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About Us: |
After several decades as the artistic director and
choreographer of Midwest Ballet Theatre in the Chicago area, Mim Eichmann’s
involvement as a musician and singer/songwriter has fairly recently replaced her
dance pursuits. In addition to her work with Trillium, she has written and
released two original children’s cds with Trillium’s Doug Lofstrom: Wander
Down Beyond the Rainbow and Why Do Ducks Ducks Have Webby
Toes? and has created a live children’s show called “Miss Mim & Friends –
Music & Movement” which performs many of these songs throughout the Chicago
area.
Although hammered dulcimer playing styles are quite
unique to every individual, her HD style is influenced by Bill Robinson, Dona
Benkert, Kendra Ward and Tony Elman. Her primary vocal inspirations include
Alison Krause, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, Loreena McKennitt, Eva Cassidy, Julie
Andrews and Enya. Mim has
just published a new historical fiction novel titled "A Sparrow Alone". Please
visit her author site at:
www.mimeichmann.com for more information.
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 Doug Lofstrom
has been playing bass for more years than he can remember and in just
about every possible genre imaginable! His extensive experience in
composing and arranging serves Trillium well when conjuring up
new material for the group’s eclectic repertoire.
Over the years,
among his many music-related credits, he has been musical director for
Chicago’s Free Street Theatre and composer-in-residence for the
Evanston’s Symphony of the Shores. He teaches bass, music composition
and music theory at Columbia College Chicago. His group, Doug Lofstrom
and The New Quartet, which performs extensively in the Chicago area,
recently released its newest CD entitled One Voice.
For more information about Doug, visit his web site at:
www.DougLofstrom.com
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 A
classical violinist, violist and fiddler in the Chicagoland area, Paula
Johannesen recently finished her tenure with Civic Orchestra of Chicago where
she enjoyed performing under Riccardo Muti, Marin Alsop, Sir Andrew Davis,
Nicholas Kraemer and Yo-Yo Ma. She has also studied with David Taylor, Rachel
Barton-Pine, and Drew Lecher.
In 2014 Paula started playing Irish fiddle and worked with the Silkroad Ensemble
at Global Musician Workshop in many folk styles, mentored by Mike Block, Sandeep
Das, Abigail Washburn, and Bruce Molksy. She's also worked with Tim McDonald on
Scottish fiddle, and took 5th in the Scottish Fiddling Revival (or Scottish
F.I.R.E) annual National Scottish Fiddle Championships in 2021. She’s performed
with several folk bands in the Chicagoland area, and began performing with
Trillium in the summer of 2021.
Paula has over 15 years of teaching experience and is on faculty at Benedictine
University and Elgin Community College. Her students perform in several area
youth symphonies and a few have gone on to major in music.
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Jon Ball comes at music from all angles. A
multi-instrumentalist, Jon started playing guitar at the age of 9. His formal
training is as a trombonist and brass specialist. Recently retired after 35
years as a school band director and award-winning teacher, Jon is now full time
as a singer and player of guitar/bass/banjo/ukulele and more. In addition to his
playing and singing with various folk groups, he is also on staff as the
contemporary worship leader at his church.
Jon brings his many talents to Trillium with spirited
guitar and vocal stylings.
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In Memoriam
Very sadly, Ed Hall passed away on March 15, 2016. Ed had played guitar and
banjo for Trillium since the group was formed in 2005. A memorial gathering and
celebration of Ed's life was held at the Woodstock Opera House on Saturday,
March 26, 2016. His lightning fast finger-style guitar work and dry wit truly
lit up every Trillium performance. Also a well-known soloist throughout the
Midwest, Ed coaxed the seemingly impossible out of tunes that were not typically
played on one guitar. Instrumentals like The William Tell Overture, Hoedown
from Rodeo by Copland, The Hungarian Rhapsody II by Liszt, and The Theme From
Peter Gunn were just a few of the many tunes in his stunning solo
repertoire. In September 1991 he won the coveted International Fingerpicking
Championship at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas.
