Peter Elman Lisa Goulder The Alibis Mike DeWall
Peter was born and raised in Bethesda, Maryland, and at a young age fell in love with the sounds of rock n’roll, soul, and country-western music. Equally adept on piano, organ, trombone, guitar and bass, he produced his first record at 16 and worked steadily as a professional musician. In 1973 he joined the band Lazy River and relocated to California, where he began to write music for what would be his debut solo album, DURANGO SALOON. He spent two years in Austin, Texas absorbing American roots music, along the way playing piano for Lacy J. Dalton, Flaco Jimenez and the Willie Nelson band. In 1977 he moved to the Bay Area, and since then has produced a dozen albums, among them six of his own. He has performed and recorded with, among others, Grammy-winning writer/producer Rick Nowels (Stevie Nicks, Madonna, Celine Dion), Tom Johnston (Doobie Brothers) and Stef Burns (Huey Lewis and the News). He has composed, arranged and produced music for national TV and radio spots (Toyota, Levis) and was the manager of Acorn Music. Pete is currently involved in many writing, performing and recording projects. In 2015 Pete created his very popular teaching series, entitled "Turn, turn, turn--a regional chronological road trip through the golden age of rock and roll." He has since added courses on country music, country-rock, the Beatles and Stones, folk music, Motown and rockabilly.
Lisa Goulder’s CD, Hurry My Heart, is the synthesis of this unique musician’s many talents. A pianist, singer and songwriter, Lisa has added to her long list of accomplishments with this release.
Growing up in a musical family in Cleveland ,Ohio, both of Lisa’s parents played the piano. Lisa’s mother studied to be an opera singer before she married, then joined her husband in running a business that designed and manufactured housewares. Both of Lisa’s grandmothers were accomplished pianists, so it followed that Lisa’s parents would make sure that music played a big part in their children’s lives.
"My siblings and I were exposed to many styles of music; classical, pop, jazz, musicals, and we all took piano lessons. We were always singing, harmonizing and making up songs in the car. We’d come up with hilarious verses about the people we knew, our dog, and even a family trip that was straight out of Mad Magazine. To this day when my brother and I get together, we sing a blues song about our grandfather that we made up when we were kids."
When the Beatles arrived on the music scene, Lisa fell in love with their sound. She played their songs on the piano by ear and sang harmony along with their records. For Halloween one year, Lisa enlisted three girlfiends to dress up as the Ladybugs, a girl group version of the Beatles, performing "She Loves You" for classmates as they pretended to play guitars Lisa borrowed from her older brother. "I must have wanted to be in a band but it didn’t really occur to me--girls weren’t in bands back then. I just wanted to marry Paul."
With the explosion of rock, folk and pop music, Lisa picked up the guitar and learned songs by some of her favorites; James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. But Lisa was most inspired by two female singer-songwriters, Joni Mitchell and Laura Nyro. "Their music had a profound impact on me. Here were two ladies who were not only amazing singers but who also played instruments along with the guys and were incredible songwriters." Lisa spent a lot of time at the piano writing her own songs and made the decision to make music her profession.
She also began listening to jazz artists like Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis and Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. Interested in learning more about jazz, Lisa attended Berklee College of Music for one year studying piano, voice and composition. But California beckoned and it was in the Bay Area where she settled and began performing as a keyboardist and singer with many highly acclaimed musicians, among them Michele Hendricks, daughter of Jon Hendricks.
Driven to find an outlet for her own music, Lisa formed and fronted the band Dreamland, an innovative six-piece band which performed all over California in the early ‘90’s. She has been writing and recording her songs since, and the debut CD, Hurry My Heart is a culmination of those efforts. Produced with husband Pete Elman, a noted recording artist and producer in his own right, this album is a collection of songs that run the spectrum from pop and rock to folk and jazz.
"Writing, singing, playing and performing my music gives me great joy. I hope people who hear this album want to put it on over and over again!"
See Lisa's class Pop Singing for Girls.
Enter THE ALIBIS, an exciting original band made up of four veterans of the rock wars -- keyboardist /producer Peter Elman, lead vocalist/guitarist Mike Costello, bassist Bob Lindfors and drummer Riley Ethridge -- old friends who have combined their writing, singing and playing talents into three inspired albums that echo the great rock bands of the past with a nod to the present.
