Monadnock members!

Bob Pope plays flat top guitar and sings for the group. He started learning how to play the guitar in 1963 while living in Puerto Rico. He was strongly influenced by local, Spanish, classical and flamenco guitarists, as well as the '60's era folk boom. The first guitar he owned was a Tatay (6-stringed, nylon, made in PR). It was not until his Army days in 1977, when Bob attended the All America Bluegrass Festival in Louisville, KY, that the bluegrass bug bit him. He bought his first and only steel string guitar that same year and has been playing bluegrass music ever since. He has enjoyed playing in several local bands and can be found "pickin' and grinnin''" once a month at the Nashua Senior Center in New Hampshire. Bob has lived in Nashua, New Hampshire for over 21 years, and works for a high-tech manufacturing company.

Craig Engel sings and plays mandolin for the group. His musical interest started with the saxophone when he was in fifth grade. He started electric guitar lessons when he was twelve, playing in a variety of rock bands. Jimi Hendrix inspired him. Craig first played his grandfather's gourd mandolin at home, learning chords from a book. He also fooled around with the ukulele. Craig became interested in bluegrass music when he moved to New Hampshire in 1989 and met some Bluegrass Picking Buddies. First playing rhythm guitar, Craig switched to mandolin and hasn’t looked back since. Craig’s musical interests are varied. His latest venture is with the Irish bodhran. Craig lives in the Manchester, NH area with his wife Gina. They enjoy spending time with their children and grandsons Josiah and Kaegan.

Mel Cano sings and plays fiddle. His interest in music began as a child, studying guitar, piano, flute and playing in various small groups throughout his school career. During college he played in a jazz trio and a rock-and-roll band where he also provided harmony vocals. His interest in the fiddle began as a youngster with stories of his great-grandmother who would take time every week to play her violin. Today, it’s the fiddle he performs on. He learned to play fiddle and Bluegrass together, studying recordings by fiddlers Kenny Baker, Benny Martin, Scotty Stoneman and bands such as Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Stanley Brothers and Jim and Jesse. It was at a Bluegrass festival in Maine that passion for hard-driving, sometimes bittersweet Bluegrass was ignited and has never stopped burning. Since then, he’s enjoyed playing in various local bands and loves getting to as many Bluegrass jam sessions and festivals as he can.

Roland Young plays upright bass and sings. He started playing the electric bass at 14 and joined various local rock & roll bands at 17 performing rock n' roll, Top 40 and weddings. His family always listened to country music but he never really cared for the style. However, he always enjoyed listening to bluegrass music while watching old country music TV shows like "Hee-Haw" and the "Porter Wagoner Show". Roland developed an appreciation for acoustic instruments, especially the upright bass, and the level of music that could be made without the use of amplifiers. In 1997, Jerry Palmer, a prior bandmate, had started playing the mandolin and asked Roland to join him in what was to become the Lowell-based bluegrass band known as Gravy Train. Gravy Train eventually disbanded, but in 2001 he teamed up with Jon Cumming (guitar) and Dave Norton (5-string banjo) to form a new bluegrass band that was to become The City Council. Roland’s bluegrass influences include Hot Rize, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Doyle Lawson, Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs, and Flatt & Scruggs.