Roundhouse Band
Roundhouse performs music from a variety of genres using bluegrass instrumentation; bass, guitar, mandolin, and banjo. Duet, trio and quartet harmonies are integral to the Roundhouse sound; working out interesting and unique arrangements are of special interest to the band members. Bluegrass, folk, southern and classic rock, a capella, gospel, country, blazing instrumentals and original compositions all appear in the band's repertoire!
MEET
THE BAND
RON LEAVITT
// mandolin
Ron Leavitt is the founder of The Roundhouse band which he established in 1995.
Originally trained as a classical musician playing trumpet in Orchestra, dance band and marching bands he changed to mandolin in college so that he could play with his roommates who played guitar and lutes.
In 1978 when his major Professor at University of Arizona took him to see Bill Monroe at the Old Tucson movie set he became hooked on bluegrass music and the Bluegrass mandolin style of Bill Monroe .
In the past 21 years he has steered Roundhouse into the vocal and instrumental powerhouse that it is today.
Donn Whitten
// banjo, guitar, harmonica, vocals
Born and raised in Longview, WA, Donn started learning music early in school playing woodwinds throughout his school years. He started learning banjo while stationed in Albuquerque in the early ‘70s and could already play a little guitar. After moving to San Diego in the late ‘70s, Donn played with friends and coffee houses. After moving to Oregon in the 2000s, Donn found and has enjoyed his niche, harmonizing and playing with the rest of Roundhouse. He truly enjoys the many forms of music that have been available from the ‘50s to the present and Roundhouse gives him the opportunity to play these various styles of music old, new, and original.
ELIZABETH ROOP LEAVITT
// guitar
Elizabeth Roop Leavitt has been a professional singer since she was 14 fronting a country band and two rock bands throughout high school.
After high school she obtained her degree in vocal instruction from Willamette University.
Since that time she has been a professional voice teacher and mentor to internationally acclaimed vocalists.
She has toured internationally with Cappella Romana and performed with the Salem Baroque Orchestra and as soloist in the Willamette Master Chorus.
ARON DAVID BRADLEY
// bass, vocals
Growing up in the SF Bay Area, this composer/vocalist multi-instrumentalist, (guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, harmonica, and pedal steel) has been a musician for over 50 years. He has been a sideman or in bands he created covering an array of musical styles including; Rock, Pop, Funk, Top 40, R&B, Soul, Blues, Jazz, Reggae, Tejano, Country, Bluegrass, Calypso, Classical and Gospel. Some of the Bay Area bands he had the pleasure of playing with are: Suze Caruze, Honey Davis, Sonny Rhodes, Los Deleites and East Bay Mud; He has recorded with Fast Floyd and his Famous Firebirds, and Mike Kissel and performed and recorded with Code of the West when they opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Wolfgangs in San Francisco. While performing with his band Soul’d Out, he opened for Buddy Miles. Aron moved his family up to Oregon in 1991 and played with the City Slickers, Healin’ and in 2006 produced 2 solo albums of his own compositions. He later formed Dynasonix, a Rock, R&B and Originals band and joined Fun with Jo in 2019. Aron joined Roundhouse in 2020 which he feels is a perfect fit to their blend of bluegrass and classic pop material.