Introducing our Musicians. ACW supports every artform. Our Music Coordinator has selected the following artists. Hire them!
Jerry Esnough
952-223-7076
Jerry Esnough has been a mainstay in the Minnesota music community. He feels grateful for all the wonderful opportunities he has had sharing his music in many different venues. His original songs have won awards and respect from his fellow musicians. He is available on Spotify, Youtube, Facebook and Amazon Music.
Eli Gardiner
Eli Gardiner was born and raised in the U.P of Michigan but now calls Minneapolis home. A prolific songwriter, Gardiner released two albums in 2023, a full band live album and a solo acoustic offering titled “Transient” Initially influenced by the likes of Dylan, Neil Young and Tom Waits, he has carved out his sound through hundreds of solo shows across the Midwest, harkening to the sounds of John Moreland, Jason Isbell and Chris Knight. His music has been played on MPR, CBS, The Current and countless local stations.
Music in Minnesota says, “Gardiner has a voice that conveys the pieces inside of us that can’t always speak. Relatable, soulful, and honest, his songwriting is structured in observations. He’s a modern voice to old problems that continue to haunt our society.
Contact Info:
612 704 4201
https://www.instagram.com/eli.gardiner?igsh=cG5nbWt2YWlkd3R3&utm_source=qr
Why Worry?
Why Worry? is the musical duo of Bob and Glenda Niemiec. Both Glenda and Bob have been playing music since childhood. Bob began taking music lessons and playing the accordion when he was 9. At age 13, Bob traded his accordion for a bass guitar and began his journey into rock and roll. He moved on to acoustic guitar, which he’s been playing ever since. Bob plays guitar (acoustic, 12-string, and electric), bass, banjo, mandolin, accordion, keyboards, harmonica, and percussion. Bob is a member of Songwriters Circle-Twin Cities, and on the Board of the MN Association of Songwriters (MAS).
Glenda started her musical journey at age 9, taking lessons and playing the piano. She moved on to flute and played in the marching and concert bands at Auburn (AL) H.S. She plays flute, piccolo, tin whistles, melodica, keyboards, and percussion. Both Glenda and Bob share the vocal duties in the group.
Why Worry? performs several shows each year sharing their renditions of popular music, classic country, light rock, folk, Americana, and original compositions. They are known for their crisp harmonies and creative instrumentation and arrangements.
Why Worry? released their first CD, “Oh, It’s You!” in August of 2024
Contact Info:
Website: www.whyworrymusic.com
Email: bobandglenda@whyworrymusic.com
Facebook: WhyWorry?Music
Phone: 651-334-0355
Vicki Dischler – Music Bio (2025)
Vicki has been passionate about music since she started learning piano at the age of 5. She
picked up her first guitar in 1990, inspired by six months of sailing along the Turkish coast,
where acoustic music filled the ports each evening. Early influences like the Indigo Girls,
Melissa Etheridge, Leonard Cohen, and John Prine helped shape her musical foundation.
Over the years, Vicki has performed with a range of groups spanning Americana, rock, blues,
jazz, disco, and world beat. As a German instructor, she developed a college course where
students formed bands and performed annual public concerts to enhance language learning
through music.
Today, her musical inspiration draws from a broad spectrum of artists. With a love for interesting
melodies and for entertaining, she brings a unique acoustic twist to a variety of distinct-sounding songs and crowd pleasers.
Contact Info:
Vicki Dischler
vldischler@gmail.com
734-660-9998
Facebook: @vicki.dischler.1
Jim Walsh
Jim Walsh is a guitarist, singer and songwriter who has composed more than 80 songs. Most of these have been published to major streaming services, and they are a mix of lyrical songs and instrumentals. He is currently performing and recording with The Smallweeds, an indie folk trio that plays his original music as well as a variety of covers, depending on venue.
Contact Info
651-334-7351
https://thesmallweeds.com/, https://jimwalshmusic.com/
Helen Johnson
Email: contact@helen.musicofficial.com
Cell: 563-378-8853
Musician bio: Helen is an emerging singer-songwriter currently based in Minneapolis, MN. Her music is characterized by confessional lyricism and storytelling traditions rooted in country and Americana, and features modern pop production and elements of rock. Helen and her five-piece band deliver emotionally moving performances that feel intimate yet powerful, and they also cover beloved pop artists like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo.
Links
Website: https://www.helenmusicofficial.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helen.musicofficial/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helen.musicofficialfacebook
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@helen.musicofficial?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Cathie English
A folk singer/songwriter that dwells in Central Minnesota where the winters are long.. .
Writing beautifully crafted songs accompanied with her distinctive American fingerstyle technique .
Woven through her music is a reverence for nature and the honest storytelling emblematic of the folk genre. She’s performs at festivals and venues throughout Minnesota.
Sharing the stage with Peter Mayer, Jim Brandenburg and most recently doing a recording with Emmy winner Michael Monroe.
Cathie has released two CDs “Mary’s Garden” and recently “Finding Solace”
Contact Info:
320 224 0106
https://www.reverbnation.com/cathieenglish
https://www.facebook.com/share/17q1AbEM6G/
Brenda Varda
Brenda Varda brings unusual (and sometimes usual) ideas to music and lyrics. Using jazz, americana, pop, and experimental forms, Varda loves to create compositions that take audience’s ears, soul, and mind to a different place. In jazz bands, cabaret, and solo shows, Varda performs, plays piano, and shapes her vocals and storytelling to reveal truths and elevate sound – sometimes through satire and sometimes just through intriguing melodies. She has been on stages all around the country, from New York to LA as a musician, singer, and actor – but right now, music outside the norm is her focus. Current songs? Gotta Find Another Home, (blues), Dividing Cells, If You Got A Whistle Blow It!, & Rhythm Undone. Two albums are up-and-coming in early 2026! One all satire and social commentary, and the other a collection of her jazz songs. She’s playing through the holidays around town, so watch for her stuff.
213-399-2006
https://www.youtube.com/@BrendaVarda
https://soundcloud.com/brenda-varda
Skarlett Woods
Duluth-based Singer-Songwriter and 7-string guitarist Skarlett Woods can only be placed in one musical category: powerful. She weaves together the rich tapestry of Americana sounds- Folk, Roots, Rock ’n Roll and Alt-Country- making each song seemingly simple yet deeply engaging. Her original work can be daring and Jazzy like early 1970’s Joni Mitchell, poetic like Bob Dylan, sweet and sexy like Norah Jones or laced with Americana like Brandi Carlile. Hailed by Dave Franklin, (Dancing About Architecture), as a “worthy successor to the likes of James Taylor, Joan Baez”.
Contact Info:
(218)839-0501
https://www.youtube.com/@skarlettwoods