Charlie Sweeney

Charlie has been performing on various instruments since 1962. He has at least a passing knowledge of over 20 instruments, and has performed in rock, jazz, symphonic, and folk ensembles as well as solo. Charlie became an early innovator in the use of effects for the acoustic guitar, adding rock effects such as phaser, distortion (tube and electronic) chorus, octave doubling to the acoustic instrument, which led to the development of the Virtual Guitar. Charlie and Doug led the campfire sings at the 40th Anniversary Philadelphia Folk Festival. Charlie volunteers in various capacities at festivals on the east coast, and has been a stage manager for the Appel Farm Arts and Music Festival for over ten years. Charlie learned music as a student of Dr. Donald S. Rinehart (brass instruments), Joseph Musimeci (reed instruments), Stan Kenton (harmony and arranging), Robert Stoudt (keybosrds), Philadelphia Jerry Ricks (fingerstyle guitar), and Mark Cosgrove (flatpicked guitar).