The
Savage Mountain Garage Band Program has a core faculty of area rock and
roll musicians as well as guest musicians, guest teachers and other music
professionals. Core faculty for the 2009 program include:
Gerry
LaFemina (Vocals, Lyric Writing, Director)
In the 1980s Gerry played with the New York punk band Expletive Deleted
playing his first gig at CBGB and going on to tour the country twice.
Later, after a stint with midwest ska favorites Tom Collins and the Cocktail
Shakers, he produced CDs for independent label Jump Up USA Records. The
author of numerous collections of poetry, LaFemina teaches in the English
Department at Frosbturg State University and plays guitar and sings in
the local garage band The Furious Hours.
Nick
Taylor (Bass and Guitar)
After finding a guitar wrapped up in a garbage bag in his attic he joined
his first band, Distorted Penguins, when he was 15 years old and never
looked back. They stayed with it for 11 years, released 4 albums, and
toured the United States a countless number of times.
Curt
Tompkins (Drums, Tempo, Guitar)
Professional drummer and percussion instructor Curtis Tompkins has been
teaching for over 6 years for drum lines and band camps, as well as teaching
privately in the Cumberland/Frostburg region. Having appeared on nearly
a dozen albums, Tompkins currently writes and records music with his brother,
Kenneth, for the Royal Army Recording Company. Since 2001, he has performed
live at venues along the East Coast and will tour this Fall with The RARC's
latest project, The Christmas Lights!
Kenny
Tompkins (Guitar, Keyboards, Song Writing)
Kenny Tompkins writes and records music at his home in Frostburg, Maryland.
Since 2001, he has worked as songwriter for several projects including
The Royal Army Recording Co, The Christmas Lights!, and The Trend. He
has also released 3 collections of solo material: The Beautiful Death
Of Everything (2004) and others. Since the formation of The RARC, Kenny
has written, recorded, and produced two collective releases: Mary, Your
Ghost Is Showing (2006), and Contortionist Blues, Vol. 1 (2007). In early
2008, he released the first full-length LP from The Christmas Lights!
entitled Walk Like A Human. With reviews and support pouring in, The Christmas
Lights! will begin touring in Fall 2008.
