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Loren's musical career started with his mom - she was from a large musical family that still plays old time and hillbilly music at reunions. He learned early that family + music = FUN!
In 2nd grade he took up piano and learned to read music. He moved on to the cornet in 5th grade. He spent a year studying music at the UW, and played cornet in the UW concert band and in various other musical groups and ensembles, including a Dixieland band. He discovered bluegrass via Flatt & Scruggs in the early 1960's. Inspired by Josh Graves' haunting, unique sound, he started playing an old 1928 Dobro inherited from a relative. He fully restored the Dobro between 1964-67 and got to meet the inventors of the Dobro, the Dopera brothers. While in the Navy from 1966-70, he formed bluegrass and country bands aboard ships. Loren attended the second Darrington Bluegrass Festival in 1978 and hasn't missed many since. He's attended many music camps and workshops, starting in 1986 with Jerry Douglas's first "workshop" at Cannon Beach, Oregon. Jerry continues to be one of his biggest influences. Loren has also studied with Rob Ickes, Randy Kohrs, Sally Van Meter, Mike Witcher, and many others, and has taught some Dobro workshops himself. From the late 70's to the early 90's, he played dobro in several local Northwest bluegrass bands, including the Combinations, the Webfoot Ramblers, and Bluegrass Muse. He co-founded Back Burner with Lou Allen in 1991. Loren's current instrument is a 1991 Scheerhorn R-body. He'd been looking for that sound for 25 years. An Everett resident, Loren is enjoying his recent retirement, after having worked for the City of Everett Utilities Department for 38 years. When Loren's not pickin' his dobro, his spare time is spent doing ham radio, hunting, fishing, camping, or hanging with his four kids and his granddaughter. |