Tin Penny
In 2004, I was a single parent who had just sent my last child off to college. At the urging of my daughters, Jessi and Jonna, and Jessi's partner, Gemery, I began playing the occasional open mic. In Rutland, VT, I discovered the WildWoods Music Co-op, where I met a very sweet, smart and talented fellow named Larry Welton. Unfortunately, we both suffered from acute shyness, and it took the constant prodding and encouragement of our loving families and friends to bring us together for our first date. To use a well-worn cliche, the sparks flew, and pretty soon we were playing music together as Tin Penny--and talking about marriage. Playing a mix of traditional blues, folk, and original music, Tin Penny strives for a balance of familiar tunes with fresh harmonies and original songs composed by Larry and I.
Larry, born in NYC and raised in Vermont, has played guitar, autoharp, and various other musical entities for over 30 years. Living in Brandon, VT until 2007, he is the author of "Tannery Rag" and "Jersey Shore" and has been known to tweak an arrangement or two.
I was born Beth Willenbring and raised in Connecticut, where I wrote my first tune, "Let's Get Together and Have a War," during the Vietnam War era. More recently, I wrote "Elysian's Song" and "M'gaira's Song" for my two oldest grandchildren, and "It'll Have to Do" as an apology of sorts to my darling husband.
Larry and I were married on June 17th of 2007, melding our musical pursuits and personal lives together, for better or worse, as they say. We now live in Manchester, playing about in the backwaters of the Green Mountains.