Denver — Swallow Hill is excited to welcome back the acoustic ninja, Trace Bundy, with his electric finger picking skills on Saturday, November 3 at 8 p.m.

Born in Austin, Minn., Trace grew up in the small town of Buena Vista, Colo., where he first started playing guitar when he was about 11 or 12 years old. He and his brother Greg both chipped in $5 to buy a $10 acoustic guitar from a guy named Herbie. Not knowing where to start, they picked up a guitar magazine and learned how to play a song by Metallica; shortly thereafter, Trace learned how to play some chords and other songs like Johnny B. Goode and various Def Leppard hits.

Unable to afford lessons, everything he has learned about guitar playing has been self-taught—from learning other people's songs to making up his own stuff. He became very interested in why music sounds good and why different notes and chords seem to work together, leading to a deeper interest in music theory. The more music theory he learned, the more he started writing his own songs, trying to incorporate new discoveries into his music. In high school, Trace met Jonah Werner (now a rising acoustic folk songwriter star) and started playing with him at the (only) local coffee shop in Buena Vista. He then hooked up with Tim from Newcomers Home and started playing old Dylan and Cat Stevens tunes. All three attended the University of Colorado in Boulder and still continue to play together from time to time.

Trace's style of playing has been influenced by a variety of musicians such as David Wilcox, Ani DiFranco and Phil Keaggy. Upon realization that he could play more complex music using all five of his fingers, Trace stopped using a pick. Widely known as the "acoustic ninja," his musical style continues to change as he experiments with different ideas and explores new territories. The audiences who come to see him are always blown away by his amazing talent and sparkling personality, and at every appearance he has made at Swallow Hill, he has sold more merchandise than just about anyone before or since, proving he is a musical force with which to be reckoned.

For tickets visit www.swallowhillmusic.org or call (303) 777-1003. Discounts are available for Swallow Hill members. This press release is available as a RSS Feed at http://www.swallowhillmusic.org/xml/newsroom/rss/SwallowHillNews.xml.

About Swallow Hill Music Association
Helping people make music since 1979 years, Swallow Hill Music Association is one of the largest institutions of its kind in the United States as a source for folk, roots and acoustic music. With more than 2,100 members—some of whom are also volunteers—Swallow Hill provides a place to celebrate music that is rarely heard elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain Region. Three concert venues house more than 150 performances a year, featuring some of the world's great artists as well as up-and-coming new talent. The Julie Davis Music School at Swallow Hill provides a valuable and affordable extra-curricular educational resource to the community with more than 50 music instructors involved in more than 240 adult classes and 70 children's classes annually. A Tier II member of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), Swallow Hill has won both the Mayor's and Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts, countless "Best of Denver" awards, has been recognized by the the North American Folk Alliance, and is one of the most sought-after venues by folk and roots performers in the country.