Patchwork

Traditional folk & Celtic music

Patchwork was born in August, 2007. Rick Garrett and Holly J. Smith were introduced through a mutual friend (Thanks, Richard!!!), sat down to play music…and realized that something special was happening. Rick and Holly bring a combined 40+ years stage experience to Patchwork. Patchwork prides itself on presenting family friendly programs…songs the whole family can sing along to and jokes the whole family can laugh at. In any given program, you might hear Irish sing alongs, traditional American folk music, Original music, Gospel music, as well as covers of such artists as John Denver and Harry Chapin. With Rick’s engaging style of combining clean humor, storytelling, all woven around music, and Holly’s back up Fiddle and wonderful harmony vocals, it’s a casual, comfortable event the entire family is sure to enjoy.

Rick is a native of Cowan, Indiana, and started playing piano at age 5. Playing for Church events, he joined the HeavenHeirs Southern Gospel Quartet, and played with them for a number of years. While traveling to the Ozarks in 1974, Rick heard a Hammer Dulcimer…and traditional Mountain Music…for the first time, and his journey started. Learning guitar, hammer and mountain dulcimers, tinwhistle, harmonica, and a few other things, Rick joined the Shady Grove String Band in Muncie, playing throughout the Midwest at fairs, festivals, giving classroom demonstrations, weddings, wakes, contra dances and square dances. Playing an eclectic blend of acoustic, celtic, and bluegrass music, Shady Grove toured extensively over their 20+ year career. Rick also played with the Celtic bands Bantry Bay and The Rakes of Muncie. Rick enjoys playing traditional Celtic and Appalachian music, writes some of his own music, and enjoys traditional music by the likes of John Denver, Harry Chapin, Tom Paxton, John Prine, and others.

Holly was born and raised in Fortville, Indiana. She has been singing as far back as she can remember! In sixth grade when students had to choose between band and orchestra, to the delight of her grandpa and Dwight Douglas – one of her music mentors – Holly chose orchestra and picked up the violin. She played violin through her junior year when the orchestra program at her school was discontinued. At that time she began focusing on vocals. For the next several years Holly sang and played in several acoustic ensembles out of Indy including Evensong – an acoustic trio and Ha’Mercy – a group frequently seen playing music at the former Sonshine Inn on Fountain Square. Holly enjoys a wide array of musical genres.