Jan's early interest in music began with playing the piano, cornet and singing at church and school events. After learning to play the bass guitar, she became a member of the Golden Street Quartet, the Reflections and the Retro Band.

Her education included graduation from Park Rapids High School and completing her elementary teaching degree at Bethel College and Bemidji State University. She retired from 32 years of teaching that included the districts of Little Falls, Park Rapids, Robbinsdale and WHA. She and her husband, Bill, live   in Nevis, have two sons and daughters-in-law and enjoy their awesome grandkids!
 

Jan is so excited to be a part of the wonderful TICK crew for her 6th season!

Our good friend and neighbor is still our delightful "Lady About Town" and on the go from dawn til dusk.  Keeping her husband, Ole, in line is a full time job in itself, but she manages just fine and keeps abreast of all the happenings in the Greater Akeley Area too!

Lena doesn't let life's little upsets get her down. She keeps her chin up and deals with each difficulty as "a new adventure" to experience.

Yes, she's our Lena.
     (yah sure, you betcha)

Paul discovered his voice at the age of six when he stuck a hot car cigarette lighter on the tip of his nose. It was years later that he learned things like melody, harmony and pitch with regards to his voice. Today, his voice is often compared to that of Kermit the Frog and Pee Wee Herman.

Music has always played an important role in Paul's life, having grown up in a large musical family. Paul took up guitar when he was 17 years old and has played in numerous folk and rock bands in his career. At age 38, he began regularly flossing his teeth, and has been known to floss his teeth on occasion with a broken guitar string.

Throughout his music career, Paul has had the opportunity to share the stage with many renowned national artists; among them Minnesota guitar legends Leo Kottke and Michael Johnson. In 1986, Paul released a recording of original music on an independent label out of Nashville.

While music has always been in the air at the Nye household, it took a back seat in Paul's life while he finished his degree in journalism and pursued other vocational interests. He and his wife have also successfully launched two teenage children into adulthood. Music again became the forefront of Paul's life this year when he released a CD of original music in January.

Paul is excited to be a part of the talented Woodtick Musical Theatre.

Hank and his wife, Carol Reitan, live 30 miles west of Itasca on the same lake where Hank grew up. From 4th grade through 12th, the family used a battery operated radio to listen to Nashville, Tennessee's Friday, Saturday and Sunday live country music broadcasts.

Hank played along and learned how to do the styles of Williams, Acuff, Monroe, Flatt, Scruggs and dozens of other musicians. Through those styles, Hank has learned to perform live with musicians around the world like Seoul, Korea; Southern Mexico; Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, Canada; New York; Miami; Venice, Italy and the swamps of Louisiana.

When Hank travels and performs music with those local musicians, he buys cassette tapes of their ethnic cultural songs. That is the learning process to respect several cultures around the world.

During past years, Hank has made three trips to Nashville to visit his youngest son who performs every week in two different bluegrass bands.
In Nashville, Hank's fiddle, mandolin and banjo skills are only mediocre, but when he plays harmonica, some people in the audience stand up and cheer. Harmonica is rare in the live bands on Broadway, so he is appreciated for the simplest instrument.

 Last fall, Hank led four acoustic bands in Saint Croix Falls, Wisconsin to begin a tradition in a new community center. Again, in November and March, those four bands continued the acoustic music traditions by putting on a fourth concert in June of this year.

An early musical influence was WCCO radio, which played so many different kinds of music in those days. Two of Diane's favorite songs were the jazzy "Nature Boy," and the lively "Chicken Fat."

Early teen years - The Monkees were on TV. Mom and Dad's record collection included Herb Alpert ("The Lonely Bull"), and George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue."

High School - Playing guitar with the stage band she loved "Woodchoppers' Ball," and "Deep Purple." At home she listened to WLS, Chicago for Diana Ross and the Supremes.

College - a friend collected blues albums: Johnny Winter, Taj Mahal, Paul Butterfield. Bonnie Raitt came to play a concert at St. Cloud State and Diane learned Bonnie's first album.

She married Mike and they lived in a tiny cottage with a big stereo. The house rocked to the Beatles' Abby Road, and Derek and The Dominoes. Diane heard  The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band playing blue grass.

Mike and Diane moved to the woods near Lake George. The stereo was boxed for safe keeping. They suffered in near musical silence until they discovered KAXE radio, Grand Rapids, and Minnesota Public Radio. They listened to Antonio Vivaldi, Doc Watson, and Emmy Lou Harris. Carl and Emily were born and music in the house leaned toward Raffi, Greg & Steve and Hap Palmer.

Diane returned to college and landed a job at Laporte School teaching music. Some days in the classroom she plays Raffi, some days Vivaldi, some days Flatt & Scruggs.