David Coffin has been performing throughout New England for decades. He has devoted himself to showing school children how accessible both Early Music and Folk Music can be. He currently presents several School Enrichment Programs to all grade levels, including an exciting presentation about the history of the recorder and many other early wind instruments. Having played the recorder since he was four years old, he can show his audience what the recorder can do “if you practice.”
Mr. Coffin’s ancestry goes back to the 1600’s in New England as ship captains and whaler men out of Nantucket. Most of David’s vocal repertoire centers on the Maritime songs that bring the life of the sailor right into the room. With his concertina and harpoon (he plays one and won't throw the other), he’s not satisfied until the entire audience is singing full throttle. His Life at Sea Program is rich with sea chanteys, whaling and fishing songs, and lively stories depicting the dangers of a whale hunt, including a Nantucket Sleighride.
David spends his summers taking over 4000 children on a history tour of Boston Harbor including a visit to George’s Island. Since 1980 David has been performing with Revels, and, since 1991, as master of ceremonies, teaching and leading the audience in song. Most recently David has been named Director of Education for the internationally acclaimed Boston Early Music Festival.
David has performed his Enrichment Programs in hundreds of schools for thousands of students. Many schools book him yearly to augment their recorder program. His Life at Sea Program has been presented in schools and also at Mystic Seaport. David's residency program thematically uses the sea to create a performance with the students based on their current curriculum.