Bios
| Al Charney |
| Lead Vocals/Guitar |
 |
|
A native Torontonian, All’s loved singing for as long as he can
remember. Throughout the
many years of his playing music, from folk duets to rock bands,
through choirs and into bluegrass, it’s always been about the
singing. He especially
loves harmony singing.
In this regard he’s in good company with his fellow Hand Me Downs.
His day job sees him teaching students with learning challenges at
the Toronto District School Board.
You can find him in the halls between classes, guitar in
hand, singing and strumming as students move between rooms. Al plays
guitar and sings lead in the Hand Me Downs. Al is married and has a
daughter. |
| Howie Shiffman |
| Vocals/Banjo/Guitar |
 |
| Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and formally trained in physics and medicine (he holds a BSc, MSc, and MD). Howie began his musical journey at a young age playing trumpet. Eventually moving on to French horn, he currently performs with the Encore band in Toronto. As a teen he taught himself guitar and later, banjo. He’s performed in a variety of genres including classical, jazz, klezmer, and bluegrass. Apart from performing music enjoys Ballroom, Latin, and Swing dancing. Howie is a founding member of, and is thrilled to play banjo and sing harmony in The Hand-Me-Downs. He is married and has 2 daughters. |
| Shelley Miller |
| Vocals/Bass |
 |
|
Born and raised
in Toronto,
Shelley began playing guitar and bass in folk groups and jazz
ensembles. Inspired by the Beatles and then by Chicago, he became an
in demand
studio
musician and live performer until the mid 80’s. As digitizing took
over much of the studio work landscape, Shelley reinvented himself
as a band leader on the corporate, wedding, and Bar Mitzvah circuit.
Through the years he has lead and/or performed with The Stan Hiltz
Orchestra, Father, The Barry Stein Band, The Saul Helman Band, The
Majestics, Replay, The Big Smoke Big Band, The Encore Symphonic
Concert Band, Danny's Eleven.
Shelley plays bass, and sings and arranges harmonies, in the
Hand Me Downs. Shelley
is married to Sharon Smith, a Toronto vocalist, and has 2 sons, and 2 grandsons. |
| Jeff Cohen |
| vocals/guitar & mandolin |
 |
|
Originally from Montreal, Jeff studied piano and flute completing a
Bachelor of Music (Theory & Composition) at the University of
Western Ontario. Moving beyond his classical background, Jeff
developed a love for folk music, acoustic stringed instruments, and
of course bluegrass. After a stint working in the Montreal Jewish
Community, Jeff moved to a Kibbutz in Israel where he worked as an
electrician and performed with local musicians. Moving again, he
relocated to California where he began his career as a computer
analyst, then on to Michigan and finally Toronto, where he resides
and works as an IT Specialist. Jeff plays guitar and mandolin, and
sings harmony in the Hand Me Downs. The common thread in Jeff’s life
has been music, which he has played and lived for the better part of
40 years. Jeff is married and has 2 daughters. |