Welcome to Joybound Living!
From Florida to Maine, we have taught, danced, explored, and played with so many wonderful people. We put this site together because frequently we are asked if we can do more to share our experiences and advocacy for joy. This extends beyond dance and music into relationships, building community, and living well. In the Movement, Rhythm and Groove sections you can read more about our philosophies, intentions, and musings.
About Us
Ed Howe is a renowned fiddler, sound engineer, and solar energy guru. Playing fiddle since he was 4, he has created an innovative style bringing groove and dance rhythms to traditional music. Over the past 35 years, he has played in many bands as well as toured around the United States playing contra dance music and bluegrass. As a sound engineer, he enjoys facilitating transparent sound at live events. In addition to the music and dance world, he has an extensive background in electronics and mechanics. He also enjoys working in the solar energy business, enabling energy freedom for people. When he's not working, he's in the kitchen cooking amazing meals for anyone who's hungry and brewing up some of his favorite espresso. More info about Ed's Background below!
Tami Howe is a life and career coach by day, and an artist all the time. She has been coaching people into better lives for about 20 years, advocating for more joy and less turmoil in people's lives. In her coaching work she specializes in self-leadership, career exploration, 'Designing Your Life', having difficult conversations, and individual development planning. She has degrees and certifications in coaching, mentoring, holistic health practices, and exercise science. In addition to painting, basket making, and other creative pursuits, she is a dancer and teaches classes in waltz and contra dance. Along with Ed, they created a waltz style called 'Freedom Waltzing' to help people forget about rules and focus on momentum and connection in the dance. Sometimes she joins in playing music with a variety of percussive instruments and random objects.
Background on Edward Howe
When Ed was a kid, his father John Howe gave him a soldering iron and opened his world up to the possibilities of creativity. He then built and created many innovative products ranging from electric tractors to English race cars and off-road motorbikes. With his mother and father, who had 14 U.S. patents, he lived and studied sustainable off-grid homestead living. He knows what it means to raise a family and live independently. His mother Debbie is an artist and encouraged creativity in him early in life. His father got him very interested in solar energy. Therefore, electrical and solar engineering become just one of his many talents. Ed was named after his great-grandfather, Edward Ernst Kleinschmidt, who was a brilliant inventor with over 100 U.S. patents. Ed was born an innovative problem solver!
Ed is also well known for his joyful groove when playing the fiddle. He has been playing the fiddle since he was 4. Over the past 35 years Ed has been playing his fiddle solo, in duos, and in bands that span Bluegrass, Celtic, Scottish, and American folk dance music. He is also a highly sought-after sound engineer curating sound for live events all over the East Coast. He's taught fiddle and improv music classes for many years at various camps for participants of all ages. He has played for hundreds of contra dances across the nation - most well known for his music duo Perpetual e-Motion (2008-2015) - playing music based in tradition, with a progressive vision. He is a NS Design electric violin endorsed artist. His current bands are Drive Train, Double Trouble, Howe & Co, The Flying Howes, and occasionally plays with other bands such as Breakin' String (he is the fiddle on this album).
Since 1996, Ed has also been a sound engineer for all sizes of live music events from a few people to 2,000+, in spaces of all sizes, indoors, and outdoors. He brings 25+ years of sound and tuning expertise with quality equipment to provide audio reinforcement for complex intimate spaces. Early in his career, Ed spent some time at GE studying room acoustics for signaling devices, really tuning his ear. His philosophy is to provide transparent sound using cutting-edge software to make the system "disappear". The theory is if the system is "loud", it's not right and you can tell the difference. An audio system should be an extension of the musician to the listener. The system quality and placement along with time alignment plus the delicate touch of the engineer creates a fully immersed and enjoyable experience for all.
Check out some of Ed's Albums
