User:Washboard jo burke

Jo, a.k.a. “WashBoard Jo” a lifelong music fan and Kansas City native, was a little girl when she moved to Iowa. As a teenager, in the mid 70’s, she joined the Nee Hi’s, an 80 piece, all girl drum and bugle corps out of Clinton Iowa. Immediately intrigued, Jo joined the percussion line. She marched in hundreds of parades and field competitions. During this time, Jo had an amazing percussion instructor named Ramiro Martinez.

Although her rhythm and love for music developed at an early age, it wasn’t until the fall of 2000, while attending a concert at the Grand Emporium in Kansas City, Missouri, that all her dedication in her youth and countless hours spent learning rudimentary skills she never thought she’d use, finally paid off. Jo was chosen from the audience and given what seemed like a silly instrument at the time, a washboard, to place upon her chest. She hasn’t put it down since.

WashBoard Jo captivates audiences with her endless energy and versatile playing styles, bridging the gap between blues, zydeco, gospel, bluegrass, reggae, and rhythm & blues. Besides the washboard Jo has an array of percussion instruments she could summon and dazzle with at any time in a show or song. In addition to her talent for playing rudiments on the washboard and these other instruments she creates visuals and memories through her songwriting and poetry.

Jo thanks all of you for your love, support and interest in her passion for music. Her wish is that all of you enjoy her music as much as she enjoys sharing it with you. And, as Jo always says, music truly is, “The next best to God”