The Bards of Balance

The Bards of Balance blend acoustic rock with political folk music to entertain, inform and inspire audiences towards social balance. Our innovative songs revive the thematic approach to albums made famous by the British rock invasion of the sixties and seventies. Provocative lyrics continue the tradition of social activist musicians ranging from Dylan to Dispatch. Engaging vocals and lively engaging instrumentals emphasize their important social message through music.

The Bards of Balance span several generations. The front man, Kirk "The Geezer" Sinclair, plays guitar and provides vocals. Vocal performance is not new for Sinclair, he has a Grammy Certificate from providing back-up vocals on a Pete Seeger album, and has sung for the vocal group Gaudeamus. Sinclair is the old man of the group, the only band member old enough to actually be around during the British rock invasion. He cites the heartfelt renderings of Stephen Stills, Cat Stevens and Dan Fogelberg as influences on both his vocals and acoustic guitar style.

"Captain" Matt Papanek, now in his early twenties, is a whiz at keyboard improvisation. Papanek also has performance experience as a vocalist, having been part of the Chorus Angelicus ensemble that tours worldwide and cuts a number of a cappella albums. Papanek has cut his own CD and will likely go far in music. He cites numerous influences on his vibrant style of play, including Billy Joel, Elton John, Coldplay and The Fray.

Andrew "The Handyman" Thomson is currently a student in music composition at Ithaca College and already has several compositions commercially available. His main instrumental focus is percussion, and has wowed many audiences with his virtuoso performance on the marimba. He brings this musical handyman capability to The Bards of Balance, where he performs on everything from Native American flute to glockenspiel.

Alex "The Rock" Hotchkiss is our youngest member, and brings to the drum set his youthful zeal. His energetic yet nuanced style has been influenced by Chris Adler, Carter Beauford and Danny Carey. Hotchkiss also has performance experience with alto sax and plays some bass. We call him "The Rock" because he keeps us on a steady beat whenever "The Geezer's" adrenaline gets pumping and rushes the tempo.

The newest member of the band is Suzanne "The Diva" Bourdeaux. Only a women with her extraordinary musical talent could break into our previously all male band. Her classical training on violin is expressed in the virtuoso counter melodies she provides for our songs, while her exquisite vocals provide the extra kick we've been looking for. She also bridges the generational gap between "The Geezer" and the youngsters.