David LaMotte

David LaMotte
“...guitar-spanking open-tuning
grooves as well as gentle folk-tinged
pop. His lyrics range from insightful
image-driven stories to equally insightful humor.”
- Washington Times
"...pushes the envelope with challenging lyrics and unusual
tunings, but he also pays homage to folk tradition."
- The Boston Globe
“charm, stories, humour, insightful songs, sweet voice
and dazzling guitar ability.”
- BBC Radio Belfast
“contemplative and intimate ...melodious folk pop imbued
with a subtle joyous spirit.”
- Performing
Songwriter
Magazine
“a global citizen... touched
hearts across the globe.”
- The Hindu (India)
David LaMotte
A veteran of 11 CDs and 2500 concerts in 49 states and
on 5 continents, David LaMotte is an award-winning
songwriter, author, public speaker, and the founder of an
international non-profit.
LaMotte's music has been honored with numerous
awards and grants as well as artist sponsorships from
Taylor Guitars and John Pearse Strings. His song Dark
and Deep was included on Songs Inspired By Literature,
Chapter One. Other artists on that CD include Bruce
Springsteen, Aimee Mann and Suzanne Vega.
LaMotte is the co-founder and president of PEG Partners, a non-profit that supports schools and libraries in
Guatemala to improve learning environments there. Because of his strong commitment to peacemaking, he has
traveled in several of the world’s conflict zones, from
Bosnia and Belfast to Hebron and Haiti, promoting intercultural understanding and seeking to learn from people
on the front lines of peace work, and has led workshops
and trainings in Zambia, Germany, Australia, and across
the United States.
At a glance...
• Over 2500 shows in 49 states and 15 countries.
• 11 full-length albums, plus numerous compilations
• Featured on Songs Inspired By Literature, Chapter One,
with Bruce Springsteen, Grace Slick, Suzanne Vega.
• Numerous tours in Europe, Australia, and NZ.
• Parents Guide to Children's Media award for his children’s
recording S.S. Bathtub.
• Winner of numerous songwriting awards, including
First Place in the Children’s Music category of the
USA Songwriting Competition (with 32,000 entries), as
well as Gold in Folk and Silver in Instrumental in the
SAW Mid-Atlantic Song Contest.
• Syndicated radio and television appearances,
including Good Morning New Zealand, Al Jazeera news,
River City Folk, Radio Live, BBC Radio, and Art of the
Song, and the Thom Hartmann show.
• Member of the Three Davids, with David Wilcox and David
Holt, and Abraham Jam, an interfaith band project.
In 2008 LaMotte suspended his music career to give his
focus to his other vocational passion, peacemaking. As a
recipient of the prestigious Rotary World Peace Fellowship,
he earned a masters degree in International Studies, Peace
and Conflict Resolution at Brisbane, Australia’s University
of Queensland. As part of that fellowship, he also spent
three months in rural India working with a Gandhian sustainable development organization.
LaMotte also serves as the Clerk (chair) of the American
Friends Service Committee’s Nobel Peace Prize Nominating
Task Group.
As a speaker, he has presented at events across the United
States and around the world, including at the Scottish Parliament and the PC(USA) Ministry to the United Nations.
In 2014 he published his most recent book, Worldchanging
101: Challenging the Myth of Powerlessness, which is in its second printing, and is being used as a textbook in several U.S.
colleges and universities.
LaMotte is currently recording a new album, The Other Way
Around, which involves musicians from all over the world,
and is scheduled for release on September 2, 2016.
