Oen Kennedy is an award winning singer-songwriter-naturalist, and a master bird whistler. He has made 5 CDs of original tunes and has another 50 or 60 tunes on deck. Oen is currently working on a 24 song songbook investigating a sequence of related keys which has a working title of "The Slightly-Tempered Songwriter."
Oen loves Sequoias and Squirrels. Many people find Squirrels annoying, in light of their ability to circumvent efforts by humans to keep them from sunflower seed intended for birds at birdfeeders. But Oen is fascinated by Squirrel's problem-solving abilities, and actually sees Squirrels as role models.
Sequoias are one of Oen's other role models: they have deep, infinitely bifurcating roots which maintain symbiotic exchanges with all kinds of fungi and other microoganisms; they reach heavenward to receive the sun's bounty; they take in carbon dioxide and breath out large amounts of pure oxygen; they are ravishingly beautiful and gigantic and ancient; they provide food and shade and shelter for manifold macro-organisms; they were beloved by one of Oen's heroes, John Muir; and it is their essential nature to be still and quiet, which is an antidote to the hurried chaos promoted by cell phones and shoot'em up video games.
Oen's ongoing desire is to celebrate the multifarious creation, and give song-voice to other species alongside the astonishing and amazing homo sapiens sapiens.
March 17, 2018 8 pm
The New Moon Coffeehouse
16 Ashland Street
Haverhill, MA
Opening up for Anna Egge
Anna travels all over
singing
beautiful heartsongs
(opening vistas)
It is an honor to open
for this blue sky warrior!
April 10, 2016 2pm
Regent Theater in Arlington
An amazing show!!! The Family Folk Chorale is doing a concert of Stevie Wonder songs AND my songs! Huh?!? When did I get this lucky?!? Since Stevie Wonder is my most favorite singer-songwriter and my biggest musical influence, and since the FFC does amazing amazing choral versions of stuff, and since the band will include numerous great musicians, including Tara Greenblatt and Hatrack Gallagher (the best Harmonica player in Boston), I am gonna be in heaven!!!!
Check out this link:
April 22 2016: EARTH DAY
at the Eliot Street Soiree!!!!
With DEAN STEVENS, one of the most awesome humans upon planet Earth. He cares as much about the Earth and its multitudinous life forms (including Homo sapiens sapiens) as anyone I know. He is an astonishing singer and guitar player who does things which are basically not possible. It is always an honor to share the stage with him and crazy wonderful things always happen : )
Here is an link to the Eliot Street Soiree page for more info:
Saturday October 17, 2015
One of the most important concerts of my life! Why? Because I'm splitting the night with one of my all time musical heroes, Linda Waterfall!! She is a master musician, poet, brilliant compassionate healer, wild woman, sister of mine in tree worship, and someone I admire endlessly, and I am SO GLAD to have a chance to hear her and be with her. I will be joined by my dear friends Chris (guitar) and Andrea (bass) Chitouras, and we plan to get down and funky if need be, and probably bring West Africa into the vaulted room at 35 Church Street. Please join us for a memorable night of musical seeking and getting down.
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2181551
Saturday March 14, 2015
I'll be splitting the evening with two of my favorite people, Lori Diamond and Fred Abatelli! They make beautiful music together and I am happy to be joining them for a night of joyful musicmaking. Linked here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/658788104225175
Monday October 27 2014
I will be the feature performer at the Roslindale Open Mike, ably hosted by the lovely and huge-hearted Neal Braverman, assisted by a whole cadre of wonderful open mike community members. This open mike is in the best tradition of grass roots community building, plus they have tea and cookies and lots of other goodies. Open mike sign up at 6:30, music starts at 7, I go on at 8:30
http://www.roslindaleopenmike.org/
October 18 2014 8 PM, doors open at 7:30.
Feature concert at the New Revival Coffeehouse, 353 Great Road, Stow MA 01775! This is my first big solo show in quite a while and I look forward to making birdsong for my friends again!
http://fpc-stow-acton.org/CoffeeHouse.html
October 4th 2014 7-10pm
Ben Speaks Benefit "A Concert To Remember"! I will be one of many performers playing for this really great cause!
