In Latin, CARMEA means song, tune, poem or incantation. Fall under the spell of these three musicians and the sweet music they weave with their voices and a multitude of instruments. The folk trio was born in September 2007 when multi-instrumentalist Rachel Alexander met singer-songwriter-guitarist Catherine Ellis. Alma Muxlow was soon drawn into the group to add harmony vocals, percussion and mandola. Only after choosing the name Carmea—a combination of each band member’s first and last initials—did they discover the Latin roots of the word. The rest is magic.

Beyond entertainment, one of the group’s missions is to promote peace and social justice through interactive workshops sharing the role of song in the major social change movements of our time.

Rachel Alexander grew up in a musical family and learned to read music before she learned to read words.  At home in a wide variety of musical genres, she has honed her skills singing and playing cello, fiddle, recorders, and Melodica in Women at Play (a Grand Rapids-based world-beat improv band), the Treble Makers (an a cappella women’s quartet), and The Bench (an eclectic multi-instrumental band).  Her recent recording credits include appearances on CDs with Kitty Donohoe, Annie & Rod Capps, Barb Barton, Lyn Sawicki, Judy Insley, and Kate Peterson.  Rachel is the founding director of Sistrum, the Lansing Women's Chorus, which she led for their first 15 years.  She is the Director of Music at the Unitarian Universalist Church in East Lansing.  Website: www.rachelalexandermusic.com  

Catherine Ellis began singing and playing music back when her first used Sears guitar was still larger than she. Her journey since has been filled with singing, writing, and performing with the eclectic bands Acoustrio (with Kevin Gaugier and Bud Michael), Counterpoint (Kevin Gaugier, Bud Michael, Pooh Stevenson and Tim Scheerhorn), Full Circle Band (Carol Levack, Bud Michael and Ron McKeever) and Ellis, Gorman & Michael (Tom Gorman and Bud Michael). She has collaborated onstage with Joel Mabus, Mark Shatz (of Nickel Creek), Pat Flynn (formerly of Newgrass Revival), Julie Wolf (Indigo Girls), Anne Hills, and Candace Corrigan (Anderson).  Catherine’s recording credits include “Looking to a Future” with Counterpoint and “Time Again,” her solo project.
Website: www.catherineellis.com

Alma Muxlow began entertaining at age 9 with her ventriloquist dummy, Danny.  Upon Danny’s retirement, she found her own voice and has been using it ever since.  She has provided harmony vocals for Catherine’s music for the past ten years.  Alma has had affairs of varying lengths with numerous instruments—flute, guitar, piano, mandolin and cello—before settling down last year with a 1912 Gibson mandola. (She hopes she looks and sounds as good as the Gibson when she reaches 97!)

Contact Information:    Carmea
Catherine Ellis
269-341-9725
269-341-9735 (fax)
ce@catherineellis.com
www.catherineellis.com