With elements of Dylan, the Band, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Little Feat, THE ALIBIS first album of original songs, 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS (2000) has been described as "a great nod to the classics–these guys are true believers." (Broadjam)
THE ALIBIS second album, entitled ENOUGH IS ENOUGH (2003), evokes the jangle and melody of classic American and British pop-rock hits of the 60's and 70's, combined with 21st century production and a fresh look at relationships and the complicated world we live in.
Their third album CD, simply called "Great Covers" (2008) is simply that–-eight great covers performed live in the studio by THE ALIBIS. Their impassioned and soulful version of the Band's classic, "It Makes No Difference" (see link below) will send shivers down your spine.
Born in Los Angeles, Michael DeWall comes from fine musical stock, to say the least. His mother, Wanda Curtis, originally from Portland, Oregon, was an acclaimed singer who performed during the '50s and '60s. She toured the world, fronting big bands and small combos, eventually settled in Argentina where she became immensely popular.
Michael spent his teenage years in Argentina where he learned a variety of musical styles -- Argentine folk, bossa nova, jazz, and calypso -- on the nylon-string guitar. When he moved back to California at the age of 22 he was exposed to James Taylor and the other great singer-songwriters of the 1970's.
He began to write his own songs, performing them at cafes and small clubs in Southern California. While he was developing as a singer, songwriter and guitarist and absorbing all kinds of popular music, Michael worked for the Berlitz School of Languages where he was eventually director for four of their schools.
In 1983 he relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. He obtained a Spanish teaching credential and a also a Bilingual credential from Hayward State and began teaching Spanish in a middle school in Oakland. In 1993 he started teaching at Albany Middle School and is currently living in Richmond with his wife Viola and their son Nathaniel.
Durning the 1990's Micheal teamed up with Keith Brown, also employed in Albany Unified School District, to write and perform two winning songs in the Festival de la Canción in San Francisco. Michael wrote and Keith performed Ven conmigo a bailar winning first place. A few years later, Michael and Oscar Rodriguez, another coworker in Albany, composed La promesa and Keith performed it, taking first place again.
After many years of song writing, Michael started working with Michael Rosloff to produce his first CD, Soy Americano which was released in 2000. This CD is a collection of songs in Spanish and English reflecting musical styles of North and South America and honoring the women in his life.
In 2008, Michael met Pete Elman and they inspired each other to produce Michael's second CD, Dream.
Born in Los Angeles, Michael DeWall comes from fine musical stock, to say the least. His mother, Wanda Curtis, originally from Portland, Oregon, was an acclaimed singer who performed during the '50s and '60s. She toured the world, fronting big bands and small combos, eventually settled in Argentina where she became immensely popular.
Michael spent his teenage years in Argentina where he learned a variety of musical styles -- Argentine folk, bossa nova, jazz, and calypso -- on the nylon-string guitar. When he moved back to California at the age of 22 he was exposed to James Taylor and the other great singer-songwriters of the 1970's.
He began to write his own songs, performing them at cafes and small clubs in Southern California. While he was developing as a singer, songwriter and guitarist and absorbing all kinds of popular music, Michael worked for the Berlitz School of Languages where he was eventually director for four of their schools.
In 1983 he relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. He obtained a Spanish teaching credential and a also a Bilingual credential from Hayward State and began teaching Spanish in a middle school in Oakland. In 1993 he started teaching at Albany Middle School and is currently living in Richmond with his wife Viola and their son Nathaniel.
Durning the 1990's Micheal teamed up with Keith Brown, also employed in Albany Unified School District, to write and perform two winning songs in the Festival de la Canción in San Francisco. Michael wrote and Keith performed Ven conmigo a bailar winning first place. A few years later, Michael and Oscar Rodriguez, another coworker in Albany, composed La promesa and Keith performed it, taking first place again.
After many years of song writing, Michael started working with Michael Rosloff to produce his first CD, Soy Americano which was released in 2000. This CD is a collection of songs in Spanish and English reflecting musical styles of North and South America and honoring the women in his life.
In 2008, Michael met Pete Elman and they inspired each other to produce Michael's second CD, Dream.
