dorcus Thigpen, Choir Director

Founded two decades ago by Frank Williams, the Grammy-winning Mississippi Mass Choir has become one of the world's most famous and beloved gospel aggregations. Based in Jackson, Mississippi, the choir, under the musical direction of David R. Curry, made its debut album, of a live concert at the Jackson Municipal Auditorium, in 1988: the album remained on the Billboard gospel charts for 45 weeks, and earned the choir prestigious James Cleveland Gospel Music Workshop of America awards as Contemporary Choir of the Year and Best New Traditional Artist of the Year. This was just the first in a long string of hugely successful recordings for the choir; their most successful album, It Remains to Be Seen, occupied the #1 position on the Billboard gospel charts for 12 full months. Lomax: The Hound of Music is honored that Dorcus Thigpen, choir director, and her talented colleagues, Leah Curry and Demetrius Smith, have been featured on two of our first season episodes.

Catherine Russell {vocalist)

Catherine Russell is a native New Yorker, born with an impressive musical pedigree. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was born in Panama and moved to New Orleans and then New York City, becoming a pioneering pianist/bandleader and Louis Armstrong's long-time musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, is an outstanding bassist and vocalist. Catherine has performed or recorded with an impressive array of artists, including Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, Cyndi Lauper, Joan Osborne, Michael Feinstein, Madonna, Al Green, J. Geils Band, Dolly Parton, Isaac Hayes, and Steely Dan, among others. Catherine is also Associate Professor of Voice at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In February 2008, Ms. Russell released her second album, Sentimental Streak, the follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut album, Cat. Ms. Russell has performed in major events like the Chicago Blues Festival, the Bern International Jazz Festival, the JVC-New York Jazz Festival, and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, and appears regularly with the Levon Helm Band. She has also performed on such national radio and television shows as Mountain Stage, Jazz Set, and Studio 360 on National Public Radio, and The Travis Smiley Show on PBS-TV.

Loretta Ables Sayre (vocalist)

Loretta Ables Sayre is one of Hawaii's most celebrated entertainers, in constant demand for her versatility as a vocalist, a cabaret performer, and an actress. From 1999 to 2006, Loretta performed at The Veranda of the world-famous Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Oahu. In the summer of 2007, she reprised her starring role in the Diamond Head Theater musical production of You Somebody. Her credits also include playing the role of Effie White in the Hawaii mounting of Dreamgirls. As a musician, Sayre has opened for the Beach Boys, Kenny Loggins, James Brown and the Four Tops. In 2008, Sayre made her Broadway debut as "Bloody Mary" in the Lincoln Center revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic musical, South Pacific, a role that earned her a Tony Award nomination as best featured actress in a musical.

Alan Sibley (fiddle, vocals)

Alan Sibley is an Ackerman, Mississippi, based singer/songwriter/musician who began his career at the age of fifteen playing mandolin with the famous traveling bluegrass gospel troupe, The Legendary Sullivan Family. Adept at the fiddle, banjo, and guitar, as well as the mandolin, Alan has also appeared regularly with banjo player Larry Wallace, a ten year veteran of Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys, and Jerry and Tammy Sullivan's Grammy-nominated bluegrass gospel group. Sibley was recently featured, with Larry Wallace and fiddler Ruby Jane Smith, on The CBS Evening News with Bob Schieffer, and is currently touring with his own band, Alan Sibley and the Magnolia Ramblers. Alan has also released a solo album of original and traditional bluegrass and "old-time gospel" songs, Shadow of the Mountain.

Teresa Williams (vocalist)

Teresa Williams grew up working the cotton fields on her family's seventh generation farm, soaking up the sounds of the Mecca of roots music, the West Tennessee Delta. Surrounded by Muscle Shoals, Tupelo, Memphis, Nashville, and Kentucky's Bluegrass country, she sang at "revivals" and "singings with dinner on the ground." After receiving her MFA in theatre, she made the leap to NYC, and while maneuvering extreme culture shock and continuing to work in theatre, she began performing as a session singer with such stars as Bonnie Bramlett, Buddy and Julie Miller, Emmylou Harris, and Peter Wolf. Currently, Williams appears regularly with the Levon Helm Band (she is featured on his Grammy winning CD, Dirt Farmer) and with Phil Lesh & Friends. She created the role of Sara Carter, lead singer of the Original Carter Family, in Keep on the Sunny Side and portrayed Sara in the BBC documentary, Lost Highway, and the PBS documentary, The Carter Family: Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Teresa is married to Grammy-winning musician (and Lomax music director) Larry Campbell.

