The Gould Standard

The Gould Standard

The Gould Standard is Rob Gould, Ken Glasser and George Thayer. Rob writes the songs, sings and plays guitar and piano. Ken sings harmony, plays dobro and lap steel. George sings harmony and plays congas and harp. We also play a few covers that fit with our overall sound — which is indie folk.

Rob started writing his own songs about 20 years ago. After writing the first few he began to play them out at open mics and got connected to local musicians and songwriters. Finding encouragement and inspiration, he wrote more songs. Other responsibilities lessened and more opportunities to share the songs emerge. Rob’s body of work now includes two 10-song albums and two singles. A new album’s worth of material awaits recording. Rob’s songs have gotten notice and recognition. His second album, Because of You, was a finalist for a WAMMIE award. His songs -Because of You and Long Walk Home - won honorable mentions in the MidAtlantic Songwriting Contest (MASC) of 2021 and 2022, respectively. And Rob’s song, Army of Devils, won a Grand Prize for MASC Best Song of the Year in 2023 and was under consideration for a 2023 Grammy Award.

Ken and George great vocal, rhythmic and instrumental talents make the songs come alive in new ways and add immeasurably to the pleasure of our audiences.

As Yip Harburg famously said, “a lyric can make you think a thought; music can make you feel an emotion; but a song can make you feel a thought.” That’s what we’re all up to.