“Music that transcends our time while being rooted in the past, music that soars to the heavens while keeping us in touch with the earth.”

— EastWest Journal

Longtime music collaborators from Do’a World Music Ensemble, Randy Armstrong and Marty Quinn team up for an exciting and uplifting evening of original music featuring instruments and influences from around the world on Saturday, October 7th at 7:30 PM in Green Acre’s Reimer Hall.

The evening’s concert is part of One Planet Peace Forum’s Foundations of Global Harmony & Planetary Peace session. Randy and Marty’s work with the United Nations International Year of Peace and their dedication to promoting World Peace through their music for over 40 years is a perfect fit for OPPF’s first annual gathering at Green Acre, where Sarah Farmer raised the first known peace flag in 1894.

Randy Armstrong has been hailed by the Boston Globe as “a sure-fingered, guitar virtuoso” and performs music from his collection of over 300 instruments from around the world. He was the Director of the Phillips Exeter Academy African Drumming Ensemble and North Indian Music Program from 1991 to 2020 and has taught courses for the Plymouth State University Integrated Arts Graduate Studies. Randy was selected to be the 2017-2018 artist in residence for the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra and was the recipient of the 2017 New Hampshire Governor’s Arts Award for Arts Education. His new ensemble, Randy Armstrong & WorldBeat Marimba where selected by the 2023 NH Magazine’s Best of NH Award for “Ambassadors of Peace.”

Randy is the co-founder of Do’a World Music Ensemble, Unu Mondo and Beyond Borders has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Alaska, Belize, India, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy and South Africa and West Africa. He has appeared on over 60 albums, theater and film scores and has been the recipient of numerous grants from the National Endowment on the Arts and the New England Foundation for the Arts. As a composer and recording artist, he has released a solo CD: No Regrets: and a double CD soundtrack for the 4-part PBS prime time series, Dinner on the Diner filmed in Spain, South Africa, Scotland and Southeast Asia.

He has served as an Arts Councilor for the NH State Council on the Arts appointed by two NH Governors and is on the NHSCA Arts in Education and Arts in Health juried rosters. Randy has presented educational programs for tens of thousands of students throughout his career.

Randy celebrates the CD release entitled: BEYOND BORDERS. 5 years in the making featuring 35 musicians from around world, it is a Global Voyage in Music. Beyond Borders was nominated for the 2015 ZMR Music Awards – Best World Album. His original score and soundtrack CD for the theater and dance production, THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS was released at the premiere performance in San Jose, CA in September 2016 featuring 11 international dance traditions with over 50 actors ages 4 to 84. Randy composed and recorded music for “Choose Love-The Musical” theatre production premiering in 2022. He also toured in South Africa with the all-women’s chorus, Voices from the Heart in July and August 2018 as a soloist and accompanist. Upon his return from South Africa, he formed Randy Armstrong & WorldBeat Marimba performing on a set of handmade South African marimbas from Cape Town.

Marty Quinn
Drummer, Tabla Player, Percussionist, Vocalist

Marty Quinn is a guest performer with Beyond Borders with Randy Armstrong & Volker Nahrmann and the Randy Armstrong Duo & Trio. Marty has performed, recorded and/or toured with Pat Martino (Warner Bros.), Darius Brubeck, Randy Armstrong and Do’a World Music Ensemble (Global Pacific/Columbia), Visant Rai (Vanguard), The Funky Divas of Gospel and Rock My Soul Gospel Choirs, various Broadway Show tours, and original music, drama, and dance productions The Magic Bird and The Seven Valleys with his wife, Dr. Wendy Quinn (quinnarts.com). He is the founder of Design Rhythmics Sonification Research Lab that specializes in transforming data into music and has collaborated with scientists at the Venice Marine Institute, the Climate Change Research Center and Space Plasma Group of the University of New Hampshire, and the Lunar and Planetary Lab at the University of Arizona. Marty has studied with Jim Chapin on drums, and Jeannie Deva (Voice Studio Boston) for voice and has developed innovative teaching methods including the experiential Drumming Extravaganza for group drum set instruction and the Inspiration Code Vocal Training workshops.