Steven Wolf (drum programming)

Steven Wolf (a.k.a. Wolf) is a drummer/programmer for many of the world's top recording artists. Wolf's musical versatility, technical virtuosity, and mastery of both acoustic drums and electronics have made him a "first call" for artists and producers in virtually every musical genre. Wolf spent the beginning of his musical career touring the globe, performing on stage and television with an eclectic list of jazz, pop, r&b, and rock icons. Among those he has recorded or performed live with are Annie Lennox, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Pink, Joss Stone, Grover Washington, Jr., Britney Spears, Rufus Wainright, Celine Dion, the B-52s, and April Lavigne. In addition to being a "musician's musician," Wolf is a successful songwriter, producer, and remixer. He has co-produced platinum records for Avril Lavigne and Leona Lewis, and co-wrote a top 10 hit for British Pop Idol winner Will Young. Among the television shows he's appeared on or written or produced music for are The Sopranos, South Park, Saturday Night Live, Between the Lions, The Today Show, Sesame Street, and now, Lomax: The Hound of Music.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Christopher Cerf is an author, record and television producer, composer-lyricist, editor, humorist, and Co-Founder and President of the educational television production company, Sirius Thinking, Ltd., where he serves as Co-Executive Producer of the multiple award-winning children's literacy show, Between the Lions, and of the new music education series, Lomax: The Hound of Music. Since its first season in 1970, Chris has played a significant role in the creation and production of the Sesame Street television program, most notably as a regular contributor of music and lyrics, and as the producer of many of its music albums. In the process, he has won two Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards for songwriting and music production. Cerf has written or co-written over 300 songs featured on the program, including "Put Down the Duckie," "The Word Is No," "Dance Myself to Sleep," "Monster in the Mirror," and such notable parody songs as "Born To Add," "Letter B," and "Furry Happy Monsters." Cerf has served as a senior editor at Random House where he worked on Beginner Books, edited by Dr. Seuss, and was a charter contributing editor of National Lampoon. He recently won his third Grammy for Thanks & Giving All Year Long, the album he co-produced with Marlo Thomas. Cerf is also the author or co-author of several bestselling books, including The Experts Speak and The Official Politically Correct Dictionary and Handbook

Norman Stiles graduated from Hunter College in New York City, in 1964 with below average grades in zoology and chemistry, but with a flair for comedy that, five years later, earned him a full time job writing for Merv Griffin. In 1970 he started writing for Sesame Street and became head writer in 1973. In 1975, he left Sesame Street and went to Hollywood to work with Mel Brooks as co-creator and Co-Executive Script Consultant of the ABC sitcom, When Things Were Rotten, a parody of the Robin Hood legend that was cancelled after 13 episodes. Though his dream of fame and fortune had been crushed, Norman remained in Hollywood for the next several years, co-producing and/or co-writing such comedy and variety shows as Norman Lear's Fernwood 2-night and America 2-night. In 1980 Norman returned to New York, where he resumed his work at Sesame Street and regained his sanity. Over the years, as head writer, he supervised the Sesame Street writing staff of 15-20 writers, wrote the Emmy Award winning script that dealt with the death of Mr. Hooper, and co-wrote such Sesame Street songs as "Monster in the Mirror," and "Put Down the Duckie." Norman co-founded the educational entertainment company, Sirius Thinking Ltd., which created the PBS series, Between the Lions, and has co-created, co-written and co-executive produced Lomax: The Hound of Music. He has received 20+ Emmy Nominations and 13 Emmy awards for his work on Sesame Street and Between the Lions.

