Hank Washburn has been fiddling at contra dances and Irish sessions for, like, ever.  His first exposure to Irish music was in the last century in Philadelphia, where he was graciously encouraged by Mick Moloney and many other musicians at the Commodore Barry Center.  On moving to Maine, he played for contras with the Back Bay Banana Band (now the Crooked Stovepipe), and later with the Usual Suspects.  He currently plays with the bands Racket Factory  and Dromore Bay, and has also accompanied singers Steve Richardson and Ruth Hill.  His other preoccupations include shoveling snow,  obsessing about politics and baseball, and working with kids.