Walls of Time

“Walls of Time is an inspiring memoir that expresses passion for bluegrass as a genre while capturing a key period in American music.”
—Foreword Reviews

“This book is a wonderful glimpse inside the fascinating mind of the great American bluegrass guru, Peter Rowan, student of the universe and Bill Monroe. It is a kaleidoscope of music, mystery, meditation, mastery, muse, milestones, adventure, and hillbilly history. Constructed of many personal diary entries and stories of his life, it puts the reader on the tour bus, along for the ride, as it weaves through the years. It serves as a portal directly into the time and space where Peter learned the ways of the road.”
—Billy Strings

“Peter Rowan penetrates the ‘walls of time’ in this colorful narrative of his adventures as a Blue Grass Boy and beyond, with the same flair and passion as his ever-evolving musical journey as one of America’s unique troubadours.”
—David “Dawg” Grisman

“As a storyteller, Peter takes us on his musical journey of a New England boy becoming a musical legend—including reflections on Nashville in the 60s, life in the south as one of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, learning from the master, and bringing his own distinctive voice to bluegrass to become one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the last 50+ years. Walls of Time gives us an understanding of the experiences and influences that have shaped the richness and variety of Peter’s beloved music.”
—Sam Bush

“Few artists in the field of American music can boast the lore of the inimitable Peter Rowan. From Blue Grass Boy to San Francisco icon, making his mark on music history alongside giants like Bill Monroe and Jerry Garcia, there are few genres he hasn’t crossed over on his mystical odyssey. His diary entries from these legendary adventures sparkle with wit and charm, weaving together tall tales of the road, personal milestones, chance encounters, career highlights, and even songcraft tutorials, with as much vivid color and poetry as his spellbinding lyrics. Growing up in the California bluegrass scene, Peter has remained one of my biggest heroes and a touchstone whom I hold in my heart and mind every time I sit down to write a song. Walls of Time is simply a must read for anyone who wants to learn about our nation’s musical roots straight from the horse’s mouth.”
—Molly Tuttle

“There were four guys standing around in hats. I walked up to one of them and said, ‘Which one of you is Bill Monroe?’ He turned around and said, ‘I’m Peter Rowan, that’s Bill.’ This was the beginning of a lifetime musical friendship. Over the years playing together with Bill and in Seatrain, Muleskinner, and other bands, I’ve always known Peter to be a passionate musical innovator. In Walls of Time, he invites us to relive his journey from Blue Grass Boy to progressive bluegrass pioneer.”
—Richard Greene

“In Walls of Time Peter Rowan takes us on a fascinating musical journey, a pilgrimage that moves from his Irish-American Bay State roots to Nashville, Texas, California, and wide worlds beyond. We learn of his intense relationship with Bill Monroe, with whom he co-composed “Walls of Time” and who became his bluegrass mentor. We follow Peter as he rocks with David Grisman in Earth Opera and Richard Green in Sea Train, rolling back into pickin’ bluegrass with Jerry Garcia in Old & In the Way. Along the way, he offers us poems and song lyrics he’s created that mirror these experiences. And we witness his spiritual immersion into Buddhism, an adventure that shapes his lifelong devotion to peace and love through entertainment and song making.”
—Dr. Neil V. Rosenberg, author of Bluegrass: A History

“True Dharma artists are rare. We recognize Peter Rowan the musician, but inside that maker of beauty is a lifelong spiritual seeker. In these pages, his own words trace the roots of both enigmas: the outer art and the inner path. Open these pages and let him show you.”
—Marcia Binder Schmidt, author of Confessions of a Gypsy Yogini

“In Walls of Time, Peter Rowan chronicles his journey from a restless New England youth to a central voice in the evolution of American roots music. Blending memoir, poetry, and vivid anecdote, Rowan traces his path through the bluegrass tradition under Bill Monroe, the cultural upheavals of the 1960s, and a lifelong search for meaning through song. Along the way, Rowan reveals how the ‘Ancient Tones’ of blues, fiddle tunes, gospel, and ballads converge—shaping not only his own artistic vision, but the enduring spirit of American music itself.”
—Mike Fiorito, author of Mescalito Riding His White Horse