Richard Fernandes is an award-winning director and producer, whose diverse experience encompasses sitcoms, reality shows, commercials, documentaries, cooking shows, music videos, and children's programming. Rick's achievements include an Emmy for directing Disney Channel's Bear in the Big Blue House, as well as 11 Emmy nominations covering five different television series, including five for directing, two for producing, and four for single-camera editing. Rick has directed several episodes of Between the Lions for PBS and Out of the Box for the Disney Channel. He also directed and executive-produced the quadruple-platinum DVD, We Are The Laurie Berkner Band, and recently directed what is believed to be the first underwater talk show (taped in the Bahamas.) Rick's producing credits include his role as executive producer on Animal Planet's Pet Psychic and the Disney Channel's Breakfast with Bear and Out of the Box. He began his career as an editor, where his credits ranged from the highly acclaimed PBS documentary Kristallnacht to the Emmy-winning series Reading Rainbow. Rick recently completed directing the pilot season of Titlepage.TV, a new webisode series where authors gather to discuss their latest works. In addition to his executive producer services, Fernandes directed five episodes of Lomax: The Hound of Music.

Richard "Rick" Moore has spent more than two decades in the film and television production industry. He started his career as a freelancer, working for media powerhouses such as MTV, ESPN, and HBO. In 1997, Rick started his own business, which has grown from a one-man operation to a multi-business conglomerate that includes three companies in two different states. These companies include: Eyevox, Mississippi's largest production studio; The Screen Engine, a high-end film post and effects house located in Florida; and Mad Genius, Inc., a full-service advertising and design company located in Ridgeland, Mississippi. As CEO of Eyevox, Rick has led the studio through the creation of award-winning regional and national commercials and helped produce national television pilots and series, including segments for the award-winning PBS series Between The Lions. Rick also serves as Executive Producer on the new national PBS series, Lomax: The Hound Of Music.

DIRECTORS

Richard Fernandes (See "EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS.")

Hugh Martin is a six-time Emmy-Award-nominated director, producer, and writer who has worked extensively in both film and television. He has directed many of the most outstanding children's series in television today, including Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?, Reading Rainbow, Zoom, Bear in the Big Blue House, Between The Lions, The Magic School Bus, Sid the Science Kid, and now Lomax: The Hound of Music. His directorial work has been honored with three cable ACE Awards, the Parents Choice Award, and a Gold Medal at the International Film, TV Festival of New York Gold Medal. Hugh's career began in Pittsburgh where he produced and directed Mister Rogers Neighborhood. He later moved to New York City where the scope of his work expanded, over time, to include live television drama, film, episodic television, sitcoms, soap operas and documentary productions. In the process, Hugh has had the privilege of working with such talented performers such as Lily Tomlin, LeVar Burton, Jeff Goldblum, Leslie Nielsen, Sally Kellerman, Seth Green, Lena Horne, and Kermit the Frog.

Lisa Simon is a noted producer and director in the field of children's television and the winner of 16 Emmy Awards. Lisa has lent her unique talents to an impressive array of landmark programming. As producer and director of Sesame Street she brought new life and direction to what had already become a benchmark for quality educational television for pre-school children. As Assistant Vice President of Sesame Productions' International Group, Ms. Simon was part of the team responsible for the program's global expansion. She is currently producing, for Sesame Workshop, a Bert and Ernie adventure claymation series for domestic and International use. Ms. Simon's own company, simon-sez productions, has given her the freedom to work with major corporate, film, and video production companies. Among her many successful directing and producing credits: Between the Lions for PBS; a commercial for the national tour of the Tony-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q; Don't Do This, a musical trailer for Sony theaters; Bear In The Big Blue House, a Jim Henson Production shown on the Disney Channel; and Wonder Pets, an animated series for Nick Jr.

WRITERS

Christopher Cerf (See "EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS.")

Sarah Durkee has enjoyed a career in both scriptwriting and songwriting for children's educational television for over twenty-five years. Her work for Sesame Street and Between the Lions has earned her four Emmy awards, and her writing is also featured regularly on Dora the Explorer, Arthur, Peep and The Big Wide World. Her lyrics have been recorded by artists as diverse as Meat Loaf, Kermit the Frog, Mel Tormé, Roger Daltrey and Hillary Duff, and her additional writing includes the recently published young adult novel The Fruit Bowl Project. She lives in New York City with husband and musical collaborator Paul Jacobs and their two children.

