the haiku circle

Pat & Tex LaMountain: Musicians . . .

Pat & Tex LaMountain have been songwriters and partners in life for over 40 years. They draw from the people around them and their perspective is constantly changing . Songs are 3-4 minute intense vignettes that give us a single moment or a wide sweep, depending on the lesson of the song. The music amplifies the thoughts and may even fight them for effect. The art of songwriting is often considered entertainment or even political statement, but to Pat & Tex it is simply a shared story that links the listeners to their life for a short moment. It is their way of saying "That's what I saw".

Influenced by folk, rock, pop, country, bluegrass, and American standards, as performers they present a blend of melody, message and harmony, with Pat’s crystal clear vocals and Tex’s tenor voice and unique flat and finger picking styles at the forefront.

Pat was raised on an apple farm in New Jersey, Tex in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts and they met in Montague, Mass in 1974, where she had been singing with the Sawmill River Band and he with the popular Vanguard recording group, Clean Living. They teamed up and were “New Talent” winners at the New England Folk Festival at Vermont’s Mount Snow in 1977. They were both members of Bright Morning Star, a political folk band that grew out of the anti-nuclear movement in the late 70's. Their four decades of performances have included festivals, clubs, coffeehouses, community concerts, radio, television documentaries and films.

Pat & Tex LaMountain

Pat & Tex are active members of the Franklin County Musicians Cooperative, a non-profit presenting Coop Concerts at the Greenfield Energy Park for the past decade. With grants from local arts councils, Pat & Tex have presented dozens of songwriters in concerts in their "Songs from Western Mass" series, and have also produced the "Living Along The River/Connecticut River Songs" benefit concert series for The Connecticut River Watershed Council.

They have released many recordings over the years, including "Down Here On The Earth" (1979), "Home" (1986), "16 Songs Kids Love to Sing" (1998), "Songs From Western Mass" (2002), "A Few Good Hits to the Heart" (2007), "A Few Miles Later" (Pat,solo,2008), "Sweet Chabango" (2011), and "rivers, roads & bridges" (2014).

Their spiritual journey has taken them to India (several times), Germany and Denmark and to retreats and adventures across the U.S. They love spending time with friends & family, (especially their nine grand children) and their small, cozy RV-van sits ready to roll... whenever their wandering spirits call.