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 Jonathan De Souza has played
the violin for as long as he can remember. He started lessons at the age of
three, following the Suzuki method. Growing up in Ontario, Canada, Jonathan and
his family made music at living-room singsongs, at church, and around the
campfire. He enjoys playing many instruments and many styles, including
traditional fiddling, jazz, and classical chamber music.
For his
BMus, Jonathan attended the University of Western Ontario in his hometown of
London, Canada. Here he led the university orchestra’s viola section and majored
in theory and composition. His compositions range from choral/orchestral concert
works to experimental electronic sound installations to musicals for
schoolchildren.
Jonathan
has written extensively for the stage, as both a playwright and a composer. He
has toured the Canadian fringe theatre circuit, getting warm reviews and a few
awards: The Devil Loves to Haggle (2003, co-written with Peter Cavell)
and You Kiss by the Book (2005) each won Best Musical at the Brickenden
Awards for Excellence in London (ON) Theatre.
In 2005, Jonathan and his
wife, Heather, moved to England, where he did a master’s degree at Royal
Holloway, University of London. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies in
music theory at the University of Chicago and joined Trillium in October, 2008. |
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When Paul Russell was five years old, his dad
took him by the hand and they went on a walk. Paul asked where they were going,
but his dad said that it was a surprise. They came back with a violin, which
was the beginning of Paul’s exciting musical journey.
During high school he spent three years in
Chicago’s Protégé Philharmonic where he studied violin with director Joseph Glymph. Simultaneously he spent many hours jamming with friends on bass and
guitar. At age 14 he discovered the mandolin and was drawn to bluegrass and
Irish music. He is currently studying composition at Columbia College Chicago
and is an often featured performer in Columbia’s New Music Ensemble.
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At the age of 5, Jordi began studying violin, long
enough ago to get the squeak out. He has played classical music in multiple
orchestras, including the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen, and
Swarthmore College Orchestra, before founding a violin studio.
Twenty years ago, Jordi landed in his musical home of
improvisational and collaborative genres, where he now writes original tunes and
has the pleasure of "putting the icing on the cake" of some of the finest
singer-songwriters in the Chicagoland area. Jordi draws primarily from
traditions of Irish Fiddling, Chicago Blues, Eastern European Gypsy, American
Bluegrass, Argentinian Tango, French Gypsy Jazz, Viennese Waltzes, and Brasilian
Choro. |
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 Louise
Brodie has been fiddling around the Chicago area since 1999. She took a turn
towards fiddle in college and has never looked back! Her specialties are Celtic
and swing. She has been a featured performer at the Fleadh Cheoil in
Derry Ireland, at the University of Chicago Folk Festival, at the Elmhurst
College World Music Festival and more. Louise won a number of fiddle contests in
the bluegrass genre as a young lass and recently took first place at the
Scottish FIRE fiddle contest in Portland Oregon. Louise’s bands have been very
successful as well. Her Bluegrass band High Cross Road won several
contests and played at Bill Monroe’s Bean Blossom Festival. The Flatland Band
performed at the Chicago lakefront festival and Glen Ayre performed at
the Chicago Celtic Fest a number of times. Louise has been a featured musician
and leader at the On Earth Peace annual Song and Story Fest. She also has a
studio of over 20 young violin and piano performers. Louise has recorded on
other folk’s albums countless times and has one cd of her own with her former
band Glen Ayre, The Uneven Bridge. Most recently, Louise has been
adding her Celtic and swing flair to Trillium.
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 Although at age 13, Scott was begging for an electric guitar, his mom wisely
opted for an acoustic one instead. As he became more involved with his guitar
work and songwriting, he attended Columbia College Chicago, majoring in music.
After he graduated, Scott was hired to work as Columbia’s Music Theater
Department’s AV/tech director. Additionally, he worked as a sound engineer,
coordinator and guitarist for the Chicago Jazz Ensemble.
He has also played shows for the Mercury Theater Chicago as well as many
other theater productions throughout the Chicago area. Scott’s music influences
run the gamut from Charlie Christian to Steve Vai, and there’s a special place
in his heart for anything by Hank Williams. |
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