Louise Gikow is an Emmy-award-winning author/composer of over 150 scripts, books, and songs for kids and adults. Louise began her career at the legendary National Lampoon magazine. She has worked as Editorial Director and creative consultant at Jim Henson Productions, created and run a publishing and multimedia division at Nickelodeon, and worked as Senior Vice President, Creative Operations at Sirius Thinking, creator of Between the Lions and Lomax: The Hound of Music. She is also the co-creator and head writer of Johnny and the Sprites, currently airing on Playhouse Disney, the librettist of a number of chamber and orchestral music pieces for children and adults composed by Bruce Adolphe, and the writer of "Cosmic Collisions," the critically acclaimed planetarium show now playing at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the Museum of Natural History in New York City and around the world. Louise is currently at work on a book celebrating the fortieth anniversary of Sesame Street.

Peter K. Hirsch

Peter Hirsch is the head writer and executive story-editor for the WGBH series, Arthur and a Consulting Producer for Between The Lions. Over the past 14 years he has written for various children's shows, such as PEEP, Big Big World, Postcards From Buster, The Time Warp Trio, Curious George, and Martha Speaks. He has won six Daytime Emmy Awards, two Silver New York Festival Medals, a Peabody Award and has been a finalist for the Humanitas Prize twice. He has been a speechwriter, a travel writer and a playwright, and is a graduate of Harvard University.

Brian Meehl is a puppeteer and writer who began performing with Jim Henson's Muppets during the later seasons of The Muppet Show. Trained as a mime, Meehl assisted the principal puppeteers and performed small roles. He soon transitioned to Sesame Street, where he took over the role of Barkley the Dog, and originated such characters as Telly Monster, Dr. Nobel Price, and, in some of very early appearances, Elmo. Meehl also performed multiple roles in Henson's classic fantasy film, The Dark Crystal, and was one of only two puppeteers in the movie to both perform and voice a character. Meehl left his full-time association with the Muppets in 1984 to pursue a career in television writing, contributing scripts to Nick Jr's Eureeka's Castle, and to such PBS mainstays as The Magic School Bus, Between the Lions, and Cyberchase. Brian has also written two young adult novels, Out of Patience and the recently published Suck It Up. Brian lives in Connecticut with his family of three females on a farm full of furry animals, and is working on a third novel.

Luis Santeiro is a long-time writer for Sesame Street, and his contribution for that show has earned him 16 Emmy Awards. He was also head writer for the acclaimed PBS bilingual comedy series Que Pasa, USA?, for which he received another Emmy, as well as the international animated series, Bert & Ernie's Great Adventures. He has written for many children's programs, including: Between the Lions (winning yet another Emmy Award for his contributions), Little Bill, The Upside Down Show, The Brothers Garcia, and, most recently, Lomax, The Hound of Music. Santeiro has also enjoyed great success as a playwright. Among his many works are: Our Lady of the Tortilla (which has enjoyed over one-hundred productions around the country), Mixed Blessings (recipient of an AT&T Onstage grant), and The Rooster & the Egg and Praying With the Enemy and Land o' Fire (each of which earned him the National Hispanic Playwriting Award). Luis's musical, Barrio Babies, for which he wrote book and lyrics, received a Richard Rodgers Foundation of Musical Theatre Award, and the equally sought after Edward Kleban Award.

Norman Stiles (See "EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS.")

