Chico Schwall

William (Chico) Schwall was born in Illinois and has lived in Oregon for half a century. He has sung at Labor rallies. designed music for theatre productions, created folk song camps for kids, played in pit bands, fiddled for dances, guested with the Eugene Ballet and Symphony, Oregon Bach Festival and Oregon Festival of American Music, released three albums of original music and traveled the country, often by rail, playing festivals, concerts and venues of every stripe.  He says “I play a couple or three instruments, ignore genres and try to tell you something you don’t already know. I sing mostly my own songs, but I don’t shy away from heritage material from all over space and time.”

He currently curates a concert series, “Chico Schwall’s American Roots,” now in its fourth season, and tries to learn something new every day. He believes there IS enough to go around, that history matters and hearts can heal.