Artist/educator, singer/songwriter Deb Cavanaugh has been performing in the Capital District of New York State since 1982. This began with a psychedelic jam band, General Eclectic, which was a collaboration with her husband at the time, Paul Cavanaugh. In the restless, youthful spirit of the times, this band played electric blues, folk flavored Americana and a dizzying array of rock & roll. After 20 years in this world, Deb moved on into traditional folk music with appearances at festivals such as the Clearwater Pumpkin Sail and Rhythm on the Ridge and performances at venues such as Caffe Lena, Old Songs and The Eighth Step Coffeehouse where she hosted the Open Mic for years. She has three CDs available.
Nowadays, playing a variety of acoustic instruments (guitar, mandolin, mountain dulcimer and banjo), her show includes elements of pop, folk, jazz and blues. As a young adult, she traveled back and forth across the country hitchhiking, driving a V.W. bus, playing music on street corners and cafes. Deb’s stories and original songs embody these experiences and speak to the struggles and joys of parenthood, politics and daily life. A crowd favorite, “Driving Me Crazy,” deals with the common annoyance of having a slow driver in front of you.
Having been the recipient of a "Meet the Composers" grant, she developed a songwriting workshop for young people and has taught and continues to teach that workshop in various summer camps, libraries and schools. She has developed and offers other musical programs as well including "Exploring American Folk," "Where in the World Are We," "Call of the Wild: Music of the Klondike Gold Rush," "Exploring New York: A Musical Journey" and many more.
Deb is also a registered Music Together teacher and owns and runs Heldeberg Music Together in Delmar and Troy, NY, teaching music to young people age birth through 4 years with their parent or other caregiver, a Big Kids class for ages 5 through 7 and a guitar class for adults participating in Music Together.
As a teen, Deb was involved with a choir directed by Duke Ellington, performing his original sacred music, and much later sang back-up with Melanie in Albany and Saratoga Springs, NY. She was also part of the re-creation of a women’s orchestra originally from Birkenau concentration camp playing classical mandolin in shows with that group in the Woodstock area in 2007 and finally at St. John the Divine in New York City, in Berlin, Germany and Ravensbrück camp in the spring of 2009. This show was repeated in April 2015 in the Woodstock area.
Nowadays, playing a variety of acoustic instruments (guitar, mandolin, mountain dulcimer and banjo), her show includes elements of pop, folk, jazz and blues. As a young adult, she traveled back and forth across the country hitchhiking, driving a V.W. bus, playing music on street corners and cafes. Deb’s stories and original songs embody these experiences and speak to the struggles and joys of parenthood, politics and daily life. A crowd favorite, “Driving Me Crazy,” deals with the common annoyance of having a slow driver in front of you.
Having been the recipient of a "Meet the Composers" grant, she developed a songwriting workshop for young people and has taught and continues to teach that workshop in various summer camps, libraries and schools. She has developed and offers other musical programs as well including "Exploring American Folk," "Where in the World Are We," "Call of the Wild: Music of the Klondike Gold Rush," "Exploring New York: A Musical Journey" and many more.
Deb is also a registered Music Together teacher and owns and runs Heldeberg Music Together in Delmar and Troy, NY, teaching music to young people age birth through 4 years with their parent or other caregiver, a Big Kids class for ages 5 through 7 and a guitar class for adults participating in Music Together.
As a teen, Deb was involved with a choir directed by Duke Ellington, performing his original sacred music, and much later sang back-up with Melanie in Albany and Saratoga Springs, NY. She was also part of the re-creation of a women’s orchestra originally from Birkenau concentration camp playing classical mandolin in shows with that group in the Woodstock area in 2007 and finally at St. John the Divine in New York City, in Berlin, Germany and Ravensbrück camp in the spring of 2009. This show was repeated in April 2015 in the Woodstock area.