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Once upon a time, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, there came the insidious invasion of the Evil Garlic Mustard! Don Lawson, Pam Ulrich, and Debbie Welhelm were quick to recognize this undocumented alien vegetation was up to no good. So they joined the mighty “Park People” in their ongoing and ever vigilant fight to the death (hopefully of the Evil Garlic Mustard). While the battle raged on one Saturday morning (which is generally when battles are scheduled for some reason) the three stalwart warriors were discussing their love of Celtic music and folk music in general. In the course of their discussion they discovered that they each played at least one instrument (some played more!) and thought they could combine their love of things Celtic and their hatred of the Evil Garlic Mustard by forming a band of musical warriors. Debbie dragged … oops, I mean “invited” her husband, Joe into the foray. Bobbie (Don’s spouse) insisted that she too wanted in on the action, and since she “must be obeyed,” she was. Pam just played her flute and let us all have some of her spouses great beer whenever we could get over to her house (Yum…). I, the writer of this tale, came when heard Don at a local coffee house and since I was looking for a band decided to attempt the playing of Celtic music. After a long trial I figured out what a G chord was, and the rest is, as they say, history. (I’m still trying to figure out the difference between a “hombo” and a “jig” though). As we began we quickly found out that not only did we all enjoy playing together, we all had a sense that the purpose of life is to help other living things — except when they come to our shores as undocumented alien species — and so we decided we would attempt to give back to the community at least some of whatever we made each year. So far we have given thousands of dollars to our local schools for music, instrument repair and special projects, as well as some to the determined warriors, the Park People. All of which is to say, of whatever you purchase, wherever we play, whatever we earn, a good deal of goes to a good cause or two. And that’s what it’s all about — unless you’re the Evil Garlic Mustard, in which case you better be ware of the Garlic Mustard Pickers!
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