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Milo Deering is Heather's co-producer, co-arranger as well as co-writer on some songs. Milo is pictured playing fiddle, but also plays mandolin, acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar, dobro and a variety of other instruments on all three of Heather's CD's. There are very few who can lay claim to being well versed in this many instruments but Milo Deering is one of those few. Milo began playing when he was eight years old. His parents, both self taught musicians, gave him lessons on piano, ukulele and harmonica. He played guitar in various local bands throughout his junior and high school years. Following graduation he began a study of classical guitar under Robert Guthrie at Southern Methodist University. Milo taught privately for fifteen years while learning to also play pedal steel guitar, fiddle and mandolin. Now, Milo is widely known and is a highly sought after studio musician and producer. He has played on literally hundreds of CD's including LeAnn Rimes, Jack Ingram, Steve Holy, Trout Fishing in America and Slim Whitman. He also toured with LeAnn Rimes as her fiddle and steel guitar player for several years and has performed on the Grammy's, the Tonight Show, David Letterman, The View and The Billboard Country Awards among many others. In addition to his studio and production work, Milo is also a creative writer and working with Tom Faulkner Productions, he co-wrote and played the famous Motel 6 radio jingle (We’ll leave the light on for you!”) for which he received a Clio award. Milo currently writes for several music production companies and his original compositions and arrangements are regularly featured on National Geographic, Good Morning America, Southern Living Presents, The Simple Life, The Ricki Lake Show and Celebrity Homes, among many others. Milo has also collaborated with his singer/songwriter wife, Rachel, in their band, Ghostown, and released the CD, Rachel Goetz & Ghostown, to much critical acclaim. Together they performed at the Kerrville Folk Festival and received the coveted invitation to perform at the South by Southwest Music Conference two consecutive years. Milo has been recognized most recently as a member of the popular trio bluegrass band, Beatlegras, and currently lives in Dallas, Texas. George Anderson is Heather's bass player and has played upright bass on all 3 of Heather's CD's. He attended the University of North Texas Music School, performed in the acclaimed One O’clock Lab Band and was the principal bassist in the NTSU Symphony. He was also a member of the Fort Worth Symphony and has played concerts with the Dallas Symphony. He has performed with many renowned artists including concerts with Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Marvin Hamlisch, Chuck Berry, The Coasters, The Fifth Dimension, Doc Severensen, Bob Hope, Jay Leno, Willie Nelson to name a few. As a bassist, he performed for several television specials including the ABC national broadcast of the Texas Sesquicentannial with Johnny Cash, Jimmy Dean, Freddy Fender, B. J. Thomas and the Gatlin Brothers. He also performed with Ella Fitzgerald on the Good Morning America Show and with Della Reese on Channel 13. Currently George is recognized as one of the busiest studio session bassists in the Dallas/ Ft. Worth metroplex. He has recorded numerous local and national radio and television commercials including ESPN, CNN, Coors Light, and Coke as well as playing on many local, national and international artists’ recordings. One notable accomplishment was George's work as a grammy award nominated producer, as well as writer and bassist on “To The Extreme” by Vanilla Ice. Needless to say, he has played a few gigs and is a respected veteran in the business. George was also most recently recognized as one of the other 3 band member in the popular band, Beatlegras, with Milo Deering and Dave Walser, is the leader of his own private party group, "The Signature Band" , (www.signatureband.com) and lives in Dallas, Tx. Sam Swank is Heather's acoustic guitar player, another brilliant player. Sam has made his living as a professional musician and guitar instructor for 25 years. He studied classical guitar with Rick Madriguera at Eastfield College and Tom Johnson at the University of North Texas. He has recorded and performed with such diverse talents as Johnny Reno, Olivia Newton-John, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Andy Timmons. Sam specializes in acoustic fingerstyle and classical playing in addition to be awesome at rock, blues, and bluegrass. It is notable to mention that Sam toured for many years with Olivia Newton and currently lives in Dallas, Texas. John Landefeld has played cello on both of Heather's latest CD's. He holds a Bachelor Music degree in Cello Performance from Eastman School of music, has received many high honors in the cello world among them being awarded first prize in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Mr. Landefeld has taught at the Park Avenue Suzuki Studios in Rochester, New York and the Suzuki Institute of Dallas, where he served as Suzuki Cello specialist and chamber music coach for nearly ten years. He is also cellist of the classical, crossover group, Neo Camerata with which he has had the pleasure of playing for enthusiastic audiences all across the United States as well as in Europe in countries such as Austria, France and Belgium. John is currently living in Plano, Texas, where he has a private music studio. Brian Magnus has just graduated with his masters in cello at SMU in Dallas, Texas. He is currently teaching private lessons in addition to playing in the band.(More info coming on Brian and his accomplishments! ) All of the band members are such a wonderful gift to the music .. Each plays and intergral role in making Heather McCready's music magical! |
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