Acoustic Duo Singing Tree to Perform at UT Feb. 2

Singing Tree, whose music is described as folk with a classical twist, will give a concert on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 7:30 p.m. in the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values on The University of Tampa campus. The concert is free and open to the public.

Singing Tree is Lloyd Goldstein, double bass, and Ray Belanger, hammered dulcimer. The duo performs a wide variety of folk music from around the world, employing traditional, classical and contemporary styles of arrangement and performance. The duo will play a full program, with extra solo pieces from Goldstein’s personal repertoire.

The two musicians met at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa in Fall 2007. Goldstein is a certified music practitioner and artist in residence with the Arts in Medicine program at Moffitt, where he offers therapeutic music at the bedside for patients, families and visitors. Belanger is a volunteer guest musician with the program.

Goldstein has been playing the double bass for 30 years. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance from the University of Miami, and spent 21 years playing in the Florida Orchestra. Goldstein now teaches double bass at UT.

Belanger has been playing hammered dulcimer for more than 20 years. In addition to Singing Tree, Belanger also performs with his wife Cheryl in their musical folk group Simple Gifts and is part of the southern mountain string band group The Twang Gang. Belanger taught at the John C. Campbell Folk School for 11 years, at the Sunshine State Acoustic Music Camp for 18 years and continues to teach at workshops, festivals and dulcimer gatherings throughout the South.

For more information, contact Lloyd Goldstein at lloydgoldstein@gmail.com or (813) 300-4187.