Don DePoy - I pick therefore I Grin

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Me & Martha, that
is Martha Hills
and Don DePoy, approach their music making with passion and unabashed
enthusiasm. Their stage rapport with each other and the excitement
brought to every song are captivating as they take their listeners on a musical
journey. For the most part the music played is anywhere from 30 to 300
years old and often tell about the many untold stories of life. Some songs are
peppy and happy whiles others tell of human weakness and tragedy. Their
music represents songs from the Appalachian regions, folk, country and
bluegrass standards, roots music from rural America
and an occasional sea shanty. The selections and simple arrangements of the
material compel the audience to become absorbed in the music as each story unfolds.
Me & Martha interlaces patterns of musical panache with subtle
nuances to provide a glimpse into the world of the music makers.



ABOUT DON: Don was born in Harrisonburg, Virginia and in his youth lived in and around Staunton,
Virginia. He enjoys among other things, skiing, flying,
sailing, biking, hiking, making music and most of all being with Martha and
spending time with family and friends. His gift is teaching. From the early age
of 15 he exchanged guitar lessons for flying lessons. As a licensed US Coast
Guard Captain, he teaches courses for the American BoatSchool and private
sailing lessons. As a college educator since 1970, Don has taught a variety of
classes from photography to Master's level classes in E-commerce.

Don DePoy is a master musician on several stringed
instruments, with an inventiveness that is a rarity, even among the great
traditional musicians. In 1957 at age eight, he became a regular member of his
father’s band, The Mountain Music Makers. The band's name changed to Carl &
Don: The Skyline Pals when Don's mother, Euva joined the group in 1962. As a
5th generation musician originally from Virginia’s Shenandoah
Valley, he continues to play
the music of his Appalachian roots. He is an accomplished bluegrass banjoist
and “thumb-picking” guitar player and has appeared as a featured performer at
the Philadelphia Folk Festival as well as appeared on numerous recordings and
performances throughout the United States and abroad. Don was the executive producer for
Mainely Bluegrass, a 26-part TV series airing over public television in New England. He has been on faculty for over 20 years, holds a M.Ed. in social
science and a Ph.D. in popular culture and American music. Don scholarly
interests include: adventure therapy, social class theory, and of course
American roots music. He is currently on faculty at New England School of
Communications in Bangor.

Martha Hills
is one of 10 children and grew up in Maine
on a farm just outside of Belfast.
Her love of outdoors and nature is central to her being. Most of the time you
will find Martha either in her flower gardens, taking a spin biking, sliding
down the ski slopes, out walking in the woods, boating or cooking up a storm.
Her adventuresome spirit has taken her many places from boy scouting in the
table lands of Newfoundland and Labrador
to the Galapagos Islands swimming with turtles.

Martha has devoted her life to helping others and has spent most of her
career working in the non-profit sector. Most recently she was on faculty at a
private school as a pre-k-3 teacher and finds joy in the wide-eyed curiosity of
children. Martha’s love for life and her knack to make folks feel right at home
make her a delight to be around.

She fell in love with acoustic roots music in the early 1990’s and has been
playing up-right bass since 2002. Her bass playing provides a solid bottom for
Me & Martha’s musical excursions. Martha’s love of life and her
effervescent semblance and infectious smile are delightful as she adds quips
and occasional harmony to the performance.

During the summer you will find Martha and Don playing music aboard the
sailing vessel Viva and operating Get Away From it All Sailing
Adventures, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization docking at Belfast City Landing
(www.sailviva.org).