About Us

Siobhán Quinn (pronounced shhh-vawn) is originally from Berkeley, CA, & upstate New York, and was born of immigrant parents. With a voice of powerful texture and variety, some refer to her as a “pyrotechnic folk & blues singer.” She can rip into exuberant blues, bring tears to your eyes with a soulful ballad, or bring an audience to complete stillness with a centuries old folk song. Siobhan's English and Irish family experience comes out in her songwriting; along with that occasional twist into the blues she loves so much.

When he witnessed history in the making as a young boy in Selma, Alabama, Michael Bowers realized that his most prized possessions were not in boxes or on paper, but in his mind and his voice. He's known for his strong, sophisticated lyrics as well as cut-to-the-chase songs. The lessons of his storied southern roots sometimes surface in live performance and his lyrics range from the heartfelt to humorous. To add even more spice to his vocals and guitar, Michael often uses a Paul Beard resonator & Veillette Gryphon guitar to create a certain texture to various songs.

Together

Both artists have individual reputations earned from five collective recordings, national touring and radio play reaching international levels prior to their partnership. But their collaboration brings out the best in each. The duo has been awarded spots at the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition and Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist Showcase along with multiple regional, national and international main stage showcases. Their songs have staying power. Simply put: Siobhan Quinn & Michael Bowers sing and create songs with an intimacy and universality that truly resonate with persons of all experiences in life. They move the listeners' head, heart, hips and feet.

Venues

Just some of the venues Siobhán Quinn and Michael Bowers have performed together or separately, from Boston to San Diego, from D.C. to the U.K. Caffe Lena, The Birchmere Music Hall, Kerrville Folk Festival, Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, Washington Folk Festival, Boston Folk Festival, Swannanoa Gathering, American Library in Paris, Alexandria First Night, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Institute of Musical Traditions, Sanctuary Concerts, Carriage Barn at Waveny Park, Circle of Friends, Sand Lake Center for the Arts, Guthrie Center, Good Folk Coffeehouse, Concerts at the Crossing, Eddie's Attic, Fast Folk Café, Acoustic Brew Coffeehouse, Ploughshares Coffeehouse, Blackrock Center for the Arts, House of Musical Traditions, Moore Music in the House, Vic's Music Corner, Shenandoah Coffeehouse, Summer NAMM Show/Winter NAMM: Taylor Guitars Showcase, Fiddle & Bow, Front Porch Music, Urban Campfires, Uncle Calvin's, Bosque House Concerts, Summersongs, Empire State Plaza, NYS Fleet Blues Festival, Fenimore Cooper Museum, Glens Falls Blues Festival, Gotta Get Gone Folk Festival, Mountain Culture Festival, Old Songs Festival, Riverfront Arts Festival traditional folk & electric blues stages, Takoma Park Folk Festival, NYS Egg Theatre, Night Eagle Coffeehouse, Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, Northeast & Southwest Regional Folk Alliance Official Showcases, Official International Folk Alliance Performance Alley Showcase.

Siobhan & Michael have also performed at many other coffeehouses, libraries, Unitarian chuches, house concerts, arts centers, performance halls, colleges and universities, conferences, and workshops.

Radio

Alaska to Florida, Boston to Belgium, Delaware to Dublin! Just some of the stations on which their voices have been heard separately or together:
XM-The Village, Fifty-one percent (WAMC/Northeast Public Radio's National Productions, heard on public radio stations, ABC Radio Network stations, Armed Forces Radio stations around the world), Midnight Special (syndicated), WYSO, WYEP, WYCE, WXPN, WVPE, WUTC, WUMB, WUKY, KSFR, KZSC, KVNF, KUWR, KUNC, KTAO, KSUT, KSMF, KRVM, KRCL, KOTR, KNBA, KFAN, KFAI, KEOS, KCRW, KBAC, KAXE, KMCQ, KXCI, KANU, KPFK, WTRI, WTMD, WTBQ, WSPN, Acousticafe, Acoustic Accents (Syndicated), World Café (syndicated), New Hampshire Public Radio , WRVG, WRSI, WRPI, WRNR, WNKU, WNCW, WNCS, WDOT, The Point, WMWV, WMUA, WUMC, CITR, WFER, WKSD, WMUC, WAER, WCVF, WDBX, WDCB, WETA, WFCF, WFIT, WFMT, WIUP, WNUR, WORT, WPRB, WPSU, WRFG, WTSR, WVUD, WMNF, WMKY, WMFO, WKZE, WKSU, WJFF, WHUS, WGWG, WGLB Metro Milwaukee, WGCS, WFUV, WFNB, WFHB, WFCR, WEYL, WERU, XM Radio (via “Midnight Specia”) WDIY/WMU, WDET, WBJB, WAPS, WAMU, WAMC, Kansas Public Radio, Radio Paradise, Wyoming Public Radio (Morning Music with Don Woods), Folkscene, Folkalley.com (syndicated), DMX, European Broadcasting Corporation (Euro Radio/Slovene Nat’l Radio), BBC-2 Folk Show with Mike Harding, Lyric-FM (RTE Ireland), Clanrye Radio (Ireland), Highway 61-Italy (Massimo Ferro), Australia Radio (Laurie Nitschke), Belgium Radio (200,000 listeners), etc.

CREATIVE WORKSHOP BIOS

Vocal Workshop & Songwriting Bio

Siobhán Quinn is a profoundly versatile vocalist and teacher and writes and performs songs in folk, blues and adult contemporary pop styles. She is known as a dynamic singer of Chicago & New Orleans style electric blues and has performed many other styles from jazz and big band to classic r&b, classic and contemporary rock; early song to renaissance music, and medieval madrigals in five languages. One of the most popular vocal instructors around, she has toured internationally, and is accompanied by her music partner and husband, songwriter Michael Bowers. Her careful attention to each individual is renowned, and students often return to her workshops, learning new tools each year. Siobhán has been a revered master instructor at Swannnanoa Gathering for 14 years. She has taught at such programs as WUMB Summer Acoustic Music Week, Kerrville Folk Festival, Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Song School, NERFA, Great American Masters Music Industry Workshop, and coached voice at the Summersongs & Wintersongs songwriting retreats. Newly relocated to Austin TX, Siobhán has taught individuals, touring professionals, and coached vocal performance for recordings at her former home in Alexandria VA. She consistently updates her own credentials through such programs as the international British Voice Association Conference master classes performance/ otolaryngology, and CCM at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester VA. She named Best Vocalist and Best Interpretive Musician by Metroland Magazine, awarded a WAMMIE for Best Traditional Folk Vocalist, has been a top-five songwriting finalist in the Boston Folk Festival Songwriting contest, Emerging Artist at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and (with Michael Bowers) here in the Kerrville New Folk Competition.

Michael Bowers is a two time New Folk Finalist, Emerging artist at Falcon Folk Festival, FARM showcase artist (Midwest Folk Alliance), South Florida Folk Festival Songwriter Finalist, and multi-year teacher at the Song School in Lyons, Colorado. He has served over several years as a panel member and finalist judge for the Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest for the Songwriter’s Association of Washington (SAW). A therapist by training, Michael focuses his writing and performance on how to make the audience “lean in” to a song and presentation by a songwriter. He has toured with Siobhán Quinn over the last 15 years, and prior to that toured as a solo singer/songwriter. He has worked on multiple recordings, including the Rachel Bissex tribute, and has released solo recordings of Angel On My Shoulder and Reluctant Believer; and, with Siobhán Quinn: Dreamers Lovers and Outlaws, and One Day.Say something interesting about your business here.

More than anything....

We always have a bunch of fun.