Fiddler, Appalachian balladeer, and composer Shawn Craver
Craver has performed in venues around the United States, such as The Owl and Monkey in San Francisco, West Virginia's Cool Font Resort, Rocky Gap Resort in Cumberland, Maryland, Tiffany Tavern in Alexandria, Virginia, Kansas Newman University, Mankato State University, and other well-known concert halls.
In 2018, the fiddle player founded World Fiddle Day Wichita with a marathon of free shows at seven venues across the city in one day.
A founding member of legendary Wichita band Raging Sea and current project The Green Briar Trio, Craver is also a writer, storyteller, and recent panelist with New York Times Best Selling author Maria Dahvana Headley.
He has shared concert stages with a variety of artists, including Chris Thile, Irish traditional legends Altan, as well as Grammy award winners Nashville Bluegrass Band.
Craver grew up surrounded by a musical family and the rich traditions of rural Appalachia, instilling in him a passion for traditional folk music at a young age.
Shawn became attracted to his region's noncommercial fiddle styles that featured stately melodies and free-wheeling bowing. Shawn spent time with fiddlers like Woody Simmons, Elmer Rich, J.C. Hollis, Larry Rush, Grover Broadwater, and Homer Beeman to name a few. One of Shawn's first shows was at his great aunt's church high above the Cheat River Canyon in Parsons, West Virginia. "The towns are coal and timber towns with names like Oakland, Kingwood, and Elk Garden," he says.
A crafty songwriter, Shawn's songs range from folk to Beatlesque to post-punk and often surprise audiences at shows. Whether it's traditional folk songs or his originals, Chuck Dicken of Frostburg State University once described Shawn's music as "a perfect example of where the Celtic musical heritage of Western Maryland came from, where it's been, and where its going..."
SELECT PAST PERFORMANCES:
Zandbroz Variety Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Tiffany Tavern Alexandria Virginia, Congregation Emanu-El Wichita, KS KMUW Public Radio 'Fill Your Cup', Newman University Wichita Kansas, Bismarck Chautauqua North Dakota, Good Tidings Assembly St. George, WV, Mankato State University Mankato Minnesota, Kalpa Bhadra Kadampa Buddhist Center, Lovegrass Wilson Lake Kansas, National Endowment for the Arts/Humanities, Rocky Gap State Park Cumberland Maryland, Yosemite National Park, Coolfont Concert Series Berkeley Springs West Virginia, Renfrew Museum Waynesboro Pennsylvania, Windrush Gallery Friendsville, Maryland, North Texas Irish Festival Dallas Texas, Sioux River Folk Festival Canton South Dakota, KS State Fiddling & Picking Championships Lawrence Kansas,The Friendly Inn Ellicott City Maryland, Owl and Monkey San Francisco California,Cross Ranch Bluegrass Festival Cross Ranch North Dakota,Winfield Art in the Park Winfield Kansas, Garrett College McHenry Maryland, Pipestone Performing Arts Pipestone MN, Society For the Preservation of Bluegrass Music, Downtown Concert Series Helena Montana, Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Association Winter Weekend, Minneapolis MN, Classic Bean Topeka Kansas, Dulono's Pizza Minneapolis, The Orpheum Wichita Kansas, Pearl Street Mall Boulder Colorado, Cumberland Maryland Celtic Festival,Spencer Iowa Bluegrass Festival, Riverfest Wichita Kansas,Mt. Grove Bluegrass Festival Mt. Grove West Virginia,The Songwriter Showcase Branson Missouri, Maxwells Morgantown West Virginia,Big Island Rendezevous Albert Lea Minnesota,Chisholm Trail Festival Abilene Kansas,Chatauqua Bismarck North Dakota,Chapel Hill Concert Series Wichita Kansas,Highland Festival McHenry Maryland,College Hill Concerts Wichita Kansas,Old Courthouse Concert Series Sioux Falls South Dakota, Owl and Monkey San Francisco California, Courtyard Santa Fe New Mexico, Cumberland Rail Festival Cumberland Maryland, Dulono's Pizza Minneapolis Minnesota and more...