About Bounding Main

Our Story

Bounding Main is a group of three male and two female vocalists that sing richly harmonic versions of traditional maritime songs. “Beautiful Harmonies with a Maritime Flair!” Their shows are filled with spirit, humor and harmony; their arrangements of traditional nautical music bring the listener into the world of fellowship, adventure and romance.

Before coming together as a group, all of the members of Bounding Main knew at least one other member through their participation in various environmental gigs and singing groups. Little did they know that each meeting was building up to what would, in a few short years, become Bounding Main The members of the crew (Dean Calin, Christie Dalby, Gina Dalby, David Yondorf and Jon Krivitzky) gathered together for the first time on January 19, 2003, where they took some time to get to know one another, sing a bit and discuss putting a group together. They decided they really liked each other and had a great time singing together. After much research and debate a name was settled upon: Bounding Main. (As in “Sailing, Sailing Over the . . .”)

The songs were also developing. The quintuplet, much to their surprise, had an incredible and unique blend of men’s and women’s voices. Dean had a particular vision for Bounding Main and introduced the group to songs of the sea: maritime songs, ballads, shanties. Songs in this musical genre expressed the complexity that surrounded an old-time mariner’s lifestyle and its amazing breadth of emotions: excitement, danger, bravado, loneliness, greed, lust and, well, drinking.

Bounding Main officially came together on January 19, 2003.

Serendipitously, the musical style the group chose to perform in had proven to be a popular one. What with living on the Great Lakes and all the festivals that that entails, coupled with the trending societal craze for pirates, there was plenty of work for this unique group. With the performers coming from improvisational theater backgrounds, a large element of humor worked its way into their shows. 

On a tour or Germany in the summer of 2008 that began with the international music venue, Festival Maritim, the group performed for US military personnel at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and moved on to an interview and performance on Armed Forces Radio, a performance at the Military Weather Command facility, a performance at Sembach Air Force Base and finally at Spangdahlem Air Force Base.  Additional funding for this trip was donated to the Wounded Warriors Project.

Since 2003 when they began, with countless musically thrilling and humor-filled performances on both sides of the Atlantic under their collective belt and three CD’s flying off the electronic shelves, Bounding Main is still going strong. With a show history from Chicago to Cracow, the members still manage to have as much fun singing together as always.

Thanks, Bounding Mainiacs, for all of your support. We love all of you!