David Helfand

Born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island, folk harper David Helfand got his start in music as a drummer in fourth grade. He picked up the guitar in high school. During five years in Ithaca, New York, where he earned a degree in recreation therapy from Cortland College, Helfand was one half of the Impressionistic Folk Duet. "I played Celtic harp, guitar, and mandolin," he says. "Ever since, I've played a merger of acoustic and electronic space music." When he moved to Eugene in 1987, Helfand founded the electronic/acoustic group Mythic Sky and toured Northwest music fests for nine years. More recently he has performed in Israel and England. Check out his CD recordings and upcoming concerts at davidhelfand.com. Since his arrival in Oregon, Helfand has worked as a special-ed job trainer for the 4J School District. In 1999 he co-founded the ACCORD Music Mentorship program that provides free lessons and instruments to at-risk kids. This fall he inaugurated a music program for adults with developmental disabilities at the Hilyard Community Center.