Friday, Jan. 29, 2010

Starting out a new year of concerts and jams for WTB/TMA 

    Simple Gifts

             of Alamogordo, New Mexico

Featured band at the Weed Bluegrass Festival since 2000 and other events throughout the Southwest

The band started in 1995 as a church praise band and eventually encompassed other bluegrass secular and gospel music.

At their performance for us Jan. 29, they will be introducing their first CD

"Simple Gifts - On Our Knees".

Members of the group include, left to right:

"Painless" Joe Snyder--dentist by profession and banjo player extraordinaire.

Joe began banjo in college and studied with Wayne Shrubsall.

His wonderful sense of humor and love of traditional music greatly enhance the group.

Tim Miller -- Guitar player and songwriter, Tim composed several of the group's favorite gospel tunes

which are also featured on their new CD, including the title track "On Our Knees".

Tim also runs the recording studio Major Audio and Video Productions.

He's an electronic technician with White Sands Missile Range.

Rob Hicks -- Playing guitar and mandolin from youth, Rob got his first bluegrass band experience

sitting in with a band in Honolulu, Hawaii while stationed there with the Air Force.

He has added fiddle to his repertoire in recent years.

Rob is a Flight Test Engineeer with MTSI and a Texas Tech grad.

Kelly Hicks -- Kelly holds down the low end with the bass fiddle and holds up the high end with her beautiful voice.

She joined the band and learned to play bass at the request of husband Rob.

Kelly and Rob have a son and daughter who are students at Texas Tech.

Kelly is a dental hygienist in Alamogordo.