At an early age, Lynn became interested in the folk and traditional songs that were part of the folk music renaissance of the 1960's. In elementary school the regular visit of a singer/guitarist was her favorite subject. Curious and eager to learn, she combed through library books to study ballad lyrics. She sought out recordings and spent many hours learning by ear from the singing of Joan Baez and Judi Collins.
At Bridgewater State University in her home state of Massachusetts she joined a large glee club, her first dive into choral singing. Later she joined the Chamber Singers, a smaller choral group focused on a cappella performance, led by Dr. Jacob Liberles. After college, she returned to her alma mater to help organize the Alumni Chamber Singers, a choral group still performing at BSU today. She volunteered her time on the Executive Board for a number of years before choosing to devote more time and energy to her solo career and her daughter.
It was at Blanchard's Colonial Tavern in Avon, Massachusetts that Lynn gained years of performance experience and expanded her repertoire to songs and ballads that may have been heard in a tavern in early America. The songs she performs today range from tender love songs and hearty drinking songs to songs of love lost and chances taken. The simple expression of the drama of the human experience at the core of these songs continues to interest and inspire her to learn more. Today, she draws inspiration from the performances of Jean Redpath, The Copper Family, and John Roberts and Tony Barrand.
For the past three years, Lynn and her sister
Karen Haffner have organized a Traditional
Ballad Singing Competition for Students
(Grades 4 - 12) at the South Shore Folk Music
Club in Kingston, MA. The next competition
is coming up in March, 2012. Click on the link
on the Home Page for more information.
