Meet The Dangling Participles

Today we’d like to introduce you to The Dangling Participles, a jazzy indie-folk band out of Lansing, Michigan. Singer and guitarist Austin Kaufmann shares the band’s story with us below:

So, how would you describe The Dangling Participles?

I guess if I had to try to wrap up what The Dangling Participles are all about in just a few words, I’d have to say “wildly eclectic.” Reviewers of our first album, Present, used phrases like “genre-spanning” and “hopping from genre to genre,” and I think that really rings true. Our originals range from indie-folk and Americana to jazz, blues, and pop, and with both male and female lead singers, we really go all over the place. Honestly, I think if we had to limit ourselves to a single genre, we’d all get bored!

The four current members, Tamiko Rothhorn, Tim Patterson, Dan Moreno, and I, have been together since 2017. Tamiko, Tim, and I met while playing together in the folk and jazz bands at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing. Later, we started performing out at open mics around Lansing, and that’s where we met our drummer Dan Moreno. 

Before this configuration, The Dangling Participles were originally a trio of Michigan State University English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors (hence the band name’s grammatical flair). But I’m the only original remaining member of that trio and the only English teacher in the band.

Since 2018, The Dangling Participles (or “The Dang Ps,” as our fans often call us) have averaged about 40 or 50 concerts per year. We play most often around Lansing and the mid-Michigan area, from Ann Arbor to Grand Rapids, performing in breweries, festivals, listening rooms, and for private events and parties. Some of our most memorable shows include our 2018 album release concert at The Robin Theatre in Lansing, a co-billed show with the Ten Pound Fiddle series in East Lansing, and a show in the ballroom of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. 

I’d say it’s our vocals—which Tamiko and I share—that give us our signature sound, rich in harmonies. Tamiko and I also share the songwriting fairly equally, though we all help out with the arranging of songs. Instrumentally, I’d say I’m kind of the anchor of the group, on either acoustic or electric guitar, with Tamiko adding cornet and ukulele. Tim fills out the low end on his bass—switching between his acoustic fretless and his upright bass—and adds backing vocals. Dan Moreno rounds out the rhythm section on drums. 

As far as our recordings go, our first full album, Present, was released in 2018, and we’re in the final stages of producing our second album, One More Drop, which is being recorded at Troubadour Recording Studio in Lansing. The album “drops” (see what I did there?) in October, and we’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign to help crowdsource funds to help us complete the project.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As a band, we really try to keep our personal drama to a minimum. I mean, we have our moments, to be sure. We’re like a family, and so we sometimes bicker like siblings. But on the whole, we’re good at owning up to our faults and forgiving each other, and that goes a long way. 

As for external challenges, the obvious one in recent history, of course, is COVID. The last few years were rough for performers, and we were no exception. As a band, we followed the science and kept fairly cautious, especially since among our band family we had immuno-compromised relatives and young children. I mean, Tim’s youngest daughter was born in the middle of the pandemic. When things were really locked down, we as a band weren’t even “sharing a bubble” with each other, which meant even doing online shows wasn’t an option. 

It was a rough go there for a while, but we survived. We adapted. We recorded a few songs separately, using a mobile app to stitch together our various parts, and we posted them to our blog and shared them on social media. This song, “11 Time Zones,” was a particular challenge to put together. It’s a duet, which made recording it remotely a challenge. We’re excited that a studio version of “11 Time Zones” will be on the new album. 

During the heart of the lockdown, we did try livestreaming once. I played a solo set from my basement, followed by Tamiko playing a set with her daughter, Mori, from their house. It went well on a technical level, but sitting alone in front of a camera in my basement, and trying to juggle performing, dealing with streaming technology, and monitoring a chat simultaneously just isn’t what music is about for me. I really missed the chemistry of the band, the camaraderie, the connections with the venue hosts and our fans. I missed the part of music that is more than just the sum of its parts. 

The other big struggle we continually face as a band is simply carving out time. All four of us have spouses, and we’re all raising children, ranging in ages from one to early 20s. We all maintain full-time day jobs and are active in our communities. Making time to create music is a priority, but we’ve always said “family first,” so it can be a struggle to find time to rehearse, record, and perform as much as we’d like to.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I think while we love creating unique arrangements of cover songs, we’re most proud of our original music, particularly our forthcoming album, One More Drop. We’ve worked really hard on the arrangements, spent a lot of time in the studio, and brought in some fantastic guest musicians, and we really think this album is going to be special.

Here’s a music video for the title track, “One More Drop”:

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Austin Kaufmann: Hmm… well, with the exception of a few delusional middle school years when I thought I’d be a basketball star, I’d say music has always been at the heart of my identity. I grew up in northern Indiana in a music-loving family of Mennonites. My mother sang constantly around the house. My father played guitar and taught me chords at a young age. My three siblings and I all took piano lessons and sang in choirs. And, as is common in Mennonite congregations, I grew up singing a capella 4-part hymns in church, so I was constantly surrounded by music. When I went to college, I knew I wanted to teach, so I started out as a music ed major but eventually switched to English ed (and ESL) because I was worried that if I did music as my day job, it might take away some of my passion for music. It’s a choice I do not regret. My English/ESL teaching has taken me all over the world, and music continues to be my greatest passion. 

Tamiko Rothhorn:  I have always loved to sing. When I was a kid, I would make up songs and sing them to my pets. While doing my chores, I would either sing a capella or sing along to music on my Walkman. (Yes, I’m that old!)  My mom was an elementary school music teacher, so music was in the house growing up, and I sang in school and church choirs. I was fortunate enough to take private voice lessons in high school, and I think solo performance helped me overcome some shyness about being in front of people. You probably wouldn’t guess it now, but I used to be much more of an introvert.  Now I would call myself an ambidextrous introvert/extrovert or “ambivert.”  I love to spend time outside.  I enjoy cooking food and sharing it with others. I laugh and cry easily, and I try to stay open to many ways of learning and knowing. When I’m singing and playing music, I feel like I connect to some deep emotional place, and I’m happy when I can share that with others.

Tim Patterson: Growing up, we had a very musical household. My father played trumpet and my mother bassoon. Learning music was a top priority in our home, so I started playing music when I was five. My sister was taking piano lessons, and I would pick out her songs by ear and play them while pretending to read the music. Soon after I began lessons and wouldn’t be without a teacher for the next 25 years. Throughout my teen and undergrad years, I played in numerous bands and ensembles, always looking to strengthen my abilities. In college, I focused on composition and double bass, and after earning a Masters in composition from Michigan State University, I took a deep interest in tuning pianos. Since 2018, I’ve been servicing pianos in the mid-Michigan area. Recently, I was hired at Reeder Pianos, reconditioning and regulating upright pianos. I take great pleasure in allowing people to fully enjoy their instruments and make music for others.

Dan Moreno: I was raised in Lansing as a preacher’s kid, so I grew up singing and playing music in church. I never took lessons for playing drums. I just learned by ear and got used to adapting my own playing to the rest of the group. While enjoy playing with the band, music isn’t my only focus these days. I also coach and manage a youth soccer league in Lansing and flip houses in all my —ahem— “free time.”

Pricing:

• Band T-shirt: $15
• “Present” (album): $15
• One More Drop” (album): via Kickstarter

Contact Info:

• Kickstarter: https://linktr.ee/TheDanglingParticiples
• Website: https://thedanglingparticiples.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedanglingparticiples/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDanglingParticiples/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6qfmAQohp-eK-IPfrYywdw
• Other: https://thedanglingparticiples.bandcamp.com & https://open.spotify.com/artist/41G2szL7FCODa2N992Z1O5

Image Credits
Vincent Brady