About Us

Zeke and Fl!p are singers, songwriters, and musicians who met at a music camp in 1992 and married in 1998. They live in Bellingham, Washington.

Zeke Hoskin writes warped songs that other musicians love to sing and record. His well-known songs include Hunting The Duck, a spoof on hunting trips, and Valparaiso in a Rowboat about whiskey smuggling during American Prohibition which is widely sung by sea chantey singers. He plays wicked mandolin, and sometimes switches to alto- and contra-alto clarinets.

Fl!p Breskin is a superb instrumentalist and teacher. She writes and sings songs about the positive ways people can fix the world. Her song One Heart At A Time was chosen for the sequel to the Rise Up Singing songbook. Fl!p was one of the founders of the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, and continues to help the workshop maintain its rigorous standards and excellent reputation.

Zeke and Fl!p’s concerts are musical ping-pong, alternating humorous songs by Zeke with serious songs by Fl!p, backing each other up and occasionally singing harmony. But their different approaches to music are two sides of the same coin, and Fl!p and Zeke share playfulness and an optimistic view that people can ultimately work things out. Among the numbers that audiences always love are Slack Key, where Fl!p uses Hawaiian licks to frustrate Zeke’s attempts to sing too quickly, and I Love Chocolate, where Zeke composes verses on the spot as the audience suggests topics.

Fl!p loves leading traditional American singing and motion games for families. These were entertainments from before radio, TV, and the internet. Everyone holds hands and sings, then we walk, spin, and swing together, cued by the words, while creating marvelous human origami, all punctuated by laughter. The songs often follow participants home for sharing with family and friends.

You can contact us, here.

***

Singing is about community, and it's rare that a couple has humor, humbleness, and a real sense of what's important in this world to teach and lead others in song. As they often tell their audiences, "if you know the song, sing along. If you don't, sing anyway."
They embody what they call "living room music." It's not the "show-off" tunes, but the songs that are quiet, sometimes, that make us think about what's important --family, home, getting along, kindness, and giving back. And sometimes the songs are so delightfully wacky that we learn to laugh in a time when life is not always so funny.
Flip and Zeke are jewels in a town that's full of talented musicians. But they make us smile, they make us weep, they make us shout for joy. We see ourselves more clearly though the songs they sing.

- Margaret Bikman,
Arts & Entertainment Editor Emeritus, Bellingham Herald

Fl!p & Zeke
2019-04-10T20:58:32-07:00

- Margaret Bikman,
Arts & Entertainment Editor Emeritus, Bellingham Herald

Singing is about community, and it's rare that a couple has humor, humbleness, and a real sense of what's important in this world to teach and lead others in song. As they often tell their audiences, "if you know the song, sing along. If you don't, sing anyway." They embody what they call "living room music." It's not the "show-off" tunes, but the songs that are quiet, sometimes, that make us think about what's important --family, home, getting along, kindness, and giving back. And sometimes the songs are so delightfully wacky that we learn to laugh in a time when life is not always so funny. Flip and Zeke are jewels in a town that's full of talented musicians. But they make us smile, they make us weep, they make us shout for joy. We see ourselves more clearly though the songs they sing.
"You may hear Zeke speak through his lovely mandolin or bass clarinet, but you won't really know his full musical voice until you hear his songs. You'll have to hear many because one song only scratches the surface. Zeke has been honing his craft for years and has a unique gift for fitting humor, humanity, and social commentary into the compact space of a song."
- Richard Scholtz
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-04T04:46:32-08:00
"You may hear Zeke speak through his lovely mandolin or bass clarinet, but you won't really know his full musical voice until you hear his songs. You'll have to hear many because one song only scratches the surface. Zeke has been honing his craft for years and has a unique gift for fitting humor, humanity, and social commentary into the compact space of a song." - Richard Scholtz
“Fl!p Breskin is a musical force of nature in the PNW, whether she’s founding a great music camp (she was a prime mover in launching the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop) or encouraging beginners to take their first faltering steps in music." - Meryle Korn
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-07T20:28:39-08:00
“Fl!p Breskin is a musical force of nature in the PNW, whether she’s founding a great music camp (she was a prime mover in launching the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop) or encouraging beginners to take their first faltering steps in music." - Meryle Korn
"Zeke Hoskin is a very annoying person.  His funny songs make you think while you laugh, which is unfashionable.  Also, the tunes will stick in your head.  Worse, they are better than mine."
- Rob Lopresti
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-03T01:26:47-08:00
"Zeke Hoskin is a very annoying person.  His funny songs make you think while you laugh, which is unfashionable.  Also, the tunes will stick in your head.  Worse, they are better than mine." - Rob Lopresti
"[Fl!p] cares more about telling the truth than most people you're likely to hear, and she does it well; at the same time she's a lot of fun to listen to." - Bob Franke
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-03T01:25:57-08:00
"[Fl!p] cares more about telling the truth than most people you're likely to hear, and she does it well; at the same time she's a lot of fun to listen to." - Bob Franke
“[Fl!p has]...nimble guitar work and unpretentious vocals...”
- T. Spaeth
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-07T20:23:22-08:00
“[Fl!p has]...nimble guitar work and unpretentious vocals...” - T. Spaeth
"Zeke’s command of pointed political satire can make his audience think, laugh, and cheer...or cringe. He’s a unidextrous 21st Century Tom Lehrer or Les Barker with a bit of a Canadian accent." - Meryle Korn
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-04T19:21:55-08:00
"Zeke’s command of pointed political satire can make his audience think, laugh, and cheer...or cringe. He’s a unidextrous 21st Century Tom Lehrer or Les Barker with a bit of a Canadian accent." - Meryle Korn
"[Fl!p's] ability, warmth, and genuine concern for people and planet ... make it obvious why she’s a leading ... song gardener with a green thumb”  - Victory Review
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-03T01:28:30-08:00
"[Fl!p's] ability, warmth, and genuine concern for people and planet ... make it obvious why she’s a leading ... song gardener with a green thumb”  - Victory Review
"I appreciate Zeke's ability to bring humor to the absurd and difficult issues we face."  - Mary Varco
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-04T04:43:09-08:00
"I appreciate Zeke's ability to bring humor to the absurd and difficult issues we face."  - Mary Varco
"Listening to one of Zeke’s songs for the first time is like opening a present from a dear friend — it’s beautifully wrapped, and inside is a delightful surprise, always gentle, clever, wry, and just exactly perfect." - Mark McPherson
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-03T01:27:28-08:00
"Listening to one of Zeke’s songs for the first time is like opening a present from a dear friend — it’s beautifully wrapped, and inside is a delightful surprise, always gentle, clever, wry, and just exactly perfect." - Mark McPherson
"Zeke is is a frighteningly fantastic songwriter whose brain marches to a brilliant and unusual drummer!"

