Projects
Photo by Henry Gotjen
Kate Gregory and Baron Collins-Hill
Kate Gregory and Baron Collins-Hill met in Portland in 2021 and have been musical collaborators ever since. They bring their experience from many different traditional music styles to create a unique and melodic sound. Baron employs his multi-instrumental expertise to switch between tenor guitar backing and mandolin or tenor banjo melody to accompany Kate’s rhythmic fiddle playing. In their duo, they explore tunes from Irish, Quebecois, Swedish, and American Old Time traditions.
Kate Gregory and Brendan Hearn
Kate Gregory and Brendan Hearn form an innovative duo that brings together American Old Time, Irish, and other folk music traditions on fiddle and cello. Kate (fiddle) and Brendan (cello) formed their friendship and musical connection at fiddle camps on the West and East coasts of the US. They combine their backgrounds from multiple musical styles and shared appreciation for melody and groove to create rhythmic arrangements of both traditional and original tunes and songs. The tunes they play and write live in both the rich and multi-continental history and in the imaginative future of traditional music. The duo had their debut performance in January of 2023 at the Boston Celtic Music Festival.
Photo by Henry Gotjen
Kate and the Lads
Since she moved to Portland in 2021, Kate has been playing weekly at TC O'Leary's Irish Pub with Kate and the Lads, a rotating crew of local Irish musicians including Richie Rosencrans, Baron Collins-Hill, Erik Killops, Emma Swartz, Preston Wilde, Gordo Freeman, Elias Alexander, and others. Each week they delight pub guests with upbeat, fun, and driving tunes.
Ministry of Folk
While not exactly a musical project, Ministry of Folk is an important one! In 2020 Kate joined Sarah Collins, Summer McCall, and Brendan Hearn to create an online platform for musician support during the pandemic. The site began as a way to connect folk music teachers with students, but evolved into a much larger endeavor. During lockdown, Ministry of Folk hosted online concerts and workshops, hosted fundraisers and an online music festival (Wintery Weekend), and created a musical message delivery platform for holidays (Serenadagrams). Since then, they have continued to connect musical communities across the United States and host an annual campout in Pennsylvania.
