Donna Konsorado Skylines
Donna Konsorado has made her home on Vancouver Island since 1988 but she first heard frailing-style banjo in 1972 on the porch of a log cabin in the hills of 100 Mile House, played by some wayfaring stranger. Since that time Donna has done her part to maintain this style, as she incorporates it into her accompaniments of her own and others’ songs. She interchanges her banjo for acoustic guitar during her performances, to suit her repertoire which includes country and folk music with a growing proportion of her original material. In the past, Donna’s musical energy was divided between her own music and her intense involvement in hosting local and visiting acoustic musicians at house concerts and the now-defunct Wild Roots Cafe in Nanaimo. Over the past two years, however, Donna has focused on her own music, to the delight of her audiences who get to see her on stage with her banjo and her guitar much more frequently. Donna plays solo as well as increasingly in tandem with Ken Hamm and occasionally with her husband, Bill Konsorado. Donna has been busy with various recording projects. Her debut album, “Skylines” showcases many of her own compositions. As well, she played banjo with the Wake Up Jacob Band, recording on the Rough But Honest Miner project of Richard Wright and Cathryn Wellner, co-produced by Ken Hamm. She also joined Ken Hamm on back-up vocals and banjo for his most recent recording “Cross the River”, which presents one of Donna’s compositions as the title track. Donna’s musical roots reach back to southern Alberta where she grew up, as well as time spent in Washington state. With a rodeo cowboy for a father she listened to country tunes from him around the house and occasionally at one of the local honkytonks. As part of the Trout Creek Pickers in the 70's, Donna was inspired by her sister Sherry, who crammed her short life full of music and creativity, and her first banjo teacher, Lesley Schatz, who went on to be internationally known in the banjo world. Since that time, Donna has developed her own style of music that incorporates her roots but moves on to new places. Some of her influences along the way have been John McEuen, Emmy Lou Harris , Kate Wolf and Nanci Griffith, as well as those musicians that surround her on Vancouver Island and the west coast.
