Just as Uncle Dave Macon , Fiddlin John Carson and others brought American folk music from the 19th century into the 20th, Brett Howland is carrying it forward into the concert stages of the 21st century. Starting his fiddling and picking in the 1970's, Brett has been performing his solo act for audiences of all sizes since 1991.Performing in his home area of Western Pennsylvania, Northern Ohio, and Western New York, Brett plays everything from small coffeehouse venues to large outdoor festivals. He's also toured the Virginias, North Carolina, Kentucky, and has performed in Nashville, Tennessee. In a typical concert, Brett combines old-time fiddling, Clawhammer banjo picking, Guitar picking, and the blue yodeling of Jimmie Rodgers. His stories, jokes, and easy going performance style are both informative and entertaining. He also does it with a superb sense of showmanship rarely seen these days, making it seem appropriate that fellow songwriters and performers nicknamed him, " America's Gatekeeper of Traditional Music", during a show several years ago. Just as Brett invariably "wins over" his audiences with his disarming style and creativity, his peers often remark on his fresh and enduring interpretations of Americana as he performs music from an earlier time.