Who are The Constituents? Twin sisters Judith and Ingrid Morroy, who grew up in Suriname, a former Dutch colony in South America, form the vocal part of The Constituents.  From an early age, the twins appreciated various styles of music, and began singing together when they were eleven years old.  At that age, Ingrid learned to play on a large Mexican guitar, which their dad had brought home one day, and she has not stopped playing since.  Judith also played the guitar for a while, but for years she preferred to leave that part of the work to Ingrid, and instead concentrated on the vocal harmony.  Even though the sisters eventually went their separate ways and left Suriname for various parts of the world, playing music remained an important part of their lives.  With The Constituents, which Ingrid directs, they both play the guitar and perform all over the Northern Virginia area.  In addition to the guitar, Ingrid plays the Venezuelan cuatro and the vihuela.  She lives in Arlington with husband Jerry Botland, and as the current Arlington Commissioner of Revenue, is believed to be the first Surinamese-American elected official in the United States.  Judith, a certified personal trainer and an accomplished salsera, teaches Latin dance and group exercise in Northern Virginia.  She makes her career as a Procurement Analyst at the World Bank and lives in Arlington, Virginia. Acoustic bass player Seth Merritt won a harmonica in a poker game in college.  Aren't we glad he didn't stick to gambling!  In addition to playing the bass, Seth plays the guitar and is a talented author of political parodies.  He lives in the Lyon Village precinct of Arlington, Virginia.  Seth works as an Online Political Consultant for corporations, associations and public interest groups at Issue Dynamics Inc. in Washington, D.C.  He is married to Michelle Erhardt, a Ph.D. Art Historian, who is currently teaching at George Washington University and working on several writing projects.  Seth's parents live in Arlington as well - it's a family tradition!  Seth has been active in Arlington politics (including volunteering on Ingrid's campaign for Commissioner of Revenue), and currently volunteers with the Tree Stewards of Arlington, a group dedicated to tree care, education, and advocacy. Jamie Daly - Mandolin and backgound vocals.  A native of Connecticut, Jamie has lived in the DC area full time since 1979, right around the time he discovered bluegrass music while attending Georgetown University. Since 1985, he has played mandolin with a diverse array of DC-area bands; traditional bluegrass with The Bluegrass Image, "Newgrass" with RockCreek, folky jazz (or was it jazzy folk?) with The Urban Legends and (to this day) acoustic rock and newgrass with The Outpatients. Jamie met Ingrid in 2001 at the annual Arlington Democratic Party Labor Day fundraiser, the "Chili Cook-Off" and the next Constituent came on board!  When not playing music, or substitute-teaching at Ashlawn Elementary, or smugly correcting other people's written English, Jamie loves to travel, scout out hole-in-the-wall ethnic restaurants, and tell bad jokes to anyone who will listen. He and his wife Mina Stanard live in the Columbia precinct of Arlington, in Douglas Park. Rob Receveur, solo guitar.  A native of Arlington, VA, Rob started playing guitar at the age of 10, is self-taught, and made up his own chords, until a summer camp counselor taught him some real ones.  Early on, Rob played talent shows, parties, and his dad's American Legion post, and later joined rock bands, one after the other.  He will attempt just about anything, but mostly it's alt-country, acoustic rock/folk/blues/bluegrass, electric rock/folk/blues, world music, and anything on the tuba.  Rob is also a member of The Outpatients, along with Jamie Daly.  His downtime consists of eating out (way too much) with family or friends, spending time at home with his girlfriend, a good book, his friend the T.V., his guitar, and an insane-and-spoiled-rotten Sheltie dog.  His day job is with the Postal Service.  Rob shamelessly weaseled his way into The Constituents, by asking Jamie to ask Ingrid if he could just "sit in" at one of the rehearsals.  Next thing ya know, he was signing in as a full-fledged member of the band, on a napkin contract, no less! Carlos Contreras, a native of El Salvador, has lived in the U.S. since 1980.  He is the band’s bongo player, but also plays other percussion instruments such as the congas, marimba, quica, and maracas.  He grew up surrounded by musician friends and practiced consistently with them, until he decided to seriously take up the bongos and congas.  After playing with several local bands in the U.S., he joined The Constituents.  He is also the percussionist for Brendan Smith, a local folk/pop/rock singer-songwriter.  Carlos is married to Nilda Villalta who holds a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature, and with their two children, they live in the Westover area of Arlington.  By day, Carlos is a Plan Examiner in the Arlington Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development.  When he is not working, Carlos rides his motorcycle around the County.  Furthermore, he is a competitive table tennis player and, as a committed Democrat, was instrumental in Ingrid’s campaign for Commissioner of Revenue. Ernesto Campos - Congas, bongos, cajon and other percussion instruments.  Ernesto hails from El Salvador.  He began playing percussion at a young age after his godfather delivered, as a surprise gift, a small marimba that he had in his living room.  His first drum kit was homemade from tin powdered milk cans and thick layers of plastic wrap secured tightly with rubber bands to create the desired sounds.  At age 15, Ernesto enrolled in the Natinal Conservatory in San Salvador.  Since 1991, Ernesto has lived in Takoma Park, MD with his wife and two daughters.  He has been an active volunteer for community organizations such as the Organization of Salvadoran Americans and the Latino Civil Rights Task Force of Washngton, D.C. and serves on the Board of Directors of the Central American Resource Center, Escual Bolivia, and others. Ernesto is a Community Outreach Specialist for Arlington Public Schools, and as such, acts as a liaison to the minority community.  He first played with Ingrid at the 2004 Anniversary Celebration of Brown vs. Board of Education at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Arlington, VA.  Currently, Ernesto divides his musical talent between La Nueva Cosecha and The Constituents.