Shingle the Roof is a New England string band featuring Kate Spencer, Jerry Devokatis, and Tim Woodbridge. We play tunes and songs from two vibrant American traditions, contra-dance and string band music. For dances we play fiddle tunes from New England and Eastern Canada, as well as children's dancing and singing games. Our string band repertoire is drawn from the various mother lodes of roots music including old-time, traditional country and early bluegrass, gospel, ragtime and blues. We are equally at home playing a concert, contra dance, picnic, house party, wedding or other event looking for lively and entertaining acoustic music.

Kate (vocals, banjo, guitar, piano)
Born and raised in Montana, I went East to attend college in Boston. There I stumbled into Old Joe Clark's, an amazing household of traditional musicians. School became my day job as I immersed myself in the music, going to concerts, parties and festivals. One night in 1969 I dreamed I wanted to play the banjo, so I went to a flea market and bought 3 old instruments for $20 each. I kept the best one and fixed up and sold the other two. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this event foreshadowed my career in the music world!  I started the Arthur Smith Banjo Company in 1973. We made around 600 instruments, but I couldn't make a living at manufacturing. In 1979 I opened Maple Leaf Music in Brattleboro, VT, which nearly 30 years later is still putting food on the table. I continued playing music with my friends and in 2007, Tim, Jerry and I decided to put our talents and repertoires together and we started Shingle the Roof.

Jerry (vocals, guitar, mandolin)
I grew up in Newington, CT when it was still an agricultural community.  My earliest recollections of traditional music were from my pre-teen years, listening to the fiddle players at local fairs and the then ubiquitous polka bands at weddings and other gatherings.  While at Providence College I began playing guitar and performing in small groups. In the late 60's and early 70's Boston was a mecca for old- time and bluegrass musicians; while in law school I encountered the real thing head on at the Hillbilly ranch where the Lilly Brothers and Don Stover showed us how it was done. After serving in the army, I returned to Connecticut where I played with the Golden Age Retrievers, the Sounds of Bluegrass and for many contra-dances with Whiskey Before Breakfast...

Tim (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, Dobro)
When I was about six or seven, my family moved from New York City to Oak Ridge, Tennessee.  In short order I discovered live hillbilly music on station WNOX in Knoxville and the recorded variety on one of the area's early FM stations in Lenoir City.  No doubt to the despair of my parents, I was hooked.  When I was about 14, I got my first guitar, ten bucks at a hock shop, a perfectly good waste of kindling. I took up other stringed instruments as my interests and playing circumstances expanded. I played with Jerry for many years in the Sounds of Bluegrass, the Golden Age Retrievers, and Whiskey Before Breakfast. In addition to performing, I have judged fiddle contests for about 30 years, mostly in New England.

Contact information: kate@mapleleafmusic.com or 802-254-8405