In FROM THE WELL, homegrown Celtic and American-centered folk music grows out of
two previous Lancaster County groups, Gladly Playe Wyth Stryngs and Kestrel
Spring. FROM THE WELL derives its unique
sound from hammer dulcimers and the strong vocals provided by all four members
of the group. Bill Stine centers the band in well- conceived medleys and
compositions as familiar as those from Turlough O'Carolan, and as fresh and new
as those from Scottish-born Dougie MacLean. Besides boasting twin hammer
dulcimers, the band wields violin, viola, cello, assorted whistles, guitar, and frame
drums. Craig Zumbrun prefers songs with a Scottish heritage, and Bill's
daughter, Sarah, yields a fine soprano that is often paired in shifting descants
with Erin Flynn’s voice. While
Bill and Craig have played together for the past 12 years, the distaff side
brings youth and academics to the group, driving the band into constantly new
territory and with refreshed energy.
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Erin Flynn plays hammer dulcimer, violin, viola,
Irish
whistles, bodhran, and sings with From The Well. She is currently
pursuing a Master's Degree in ethnomusicology at the University of
Maryland, College Park. She received her undergraduate degree in music
education from the University of Delaware, where she studied violin and
piano. A former member of the Delaware-based band Mythica, Erin also
performs in a professional string quartet. She has enjoyed playing music
with Bill and Craig for over eight years. |
| Craig Zumbrun began singing in public at age 5, with his Grandmother or Great Aunt accompanying him at church festivals and lodge events. By 13, he and his cousin would perform folk songs at coffee houses. By 15, he had formed his first rock band: The Sands of Thyme. Since 1987, when he formed Arcona Reel Band (named after the road on which he lived), he has played guitar and bodhran and sung at “faires”, festivals, weddings, and concerts. He met Bill in 1989, recording in that Underground Sound studio, and the rest is history. His musical heroes (and heroine) are Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and Emmy Lou Harris. |  |
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Bill Stine recently retired from over a third of a century
of public school and college instruction. He spends his time being a
husband and father, a church choir director, and working in his
recording studio. Living with his family and ten cats in Lancaster
County, he is committed to performing live Celtic and American folk
music for those who enjoy it. Bill arranges most of the music
performed by From The Well. He spends a lot of time playing, advising,
and encouraging others on the hammer dulcimer and whistles. |
| At the age of 14, Sarah Stine is the youngest member of From The Well. She is an 9th Grader at Hempfield High School, and is involved with lessons in piano, cello, voice, and dance. She performs with Encore Dance Center, her string quartet, and Lancaster Youth Symphony. In From The Well, Sarah plays cello, whistles, and sings both lead and background vocals. |  |
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As our sound engineer, Jared McDonald is considered to be a true member of the band. Jared has known Bill Stine since Jared was a student at Manheim Township Middle School, where Bill was his 8th Grade music teacher. Jared is a self-taught musician of seventeen years, with proficiency in electric & acoustic guitars, while dabbling in most other rock-oriented instruments, such as bass guitar, drums, and keyboard. He was trained at Sheffield Institute for Recording Arts, majoring in audio engineering. Jared has an intense passion for audio, both studio and live aspects. Jared and Bill often work together on professional audio projects, combining their two recording studios. If Jared is not spending time with his wife and two golden retrievers, you will most certainly find him with a microphone in his hand. |