Medway High School:
88 Summer Street, Medway, MA 02053
http://www.benspeaks.org/#!concert-to-remember-/c2234
June 25 2013 Join me at my old haunt TCAN for my near-birthday open mike feature, hosted by the illimitable Mark Stepakoff. I'll be turning 52 on June 28th! I've learned some new bird songs to share with you and will be premiering a couple of new tunes along with some old favorites. See you there!
http://www.natickarts.org/tcan_artistdetail.php?artist_id=488&event_id=1995
March 2nd 2013 8 pm Triple Bill at the armory in Somerville, MA, with Jan Luby and Kim Jennings! We will be rocking the stage together as part of this wonderful ongoing music series at a very cool venue in Somerville (where I lived for 4 years)!
http://www.janluby.com/home.cfm
http://www.kimjenningsmusic.com/
http://artsatthearmory.org/
See you there!
Sun. Mar 3rd 2-5pm with Mark Simos! Bigelow Chapel Mt Auburn Cemetery to benefit community gardens in Watertown.
http://watertowngardens.eventbrite.com/
Sun Mar 3rd 8 pm with the Chadbourne Chanticleers! Emerson Umbrella, 40 Stow Street, Concord MA
http://www.ellenschmidt.com/openmike.html (scroll down to Emerson Umbrella)
Thur Mar 21st 8 pm Open mike feature at Amazing Things Art Center, 160 Hollis Street, Framingham MA
http://amazingthings.org/
March 30th 2013 8pm
BIG benefit show with Barbara Kessler at the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse in Franklin! Organized by the amazing Ruthann Baler, this show will provide funds for Ben Speaks, a vibrant organization which was created to combat teen depression and suicide.
http://www.benspeaks.org/
http://www.barbarakessler.com/
**Albums will be available online after September 1, 2011. In the meantime, please contact Oen directly though the "Reach Out" tab to order them.
Aluminum Green (2001) A peaceful record, with emotionally pure songs for when your heart and soul need soothing.
Live At Passim (2001) A dynamic sold out one-night live performance which rocks Club Passim.
Slow Food (2007) Deep meditations on life and death highlighted by the award winning song Annapurna.
Oook (2008) Funky, wild one take studio album, joyous and real, with Bill Derby's brilliant electric guitar work soaring at key moments.
I Praise You (2010) Bright offerings of praise to many amazing beings who have touched my life
He's musical, he's subtle, he's irresistible and he has an innate sense of the innocent soul in every one of us. Weaving birdsong and exotic instruments into his music as naturally as dew gathering on grass, his songs embrace the natural world with a gentle intelligence that is altogether unique
--Marilyn Rea Beyer WUMB 91.9
There are few performers more deserving of the term "genius" than the amazing Oen Kennedy. Oen is a first-rate guitarist (and fine piano player) with a unique voice and melodies which are intricate and yet instantly accessible. Oen is perhaps best known for his many wonderful songs about birds, but his pallet is considerably wider than tat and his songs demonstrate a remarkable ability to convey the magic and wonder of nature, childhood, love, and the human spirit. Oen Kennedy has never failed to move the audience, often to tears, but always in the end to a thunderous ovation
-- Mark Stepakoff, award winning singer-songwriter
He is an Otter, a Wolf, and a Meadowlark all in one. He doesn’t strum with fingers, he strums with the pads of his paws, although it sounds as graceful as a hand can get. His voice touches your spine gently, and warmly. His passion for Mother Earth makes everyone in the room fall in love with her too. He is a smooth seal-like crooning heart- melter with a naturalist’s mind and a fierce compassion for life.
--Tara Greenblatt, singer-songwriter, teacher, drummer
Every time I hear your CD, I find myself smiling through tears, feeling inspired, and thankful for this beautiful gift
-- J.N.
I hold on to your CD! Is there another one in the UK? I dared to let it out of my hands for 48 hours. This lovely woman named Casey wanted to hear it. She fell in love!
-- F.C.
