Brian Baker guitar and vocals adds a significant depth to Beltaine. Brian grew up with music. He has played with a number of groups in Eugene and Portland. His Background is rock and blues. Brian had never played much Celtic and folk music.

Brian knew John Keys when they performed together in dinner theaters at Bethel Lutheran Church. Brian agreed to record Beltaine for some demo CDs. That was all it took. Brian joined the group and he now provide a solid rhythm to the group. He also adds depth and texture to the songs by his guitar leads.

Brian also offers lead vocals on many of the pub sing alongs.

John has been playing music for most of his life. John grew up with his sisters playing guitars in the back yard. There were many summer nights listening to music and roasting marshmallows by the fire.

John started with piano at Madeleine Grade School in Portland, Oregon. He enjoyed music and playing, but he was devastated when the Nuns called his parent to say that John could no longer learn piano because he played too much by ear.

His sisters helped him continue music by teaching him little tunes on the balalaika. His first performance was in the 4th grade playing the balalaika and singing Rock a My Soul at the annual talent show. OK it was not the arrival of the Beatles, but it was a start.

In sixth grade, John began learning the saxophone where he found out that playing music by ear was not all that bad. He continued playing the saxophone through grade school, high, school, and college. John also picked up the flute. He remembers the time that he bought his first flute. He worked all summer to save up for the flute. Once he had the money, he went down to Portland Music to buy his new flute. He met an old blues musician that told him that playing the flute was just like blowing into a beer bottle. He quickly changed the description to a Coke bottle since John was only 15 at the time.

John attended University at Gonzaga. He entered trying to decide between music major and engineering. He chose engineering and later business and began his life in Corporate America. Music became more of a hobby and chances to play in church.

John is married to his loving and musically patient wife, Carrie, and he has three children, Meg, Alyssa, and Tilor. Meg sings and is very outgoing. Alyssa is learing the guitar, and Tilor plays in the marimba band at school.

Finally in November of 2000, John discovered the hammered dulcimer or tiompan, if you are Irish. He had seen it a number of years ago at the Portland Saturday Market. Mick Doherty, who is now his music teacher, was playing the dulcimer on the street corner. John fell in love with the sound of the dulcimer. It only took him 20 year to figure it out.

Recently, John picked up a mandolin. He enjoys relaxing and playing it on the couch. It is a little hard to curl up with the dulcimer. Each instrument that John plays helps him grow as a musician.

Kris Chase has been playing hammered dulcimer for about 9 years and mountain dulcimer for 4 years.

Kris started out musically in Junior High learning Beatles songs on guitar. At that time, she was a member of the Catholic church and played guitar for the folk masses at church as well. She stayed with the guitar for a few years after high school but then put it down when she had her daughter.

Kris did not play much of anything for several years except the radio. When her daughter was little, she happened to see Mick and Lawrence playing hammered dulcimer at the Saturday Market. She bought a tape from them and kind of tucked the idea of learning to play herself in the back of her brain for a later date. Then as her daughter got closer to college age, Kris realized that she would be needing something to fill up her time. She went back to school for a couple of years, took some music theory and music history and started teaching herself hammered dulcimer. Since then, she has played with other people at local jam sessions.

The mountain dulcimer is a little bit different story. Kris saw Lance Frodsham play at a coffee house concert of couple of years ago and that got her interested. Then a friend of hers bought one and that did it, she had to get one too. Kris took lessons from Lance for several months and now she splits her time between the 2 instruments. And, if shes playing with other people and doesnt know the tune, she play spoons.

Kris latest interest is a marimbula. It is a Caribbean instrument that sounds like a big bass. It is like a gian thumb piano witha great sound.

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