Rich Bala, Folk Balladeer
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Like the troubadours of old, Rich performs authentic, traditional folk music that weaves a tale of living history about our nation's people and heritage. His songs come from the waterways, lumber camps, farms and homes of those who helped shape the legacy of our folk culture, and forged the traditions of our nation's identity and experiences.

"A Welcome Celebration...Seasoned With Lovely Instrumentation"
~ Ellen Geisel, Dirty Linen & Hudson Valley Magazine

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Since 1986, Rich has performed at coffeehouses, festivals, concert series, schools, museums, libraries, Elderhostels, and historic sites from Boston, Massachussetts to Beaufort, North Carolina. In addition to his solo performances, he also plays with multi-instrumentalist Tom White as “The Barefoot Boys” , as well as with master storyteller Jonathan Kruk as “The Hudson River Ramblers”. His performances vary from house concerts, to "topical" programs of songs and stories about historic events, places or time periods, to providing music for square dances, to a concert at a club or for a folk music society. He has performed with Pete Seeger, Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, Happy Traum, John Herald, Eric Weissberg, and Joe Hickerson, and has 4 recordings to his credit.

"Rich is a true professional. His concerts are filled with warm and witty music." ~ Holly Estruch, Program Coordinator, Letchworth State Park, NY

Here is a small sample of his performances over the years:

CONCERTS, FESTIVALS, SPECIAL EVENTS
- Caffe' Lena, Saratoga Springs, NY
- Clearwater's Hudson Revival, Croton, NY
- Cranberry Coffeehouse, Binghamton, NY
- Down East Folk Arts Society, Beaufort, NC
- First Night Celebrations  Annapolis, Md.
- Golden Link Folk Singing Society, Rochester, NY
- Hunter Mtn. Harvest Fest, Hunter, NY
- Maple Syrup Festival,  Cold Spring, NY
- North Pointe Coffeehouse, Kinderhook, NY
- Rosendale Cafe', Rosendale, NY

"Your songs were wonderful, and you helped us appreciate them with your stories."

~ Gina Johnson, Director, Saratoga Nat'l. Historic Site

HISTORIC SITES, SOCIETIES, MUSEUMS
- Saratoga Battlefield Nat’l. Hist. Site, Stillwater, NY
- Albany County Historical Society, Albany, NY
- Clermont State Hist Site, Germantown, NY
- Farmers' Museum, Cooperstown, NY
- Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY
- Liberty Hall Museum, Elizabeth, NJ
- M. VanBuren Nat'l. Hist. Site, Kinderhook, NY
- New York State Museum, Albany, NY
- Fort Stanwix Nat'l. Hist. Park, Rome, NY
- Washington Headquarters State Hist. Site, Newburgh, NY

"Thanks for encouraging our students to learn through music."
~ Jamie Rowe, 4th grade teacher, Unadilla El. School, NY

SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, FAMILY PROGRAMS
- Allegany State Park (Artist-in-Residence Program), Salamanca, NY
- Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, NY
- Ellenville Library, Ellenville, NY
- G. Washington El. School, Mahwah, NJ
- Nassau Cty. BOCES, Westbury, NY
- Newburgh Free Library, Newburgh, NY
- Newtown Middle School, Newtown, Ct.
- Ocean Cty. Library, Tom's River, NJ
- Saratoga El. School, Saratoga Springs, NY
- Wilton El. School, Wilton, Ct.

In addition, Rich has taught courses, using folk songs to illustrate various aspects of history, at many Elderhostels, teacher training workshops, and conferences sponsored by The NY State Historical Association in Cooperstown, NY, and also at the SUNY Field Campus in Ashokan, NY.

At present, Rich has a number of special "theme" programs available, which include songs about a particular topic, or subject area. Among them are programs about The Revolutionary War in the Hudson Valley and New York State, songs depicting life on the family farm, a program based on the theme of "early transportation", and folk songs collected in the Catskill Mountains.

Also, Rich will "custom-design" a program on any topic, theme or subject for your own concert, event, festival, or activity, based on his vast repertoire of folksongs and extensive experience performing for different audiences in a wide variety of settings.

"How do you do it?! Another beautifully customized, well-interpreted performance. It was the perfect musical addition to the weekend theme."
~ Paul Lear, Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site, Newburgh, NY

Rich is also affiliated with the following:
North American Alliance of Folk Music and Dance
NYS Folklore Society
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
Dutchess County Arts Council

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Rich's performing groups:

The Barefoot Boys

The Hudson River Ramblers

To contact Rich for further information, or to schedule a performance:
     E-mail:  baladeer@aol.com
      Rich Bala
P.O. Box 179
Billings, NY 12510

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