CURRENT MISSION

To Back Pack it around Europe while keeping an open mind about everything I absorb about the world; good and bad...

ABOUT ME

"Take the time to listen to the sounds beyond those that enter through the ears."

That has been the motto lately of musician, Patrick Ross. Formerly known for his fiddle playing, Patrick has taken time since his three year "Commercial" music stint in Nashville, Tn to branch out and diversify his life skills in order to find a more soulful tone of __expression. Other instruments include the acoustic and electric guitars, voice, bass, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, viola and cello to name a few.
"I have about 100 or so pieces that I've composed and recorded in the past year, (about half are fiddle tunes) but there are only two or three songs that have made it through my own filters based on the quality of lyrics and how I'm able to sing them."
Finding a balance between being musically fit and having healthy, youthful (often athletic) energy has left Patrick with many options in life.
"I say my prayers every night before I go to bed and every morning I wake up in appreciation of the life I am able to deliberately live."
Patrick's sense of dicipline has allowed him to persue deeper meaning through mindful living and the studies of more life based philosophies.
"I'm happy knowing that I'm at a point in my life where I'm able to think more openly about how I see the world. Among other things, I'm also finding that music can be a direct link in connecting people who might otherwise see themselves as separated or at odds."

Patrick's earnest work through the National Endowement for the Arts, specifically, the Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire has earned him respect not only from teachers and fellow musicians but from students (K-12) that have been, "Blown away!" by what a fiddle/violin can sound like. "I guess you could call it a mission statement; To support the exposure and value of what heritage music has to offer, to pay homage to those who came before me, and to take the next steps in the unfoldment of what has yet to come."

At the age of 22 Patrick had successfully reached a goal of performing in all of the Continental United States. Whether in California with the Newgrass band, "Smokin' Grass", in Saskatchewan with Celtic rockers, "Ceili Rain," or in Alabama with the pop-rock (ala Dave Mathews) band, "Blue Merle" Patrick has always honored his roots in life and music by continuing to evolve and revolve.
"I like spending time back in Vermont, New Hampshire and Quebec. I like who I am and I'm proud of where I come from. It's great to be able to provide a sound track to what life was like hudreds of years ago when a fiddler on a front porch was an everyday sight and sound. It's also really fun to be able to -plug in- with a rock band and play through 10,000 watt speakers.

If you're in Europe in 2006 keep yours eyes and ears open. You might run into Patrick learning fiddle tunes or singing in an Irish pub, maybe performing violin music in concert venues in London, Paris or Munich, or simply back-packing with a journal in his left hand.
"I'm excited to have realized much of my potential so that every experience musical or not will ultimately contribute in the developement of what I feel will continue being a successful and humble way of giving, sharing and accepting."

PHILOSOPHY

I believe that the moment I found my father dead of a heart attack at the age of 11 he was already sitting and talking with God about how interesting my life could potentially be...They've been having fun with me ever since.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

April, 2006, staying with the Muniz family in Madrid was the absolute best way to start on the right foot and allow me to firmly believe in the couch surfing philosophy.

Interests

Hiking up big mountains, hot or cold. Photography, musical composition (mostly violin and singer song writer guitar tunes.) Long distance mountain biking.

• arts
• writing
• singing
• photography
• concerts
• running
• pub crawls
• music
• guitar
• violin
• cycling
• hiking
• surfing
• track and field
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Gladiator, Lord Of the Rings, Harry and Maud, Jack Johnson, Mark Knopfler, Leo Kottke, Mark Oconnor, 100 Years of Solitude, Skinny Legs and all, Ishmael, Care of the Soul, The Prophet

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Performed for +50,000 at National Youth Day in Indianappolis, Indiana, U.S.A as a member of the Celtic, Christian Rock Band, Ceili Rain in the RCA Dome in 2001.
I have hiked 128 different mountains in Colorado.
I placed 75th out of 142 in a world class qualifying, 74 mile, off road mountain bike challenge; summer of 2005, Jay, Vermont.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am a 5th generation fiddle/violin player and have been playing since the age of 3. I just turned 24 and am proud of who I was, am and am becoming.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States