DAVID LaMOT TE - VENUES
Se le cted Perfo rm an ce Venues
The Fly By Night - Perth, Australia
Passim - Cambridge, MA
the Birchmere - Alexandria, VA
CBGB's - New York, NY
Cafe Carpe - Ft. Atkinson, WI
Spirit Square - Charlotte, NC
Swallow Hill - Denver, CO
Eddie's Attic - Decatur, GA
Morgan's - Monterey, CA
The Listening Room - Fredericia, Denmark
The Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
the 12 Bar - London, England
The Little Bear - Evergreen, CO
Caravan of Dreams - Ft. Worth, TX
The Listening Room - Jacksonville, FL
Bluebird Cafe - Nashville, TN
Acoustic Sounds Cafe - Little Rock, AR
Two Way Street - Chicago, IL
The Cotton Club - Kaiserslautern, Germany
Six String Cafe - Cary, NC
Uncle Calvin's - Dallas, TX
The Lincoln Center - Ft. Collins, CO
Se lected Academi c Venues
Rhodes College - Memphis, TN
Agnes Scott College - Atlanta, GA
Trinity College - Hartford, CT
Drury College - Springfield, MO
Davidson College - Davidson, NC
Presbyterian College - Clinton, SC
University of West Florida - Pensacola, FL
Duke University - Durham, NC
U. of Ullster - Jordanstown, N. Ireland
James Madison University - Harrisonburg, VA
Clemson University - Clemson, SC
Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC
U. of Oklahoma -Norman, OK
Centre College - Danville, KY
U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Sel ec te d Fe st iv a ls
National Folk Festival - Canberra, AU
Kerrville Folk Festival - Kerrville, TX
Bele Chere - Asheville, NC
Auckland Folk Festival - Auckland, NZ
Victor Harbor Folk Festival - Adelaide, AU
Dogwood Festival - Atlanta, GA
Lake Eden Arts Festival - Black Mtn., NC
Lyon College - Batesville, AR
Queens University - Belfast, N. Ireland
NC State - Raleigh, NC
Wesleyan College - Macon, GA
Old Dominion University - Norfolk, VA
U. of W. Kentucky, Bowling Green, KY
College of Charleston - Charleston, SC
University of Central Arkansas - Conway, AR
University of Georgia - Athens, GA
Francis Marion University - Florence, SC
Elon College - Elon College, NC
Florida School for the Blind - St. Augustine, FL
Winthrop University - Rock Hill, SC
Western Carolina University - Cullowhee, NC
Wesley College - Dover, DE
Syndi cated Medi a
Good Morning New Zealand (TV)
GIGA (TV) - Karlsruhe, Germany
River City Folk (radio) - Omaha, Nebraska
BBC Radio Ullster (radio) - Belfast, N. Ireland
Radio Live (TV/radio) - Pensacola, Florida
Acoustic Accents (radio) - Tok, Alaska
Art of the Song - Albuquerque, New Mexico
Booking/Contact: [email protected]
David LaMotte Discography
Best of David LaMotte (LDM, 2014) - Change (LDM, 2006)
This Is My Song (LDM, 2006) - Spin (LDM, 2003)
Good Tar (LDM, 2001) - Corners (LDM, 2000)
S.S. Bathtub: Songs for Kids and Their Grownups (LDM, 1998) - Hard Earned Smile (ISG, 1997)
Flying: Live From the Grey Eagle (LDM, 1994) - In the Light (LDM, 1992)
Barefoot (LDM, 1991) -
Selected Compilations
LEAF Performing Artists Collection, Vol.4 (LEAF, 2010) This compilation from the Lake Eden Arts Festival features David along with Michael Franti, Sarah Lee Guthrie, David Holt and the Carolina Chocolate Drops.
Winner's CD (SAW, 2007) The Songwriter's Association of Washington's Mid-Atlantic Song Contest awarded David
the Gold in Folk for Keep the Change and Silver in Instrumental for Madison’s Tune.
Remembering Rachel (2005) David covers the Rachel Bissex song Flying for this memorial project which also features Dar Williams, Patty Larkin, Jennifer Kimball, Catie Curtis, the Kennedys and the Dreamsicles.
Carolina Folk (Dry Ridge, 2002) David's award-winning song Lens Cap appears on this regional compilation along
with tracks from Jack Williams, Chuck Brodsky, Christine Kane and Chris Rosser.
Songs Inspired By Literature - Chapter 1 (2002) Produced to benefit a national adult literacy campaign, this CD
contains David's song Dark & Deep, with tracks from Bruce Springsteen, Suzanne Vega, Aimee Mann and Grace Slick.
Winner's CD (SAW, 2001) The Songwriter's Association of Washington's Mid-Atlantic Song Contest awarded David
First Place in the Children's Category and First Place Overall in the 2001 contest for his song S.S. Bathtub.
Crossroads Cafe (Crossroads, 1998) Crossroads Magazine chose David's song Hope as the lead track on their first
sampler album, with songs from Martin Simpson, David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) and Jim & Jesse, with Emmylou Harris.
Tower Tracks (WNCW, 1998) This eleven-track compilation of live performances from WNCW includes David's
song Dans La Louisiane, among tracks by Son Volt, Snake Oil Medicine Show and Annie Gallup.
IAG Sampler (IAG, 1998) - Features David's song Hope among songs by Ellis Paul, Martin Sexton, Louise Taylor,
Jack Hardy and Peter Mulvey.
Here We Are (IAG, 1995) David's song Grey Eagle was chosen as the closing track on this Western North Carolina
songwriter sampler which includes cuts from David Wilcox and Christine Kane.
Booking/Contact: [email protected]