LOMAX: THE HOUND OF MUSIC - TELEVISION CREDITS, SEASON ONE

Directors Richard Fernandes Hugh Martin Lisa Simon
Created by Christopher Cerf Norman Stiles Louise Gikow
Head Writers Norman Stiles Christopher Cerf
Writers Sarah Durkee Louise Gikow Peter Hirsch Brian Meehl Luis Santeiro Norman Stiles
Executive Producers Christopher Cerf Norman Stiles Richard Fernandes Rick Moore
Producers Diane Hartman John Gibson	Associate Producer Stanley Graham
Associate Director Richard Fernandes	Technical Director Jeff Tanner
Puppeteers/Principal Actors Pam Arciero Anthony Asbury Jennifer Barnhart Jim Kroupa Peter Linz Amy Miles Fred Newman
Music Director Larry Campbell
Musicians Deni Bonet Larry Campbell Joe Franco Charles Giordano Levon Helm Byron Isaacs Paul Jacobs Howard Johnson Steven Wolf
Guest Performers and Vocalists Temperance Babcock Skylar Bunch Larry Campbell Tom Chapin Bill Ellison Sarah Lee Guthrie Johnny Irion Catherine Russell Alan Sibley Teresa Williams Camden Yates and Members of the Mississippi Mass Choir: Leah Curry Demetrius Smith Dorcus Thigpen
Production Designer Victor Di Napoli	Art Director Karen Wing
Props and WardrobeManager Mary Goodson	Assistant Art Director Wade Acuff
Set Design Assistant Bob Phillips	Art Department Assistant David Walker
Hair and Makeup Felicia Robbins	Script Supervisor Kyle Hanlon
Lighting Designer Ken Craig	Lighting Director Len Stanga
Construction Manager Jerel Levanway
Scenic Construction Bill Rinehart Jack Thomas Ray Green
Scenic Painter Don Jacobs
Offline Editors Erica Levin Gregg Wallace	3D Animators Wade Acuff Zachary Prichard
Post-Production Coordinator Missy Spell
Puppet Design and Build 3/Design Studio John Orberg, Puppet Supervisor Jim Kroupa Matthew Stoddart Janet Kuhl
Puppet Wrangler Rob Gardner	Puppet Assistant Keri Horn
Curriculum Consultants John M. Feierabend, Ph.D. Peggy Lyman	Talent/Music Consultant Ginger Brown
Marketing Consultant Erica Lindberg Gourd	Website Producer Lynn Kestin Sessler
Child Talent Coordinator Vanessa Kenyon
Music Producer Christopher Cerf
Production Audio Engineer Sam Watson	Music Coordinator Chris Cardillo
Camera/Jib Operators Jeff Tanner Don Warren Adam Daniel Scott Combel	Grip/Electric Mason McGuire Ward Easley John Burnham Andy Williamson
Utilities Corey Easley Joseph Soutullo Andrew Fairbank	Production Assistants Brent Hearn Miriam Lamar Nicole Marquez Melissa Roja
Production Coordinators Nikki Smith Victoria Chiaro Tina Keane	Production Accountants Joanne DeMichele Billy Tinsley
Attorneys Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell & Vassallo
Taped at Eyevox Film and Video Production Studios
Post-Production Facilities The Screen Engine
Post Production Supervisor/Animation/Sound Ricky Turner
On-line editing/Sound/Animation John Long
Animation Severo Ojea Kelly Parks Dax Procissi
Post-Production Assistant Michelle Frank
Music and Audio Post Beatstreet Productions Joe Franco Nick Cipriano Matt Longoria Jeff Malinowski
Connecticut Production Support
Location Manager Aaron Caiazza Lighting Designer Bill Berner Camera/Jib Shawn Harkins Jib Assistant Mike McCormick	Production Assistance Ryan Stevenson Evan Messerli James Quinn Nykai Renggli Alistair Hunt Greg Hartzell Lili Kinsman Will Sime
Additional footage taped at Essex Steam Train and Riverboat
Executive Director Robert Bell
Marketing Director Susan Dee
(23) For Connecticut Public Television
Senior Programming Executive Larry Rifkin
National Program Administrator Lisa DiDonato Cambria
Director of National Programming Communication Lee Newton
National Programming Coordinator Scott Phillips
Manager of Program Production Ed Gonsalves
Producer of National Projects Harriet Unger
Manager of Programming Content and Brand Paul Pfeffer
Graphic Designer Todd Gray
Special thanks to: Anna Lomax Wood and The Association for Cultural Equity The Flying W Air Ranch
Based on the First Steps in Music curriculum by John M. Feierabend, Ph.D., The Hartt School, University of Hartford ©2003, GIA Publications, Inc.
Lomax: The Hound of Music is a production of: Sirius Thinking, Ltd. Eyevox, Inc. Connecticut Public Television ©2008

About the Program

Behind theScenes

LOMAX BIOGRAPHIES