Chad Crumm

Chad played trumpet and took piano lessons throughout grade school. In high school he discovered the banjo teaching himself to play from a book. His sister gave Chad a fiddle for a high school graduation present. Soon after Chad met old time fiddler Peter Honig. Throughout the following year the two played in numerous bands, traveled south, listened and learned tunes and shared their mutual enthusiasm for Highwoods Stringband. While living in Boston in the 70’s Chad happened upon the street fiddler/harmonica player Dave Molk. Dave generously showed Chad a few bowing tips which liberated a kind of confused bow arm. Chad moved to Lexington VA in the mid 70’s where he joined Ace Weems and the Fat Meat Boys. Ace Weems featured the banjo playing of Dave Winston and the fiddle playing of James Leva. After moving back to Boston in the late 70’s to attend music school Chad began playing with his old guitar pal Chip Taylor Smith. The two soon met Jim Reidy who in turn found the old time banjo player Mike Donahue. Mike had a friend who played bass who of course turned out to be Paul Strother. While playing with the Chokers at various clubs in the Boston area at night, Chad attended school during the day eventually earning a BM in composition from New England Conservatory. Through the rest of the 1980’s Chad continue to explore his interest in contemporary concert music and old time music. In 1990 Chad moved to New York City where he worked for the Music Research Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. During these years Chad, Keith Brand and Alex Scala formed the Hix. The Hix played for 12 plus years. The band featured songs and instrumentals written by Chad as well as innovative arrangements of traditional material. Today Chad lives in Ithaca New York and plays with the Chokers and the Common Railers.