Malcolm Dalglish

Malcolm Dalglish attended The American Boychoir School at age ten and graduated from The National Outdoor Leadership School at fifteen. He’s a choral composer, director, and raconteur who plays hammer dulcimer, spoons, bones, and his face. A founding member of the popular folk trio Metamora, Malcolm has made over 12 recordings, including solo offerings on the Windham Hill Label. He strives to create songs that are “playgrounds for singers”. Audiences are engaged by the storytelling, poetry and theater of these works. Choirs throughout the world have commissioned his music, and he performs with them everywhere from schools and festivals to Carnegie Hall. His folk choir, The Ooolites, is known for its earthy, ethereal sound. He’s been called a pied piper of youth choirs (and his flair for pie making hasn’t hurt his reputation either!).

Luke Hoffman

Luke Hoffman is a veteran Village/Northern Harmony singer and teacher. He is a co-founder of the Washed Up Beulah Band, a group formed on a Northern Harmony European tour. The Beulah Band pays homage to Jubilee Quartet music from the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. Jubilee music is a little known branch of the American black gospel tradition and was wildly popular on the radio during it’s heyday. Luke strives to present the train-whistle harmonies and driving rhythm of this music with the energy and quality it deserves. He has been studying drums and percussion for 18 years and his keen sense of rhythm makes him a dynamic and charismatic teacher. A brand-spanking-new member of Ooolation, Luke is excited to join the Ooolation Singers where he hopes his amicability and sometimes ridiculous sense of humor will contribute to a light-hearted atmosphere for all. Luke also beatboxes, plays old-time banjo, blues guitar and is a songwriter. He played soccer and studied biology at Oberlin College where he graduated in 2009.

Janiece Jaffe

Janiece Jaffe started her career as a pre-school teacher and mother of 4, serving her well in finding love as the foundation for everything! Going back to Indiana University in her 30’s, she acquired a degree in Vocal Jazz Performance and has been an improvisational singer and vocal coach since. You can find her singing and recording Big Band music, backing up Motown, Reggae, Americana and all else in between! Recently, she has been co-piloting with Elise Witt for Rhiannon’s (singer in Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra) All the Way In program of vocal improvisation. For about a decade she has been ‘playing’ and studying sound healing in the realm of toning with crystal and Tibetan bowls and offers workshops in the voice as a healing instrument. When she’s not singing she is most likely dancing to funk music!

Joshua Stephen Kartes

Joshua Stephen Kartes, a New York City–based freelance composer and performer, has been working with Malcolm and the rest of the Dalglish family since meeting Malcolm in 1998 at his high school in Muskegon, Michigan. He graduated from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in 2004 with a degree in Music Composition and Piano Performance, and worked as a freelance musician and director for four years in Chicago before his recent move to New York. Joshua is a seasoned composer, arranger, performer and clinician, and has had many opportunities to work with a variety of ensembles. Most recently, Joshua co-created, musical directed and premiered a new musical review featuring the music of French/Belgian folk singer Jacques Brel. Joshua was awarded a Joseph Jefferson Award for Musical Direction for his work on a previous Chicago production of “Cabaret”. During his time in Chicago, he was also on staff at Columbia College Chicago, the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, and Northwestern University.

Rachel Schlafer-Parton

Rachel Schlafer-Parton‘s first musical experience began at an early age when she crawled into the kitchen, opened the bottom drawer of the stove, and started playing the pots and pans. She has been playing everything she can get her hands on ever since. As a sign language interpreter she also uses those hands to sing. Her performing experience, (vocal, instrumental, and movement) ranges from early music to jazz ensemble, classical trio to theater, and mime to modern dance. As a magician’s assistant, she is likely to disappear or levitate at any moment! Rachel is perhaps best known for her performance on the syringe on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. These eclectic experiences have enhanced her artistic sign language interpreting for theater, concerts, opera, and other artistic productions. Venues where Rachel has performed range from the National Gallery of Art to the Blue Bird Cafe. At Bonnaroo, she interpreted for a number of Rock artists and was also an instrumentalist with the Band of Humans. As an RID certified interpreter she interprets in the Knoxville area where she lives with her husband Joel and their menagerie of goats, bees, cats, and dogs.