Celebrate Life! with
Mountain Aire Folk Music

Our Music, Our Selves

As artists, we share that which touches our own lives and hearts. Robert grew up in a strongly Celtic family - three grandparents immigrated from Scotland and Ireland. The family's identity with (Scottish) Clan Murray was prominent. His maternal grandmother, who came from Scotland, lived to be 104 so Ronnee-Sue was able to enjoy her influence (as well as her cooking, which she had taught Robert). She was a singer before leaving Scotland, and gave Robert her songbooks. We feature some songs in the Scots language, a relict of Old English, including pieces from rural areas.

We are also rural Americans with varied interests. Themes of life outside the urban atmosphere are common in our selections. Our married life (since 1981) has been spent in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and New Mexico. For many years, we lived only in towns with populations less than 1500, spending 7 years in the outskirts of a town of 300 at the base of the Teton Mountains in Idaho. We feel a great kinship with country folk in America and Scotland. This is the "rural heart" that pervades our programs.

As husband and wife (since 1981), we enjoy sharing our love of traditional and modern folk music with audiences. We embellish the music with entertaining stories of the events, times, or culture represented. Our concert sets vary instrumentation, voices, and tempo, with some audience participation.

Music has been part of Ronnee-Sue's life since childhood. Piano lessons gave way to flute lessons in elementary school, with her first guitar bought in sixth grade. Formal music studies continued through college, where her classes also included folk lore and literature. She studied acting and directing with a private coach for 3 years and has played a variety of roles from Shakespearean plays to "Oliver!".

Robert is the lead arranger for the duo, setting the mood on many songs. He bought his first guitar after graduating from college and now also enjoys the bodhran, octave mandolin, mandolin, and other acoustic instruments.