For over thirty years, Timmy Abell has celebrated both the historical and living qualities of American, Appalachian, International, and original folk music. USA Today has called Timmy's music "well-crafted rich and rambunctious", and Silo Music compares Timmy to Pete Seeger in "...such qualities as down to earth yet imagination-stretching lyrics, strong values, skilled acoustic musicianship, directness and respect for his audience." Timmy's concerts are an interplay of music and storytelling and have been described as "spellbinding". He features a collection of rare musical instruments including hammered dulcimer, English concertina, bowed psaltery, lap dulcimer, and penny whistle along with guitar and banjo. Timmy's storytelling includes a rich variety of adventure stories, tall tales, fairy tales, and mountain Jack Tales often punctuated with music. Timmy's recordings have received the highest national awards from the American Library Association, 'Parents' Choice' and NAPPA. Titles include "Little Red Wagon","The Farmer's Market", "Play All Day", "I Know An Old Lady", and "Stories To Grow On", all produced by Steven Heller at Upstream Productions in Asheville, NC. North Carolina Public Television has featured Timmy's original songs on their Celebration Series and in a one hour television special, "Timmy and Friends", also available on home video. Timmy Abell has presented fun-filled concerts at festivals, schools, and concert halls throughout the Eastern United States including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and The National Theater in Washington, D.C.; Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston; the JFK Library in Boston; The Peace Center in Greenville, SC and both the children's and adult stages at Merlefest in North Carolina. Timmy has always been devoted to Arts in Education. He is a North Carolina Arts Council certified Teaching Artist listed in all major Arts-in-Ed directories throughout the Southeast. Educators in 21 states have praised Timmy's illustrated Teacher Curriculum Guide, highlighting the many subject areas included in his performances. Timmy has completed the Kennedy Center's Artists As Educators training seminar and offers Teacher Workshops on transforming the classroom atmosphere through the use of music, as well as songwriting workshops and residencies for students. Timmy grew up in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where he heard plenty of traditional and old time music from a very early age. " Pan Handle Pete" was a one man band playing for audiences around the region in the 1950's, and one of Timmy's earliest memories is watching "Pan-Handle" play the banjo with his toes. Timmy picked up the guitar in 5th grade, fondly remembers his 8th grade Rock'n'Roll band, "The Mystics", and started playing professionally for kids in 1978. Timmy has three boys, Justin, Colin and Rowan. He and Susana happily live in the Beaverdam Valley in north Asheville and tour throughout the Southeast wherever young folks and families are gathered.