Kevin Elam: Crafting a Unique & Multi-Faceted Music Career Join Kevin Elam for an inspiring presentation on building a nontraditional career in music! He's an Irish singing champion, a gigging jazz pianist, a teacher of multiple instruments, a Strathmore Artist-in-Residence, a member of the Suspicious Cheese Lords, and director of the new Renaissance ensemble Ars Gratia Populi. Learn about the unexpected opportunities that shaped his unique career, and how he uses platforms like Patreon and YouTube to expand his reach. Kevin Elam is a multi-instrumentalist and 2019 All-Ireland Champion in Men's Singing. Although he boasts a strong background in classical piano and choral singing, and a degree in jazz keyboard, Kevin is rooted in Irish traditional music. In addition to playing the tin whistle, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin and banjo, Kevin has also honed his skills as a singer and interpreter of Irish traditional song, cultivating a significant repertoire of ballads. This intensive practice and study of the tradition were formally recognized in August of 2019, when he was awarded first place in Men's English Singing at the 2019 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, held in Drogheda, Ireland, and took home the coveted “Dalaigh Shield”, an award only won by one other American in its 65-year history. In addition to his title in Men's Singing, Kevin has also won second place medals in accompaniment (2022) and newly composed songs (2023) at the All-Ireland Fleadh. He is a highly decorated competitor back home at the CCE Mid-Atlantic Fleadh, including nine first-place awards (tin whistle, singing, accompaniment, newly composed songs, piano, and miscellaneous instrument). In 2020, Kevin was awarded a grant from George Mason University’s Young Artist Commissioning Project, and consequently recorded his debut album […]