Austin Atteberry & Friends

Austin Atteberry's Bio: “To kiss the hand that holds the heart,” my grandfather said. “How is that the greatest thing in the whole wide world?” I replied, sitting on his lap. “And how can someone even hold their heart anyway?” One Christmas Eve, my grandpa Buck explained that the greatest thing in the whole wide world was not a thing at all. How could that be? I remember thinking. What about Porsches and Ferraris and mansions and candy? The reason my grandfather chose this phrase to describe the beauty of compassion and the joy of giving, I will probably never know. But in all my life, nobody has ever told more truth. The greatest thing in the whole wide world is indeed to kiss the hand that holds the heart. And in so many words, this is why I do what I do. I’ve played music for the better part of my life, studying privately in classical voice, guitar and percussion. State and regional choirs, musical productions, percussion troupes and rock bands all fall into what would be called my musical experience. But the reason I do what I do is to write. For me, writing comes straight from those few words my grandfather told me so many years ago. Thank you for listening…



Pete Wojtowicz's Bio: My mother's favorite picture is of me at age seven, playing piano while wearing a football helmet. I was of course never allowed to play football because it would, "damage my fingers" (I was thin as a rail with a huge head and rather unstable, but she didn't want to hurt my feelings). In sixth grade I pulled the shortest straw and was relegated to bass player of a forming band (still waiting for that first practice, fellas). The project fizzled; you can't practice and play TechmoBowl at the same time. But I continued playing bass in everything from high school jazz band to the much-storied punk glory of the Gillespies' graffitied basement. I gave a grand final performance (sans helmet) on the piano--of which I have a tape and am willing to show anyone who may be interested--and headed to Northwestern University, bass in hand. At Northwestern, I had the privilege to study with greats like improv guru Michael Kocour and string bass goliath Michael Hovnanian. Studies on classical and jazz bass, and beers till sunrise, kept me occupied and college was, as everyone says, "over before I knew it." But college was merely a catalyst, education and fun are ever-thriving. The next year and a half was spent growing and learning with too many beers in many bars as crime-jazz band Buddha's Belly toured the Midwest. Working with Austin, I find myself dancing with my string bass and playing acoustic music full of passion and spirit.



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