THE ELEMENTS

BAND BIOS

 

Sculptor/musician Michael Bashaw is well known for his Sound Sculpture concerts, sound installations and collaborations, appearing in a variety of venues and events across the U.S. He plays flutes, harmonicas and percussion with the ensemble Puzzle of Light. Michael has been commissioned for public art/installations and his sculptures are included in numerous private collections. His musical sculpture Sound Chamber in Troy Ohio is listed in the online Smithsonian Collection. Michael is the 2012 Ohio Arts Council Governor’s Award winner in the category of Individual Artist.

 

Multi-instrumentalist/composer Sandy Bashaw began her professional musical career at the age of 18, recording an album for the Vanguard Recording Society in New York City. With acoustic guitar as her main instrument, she has developed a driving, percussive guitar technique as well as a distinctive finger-picking style. She has had the privilege of sharing the concert stage with artists such as: Odetta, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Eric Anderson, Maria Muldaur, John Renbourn, Tom Paxton, Dougie MacLean, Riders in the Sky, Solas, Junior Brown, John Renbourn, and Peggy Seeger & Ewan MacColl. Sandy is a published writer and BMI member: she composes songs, instrumental music, and film scores.  In 2016 she and her husband Michael received regional Emmys in the category of Music Composition/Arrangement for their work on a public television program The Big Adventures of Little Ioda. Her early Vanguard album Third & Main has recently been re-released on CD by Ace Records in London, England.

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Sharon Leahy has spent a lifetime creating dance, theater, and music with the intent of opening hearts and spreading joy. She has been a widely commissioned choreographer, receiving national and international attention to her work,  a multi-year artist in residence at the University of Dayton and has taught master classes at colleges, community centers, and kindergartens across the country.  As Artistic Director of Rhythm in Shoes, with partner Rick, she led an ensemble of dancers and musicians, who through touring and home season productions, presented original performance art based in tradition, and heralded as “really smart, familiar, yet surprising work”.  Sharon's dance for camera work has been broadly selected for screening at film festivals, including Lincoln Center,NY, the American Dance Festival,NC, and the San Francisco Dance Film Festival,CA.  She has won blue ribbons in clogging contests at both the National Folk Festival at Wolftrap, Virginia and the Appalachian String Band Festival in West Virginia.  A committed yogi, she has been a practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga for over 20 years, studying with masters of the form in India and the US.  Collaboration is at the heart of her work and her passion for dancing is exceeded only by the joy of sharing the stage with family.

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Rick Good Rick Good is a veteran performer and creative artist. His eighth grade trio was playing gigs throughout their high school years and he's been in one band or another ever since. A founding member of the notorious Hotmud Family, an actor with the Mad River Theater Works, a co-director, with Sharon of the critically acclaimed music and dance company, Rhythm in Shoes, Rick was recognized as an Ohio Heritage Fellow in 2010. Respected for his driving banjo, swinging guitar, heartfelt singing, and crafty songwriting, he is so very happy to still be at it with the Elements.