Bios of Rick Spencer and Sarah Fisher

Richard Eugene Spencer was born at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona on October 21, 1952. He grew up in the Sandy Hook section of Newtown, Connecticut, where he spent most of his school years looking out the windows, drawing pictures and daydreaming. Nobody knows how he managed to become literate. He graduated from High School in 1970. During and after his college years (B.A. 1975 Western Connecticut State College) Rick made his living in the fields of construction, factory work, security, education, food preparation, law and health care. In between times he learned to play several musical instruments and to sing a little bit. His "big break" came in 1986, when he was hired as a staff musician and historical interpreter at Mystic Seaport, The Museum of America and the Sea. There he met three others of his kind who formed one of the Internationally renowned sea music groups known as "Forebitter."

As a soloist and with others Rick has performed throughout the US, in Canada, England, Portugal, France, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands. He is perhaps best known as a composer and writer of songs that run the range from delicate and sensitive to humorous and irreverent.

Rick is known internationally for his work as a singer, songwriter and performer of music in the American folk tradition. For over 25 years he has traveled and performed at venues which include concert stages, folk festivals, museums, schools, libraries, pubs and others.

In concert Rick’s presentations are always interactive and entertaining. Audience participation is encouraged. Snappy and spicy guitar or smooth 5-string banjo accompaniment is to be expected and guest artists are likely to join in on stage. The repertoire includes a good dose of up tempo traditional music, unique arrangements of contemporary songs from a variety of sources, sensitive or amusing original pieces and an unexpected surprise or two.

Rick sings and accompanies himself on a variety of instruments including guitar, banjo, concertina, mandolin, dulcimer, button accordion and others. He is recognized widely as an authority on the history and presentation of traditional sea music and chanteys. As a staff musician for 20 years at Mystic Seaport, the Museum of America and the Sea, Rick has worked aboard tall ships from the days of sail and has been an instructor on sailing ships in the US, Canada and Europe.

Rick can be heard on over two dozen recordings, including five as a member of the powerhouse sea music quartet Mystic Seaport Forebitter. He has also recorded various solo projects and can be heard as session musician, arranger and producer on a number of others. Rick can also be heard on several compilation recordings made at international folk music festivals.

Art has been a passion of Rick's since childhood and recently he has earned modest respect as a creator of oil paintings. He tries not to take himself too seriously and claims to be in possession of no marketable skills that will help him survive in the real world.

In the "real" world Rick works as the Executive Director of the Dr. Ashbel Woodward Museum in Franklin, CT and as the site administrator at the Hempsted Houses historic site in New London, CT

Sarah Stoddard Fisher was born in Hartford, Connecticut in April. Which year really isn't that important. She has red hair. That's important. Unlike her partner she doesn't take herself too seriously. Information about her personal life, her interests, her accomplishments, alleged underworld ties or experiments in time travel are really rather private and she doesn't want to share those things with you until she gets to know you better. She had to write something for the "Sarah's Bio" section of this site so the other guy could have a bio of himself in it. After all, it's all about him, (or so he'd like to think!).