It's been sixteen years since Keith Brinegar started doing filks with Bill Mullis. Keith worked with Bill for a little over seven years. In 1997, he moved to Roanoke and started working with Jerry Conner.

The last several years have been the most productive in the history of White Plectrum. Fourteen albums.  Doing songs that Keith has done for years with filk lyrics provided by himself, Jerry Conner, Michael O'Brien, David Corcoran, Barb Fischer, Rhaps and Shrewlet, the Rising Star Filk Collectives, the Technicon Filk Collectives, and the Yeager Filk Collectives, has opened up a whole new collection of music to perform. Conventions like Stellarcon, Rising Star, Technicon, Yeagercon, Sci-Con, MarsCon, Patriot Games, and Invisifest have given him a chance to play for more people than he ever thought he would. And at the same time, he’s met some wonderful people - Caprizzio (Laura and Stephanie), Dwight Gibbs, Barb Fischer, and others too numerous to mention!

Trying to categorize White Plectrum these days is a daunting task indeed.  Filk, folk, down-island, country, pop … eclectic is the closest word to sum it up, but the best word has only three letters – FUN.  Still, through it all, Keith wouldn’t trade a minute of it for anything else in the world.  Well, maybe a contract with Epic records, but … nah.  Songs have come, and songs have gone, but it’s all for one reason and one reason alone – the fun of the music.  Little did Bill and Keith dream when they started this, it would take on a life of its own.  As for what the future holds, who knows?  Maybe another cd, or another convention, or a new partner or no partner.  If it all ended tomorrow, Keith could look back and smile, because he knows he gave it his best for you, the fans, the people who come to listen.  That’s what he has wanted since he was ten years old with his first guitar – just someone to listen and like what they hear.  But until the final filk is sung, until he packs his guitar in the case and puts down his plectrum for the last time, Keith will pay the barker one more time and take the ride as long as he can.  Stellarcon is where Bill and Keith started.

As an e-mail signature written by Jerry says, "We are Plectrum of Borg. You will be assimilated. Your musical distinctiveness will be added to our own. Seriousness is futile."

To add a bit from one of my favorite songs:  “I’d have to say it now, it’s been a good life all in all … it’s really fine to have the chance to hang around …”  - John Denver, Poems, Prayers and Promises

Keith wishes to express his thanks to all of you for making a simple man’s dreams come true.