Just by chance I was fortunate to catch your performance last Tuesday at the House of Blues. I had also the good sense to purchase your CD while I was there. It's probably the most original, and easily the best CD I have purchased in a while!
-- Chris
You were so wonderful! I enjoyed listening to and watching you sing so much! Your songs are so beautiful, so full of spirit.
--A.K.
There's something holy in his music!
-- Bridie Glynn, age 85
Hey dad, wanna trade CDs? I'll give you Bob Marley for Oen Kennedy.
--Jeremiah Driscoll age 10
Music Lessons
I have been teaching guitar for 25 years and have developed intensive teaching methods, which means growing new wing feathers and soaring. I specialize in the teaching of Rock, Funk, Ska, and Reggae rhythms, otherwise called Funk for Folkies. Strumming, fingerpicking, expressive lead guitar, accompaniment, chord voices, modes, and improvisation are just a few of the extra dimensions I can provide guidance for.
I also teach piano and ukelele and have an unusual approach to those intsruments too.
I have a sliding scale
Testimonials available on request
Music Friends
Birch Beer Records is the brainchild/heartchild of two amazing friends of mine, Dan Cloutier and Kim Jennings, and is an expression of their joyous love of local music. Thank you Dan and Kim!
Lori Diamond...when you take two innately talented, extremely hard working lifelong musicians (Lori Diamond and Fred Abataelli), and put them together, the result is...pure magic!
Intense, deeply poetic, heart-centered, and enigmatic: my friend Hewitt Huntwork
Ellen Schmidt: No one I know has done more for local musicians (nor with more panache) than this beautiful, compassionate individual who I am blessed to call friend.
Kevin So is probably the most hard working, funky, eclectic, and gifted singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist-producer-exceptional performer I know.
Libby Kirkpatrick dear friend and a totally unique and depthful individual and joy-fountain with endless blue sky around her.
Sam Bayer is another remarkable friend who is the perfect combination of eccentricity and groundedness. His website has long provided a comprehensive open mike list for the boston area and beyond. Sam thinks outside the box.
Tara Greenblatt is a Djembe dynamo singer songmaker (the best Djembe player EVER) and my nature-sister, and the only person I know who feels what I feel toward trees and frogs.
Eric Kilburn of Wellspring Soundis a dear friend, generous human being, and talented musician who happens to also be a killer recording engineer. I recorded my latest record--I Praise You--and my third record--Slow Food--at Wellspring, and feel blessed that there is such a great studio so nearby.
Seth Connelly probably has the BEST EARS of any musician I know personally, and is equally gifted as a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer, and soaring love warrior. I recorded my first CD--Aluminum Green--with Seth, and will always be thankful to the universe for introducing me to him.
Guitar Heroes
I wish I’d known Ted Greene! His videos on baroque music are mind boggling, and he has such an aura of gentleness.
Stevie Ray Vaughanis, to me, the best guitarist ever.
Shawn Lanewas a prodigy who died young and was SO out there!
Nature
Mass Audubon: My favorite part of this website is the bird sighting list, but Mass Audubon has done so much to protect habitat and species in Massachusetts, and has great educational programs for kids!
E. O Wilsonis one of my all time heroes, still making huge contributions to understanding the natural world and the importance of taking care of our Earth.
Jane Goodallis another hero of mine. Could anyone be more committed to caring for non-human species?
Stephen Jay Gouldwas a brilliant scientist who’s writings have been a source of so much learning for me over the years. He is someone I deeply admire.
Kakapo Recovery:A website devoted to the only flightless (and heaviest) parrot in the world, of which there are only 131 left on the planet (up from 86 just a few years ago). I find Kakapos utterly enchanting.
Family
Bela Lyon Pratt is my great grandfather, my mom's mom's dad. He died young (age 49) but in his lifetime he created many amazing sculptures and taught many students about art. This website, created by my mom Cynthia Kennedy Sam and my brother in law Tom Bodie, has an almost complete archive of Bela's work.
OEN KENNEDY
Boston, MA
617-899-2372
birdfriend@gmail.com