WHO IS BURLAP LUTE? Paul Butler on lead vocals, fiddle, mandolin, harp, percussion, recorder, cello and whatever other weird instruments he can find or make. Does the musical arrangements and periodic composition for the group. His other life involves working and teaching at Rutgers University and doing freelance artwork for fun and profit. You can find his own music (and random piles of sheetmusic) here. He is catless, but collects living cat toys in the form of mounds of gerbils, a finch, and a bunny Thistle. Wendy Gale on various flutes, recorder, cornamuse, and percussion. Comes up with the set names that make people look at us funny, and persists in nagging everyone in the group about playing more French and Breton music. Married to Neal (a.k.a. the "world's best roadie"), she works for a rare book dealer and occasionally gets to play with her two cats, Earl and Pekoe, when not darting to and fro among way too many hobbies. . Chris Robinson on guitar, mandolin, octave mandolin, and very occasionally vocals. Responsible for too much Irish music in our repertoire, and for most of the weirder rhythms. Otherwise he spends his time chasing small children away from the instruments, working with computers, rebuilding his new house, and snuggling with his wife Akire Bubar and Balls’o’Fur kitty. Kirsten Erwin on bohran, flute, and pennywhistle, and very occasionally vocals. Responsible for encouraging Chris to bring way too much Irish into the repetoire, for adding traditional flavor to our winds, and often heard complaining that Paul's weird djembe beats are just too strange. Otherwise hangs out in medical labs, teaches Tai Chi, and collects mostly broken cats while courting this tall Irish redhead guy. Jenny McGuire on recorders, pennywhistle, vocals and other instruments as we are able to talk her into playing them. Provides baked goods and knitted socks to keep our bellies and toes warm! Spends her (non-musical) workday as an administrative person at the University of Pennsylvania, but would rather be at home with her partner Owen, son Jacob, and three rather puzzled cats.