Charley BellerCharley has been making music almost since his first days. He sang and played hand percussion all throughout his childhood. In school he began his formal music education on the Saxophone and performed on clarinet and trombone as well.
He continued singing and playing at the University of Rochester joining the Midnight Ramblers and learning to play banjo and mandolin. While at Rochester he studied clawhammer banjo with Lincoln Cromwell and both banjo and mandolin with Dennis Monroe. He also studied conga and Latin percussion with Freddy Colon of the Mambo Kings.
In 2003 he began to collaborate with Megan Beller. Together he and Megan formed the contradance band Turtle United along with Louise and Dan Chernosky. He also began playing with Megan and her father John Wobus in the band Contranella.
In 2008 Charley and Megan joined with Andrew Marcus and Michael Ferguson to form The Coalhouse Klezmer Band. They play high energy klezmer music for weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, parties, and contradances. Charley has been recorded on the following albums:
Charley teaches mandolin and banjo in Baltimore, MD. If you are interested lessons or for more information please send an e-mail to:
Charley also plays the bones.