- Laura Smith-Clawson
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-07T20:03:16-08:00
"Zeke is is a frighteningly fantastic songwriter whose brain marches to a brilliant and unusual drummer!" - Laura Smith-Clawson
Flip, nobody knows better than you: gentleness without precision is ineffective. Precision without gentleness can harm. But if they are properly mixed, healing can happen. I've watched you do this for a long time. And in this way you are my beloved teacher. - Kim Scanlon
Fl!p & Zeke
2
2019-06-10T14:01:00-07:00
Flip, nobody knows better than you: gentleness without precision is ineffective. Precision without gentleness can harm. But if they are properly mixed, healing can happen. I've watched you do this for a long time. And in this way you are my beloved teacher. - Kim Scanlon
“[Fl!p has] good songs, well sung and well played.”
- Faith Petrick, San Francisco Folklore Society Journal
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-07T20:21:18-08:00
“[Fl!p has] good songs, well sung and well played.” - Faith Petrick, San Francisco Folklore Society Journal
0
1
Fl!p & Zeke

You can contact us, here.

***

"You may hear Zeke speak through his lovely mandolin or bass clarinet, but you won't really know his full musical voice until you hear his songs. You'll have to hear many because one song only scratches the surface. Zeke has been honing his craft for years and has a unique gift for fitting humor, humanity, and social commentary into the compact space of a song."
- Richard Scholtz
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-04T04:46:32-08:00
"You may hear Zeke speak through his lovely mandolin or bass clarinet, but you won't really know his full musical voice until you hear his songs. You'll have to hear many because one song only scratches the surface. Zeke has been honing his craft for years and has a unique gift for fitting humor, humanity, and social commentary into the compact space of a song." - Richard Scholtz
"[Fl!p] cares more about telling the truth than most people you're likely to hear, and she does it well; at the same time she's a lot of fun to listen to." - Bob Franke
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-03T01:25:57-08:00
"[Fl!p] cares more about telling the truth than most people you're likely to hear, and she does it well; at the same time she's a lot of fun to listen to." - Bob Franke
"Zeke is is a frighteningly fantastic songwriter whose brain marches to a brilliant and unusual drummer!"

- Laura Smith-Clawson
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-07T20:03:16-08:00
"Zeke is is a frighteningly fantastic songwriter whose brain marches to a brilliant and unusual drummer!" - Laura Smith-Clawson
“Fl!p Breskin is a musical force of nature in the PNW, whether she’s founding a great music camp (she was a prime mover in launching the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop) or encouraging beginners to take their first faltering steps in music." - Meryle Korn
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-07T20:28:39-08:00
“Fl!p Breskin is a musical force of nature in the PNW, whether she’s founding a great music camp (she was a prime mover in launching the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop) or encouraging beginners to take their first faltering steps in music." - Meryle Korn
Singing is about community, and it's rare that a couple has humor, humbleness, and a real sense of what's important in this world to teach and lead others in song. As they often tell their audiences, "if you know the song, sing along. If you don't, sing anyway."
They embody what they call "living room music." It's not the "show-off" tunes, but the songs that are quiet, sometimes, that make us think about what's important --family, home, getting along, kindness, and giving back. And sometimes the songs are so delightfully wacky that we learn to laugh in a time when life is not always so funny.
Flip and Zeke are jewels in a town that's full of talented musicians. But they make us smile, they make us weep, they make us shout for joy. We see ourselves more clearly though the songs they sing.

- Margaret Bikman,
Arts & Entertainment Editor Emeritus, Bellingham Herald

Fl!p & Zeke
2019-04-10T20:58:32-07:00

- Margaret Bikman,
Arts & Entertainment Editor Emeritus, Bellingham Herald

Singing is about community, and it's rare that a couple has humor, humbleness, and a real sense of what's important in this world to teach and lead others in song. As they often tell their audiences, "if you know the song, sing along. If you don't, sing anyway." They embody what they call "living room music." It's not the "show-off" tunes, but the songs that are quiet, sometimes, that make us think about what's important --family, home, getting along, kindness, and giving back. And sometimes the songs are so delightfully wacky that we learn to laugh in a time when life is not always so funny. Flip and Zeke are jewels in a town that's full of talented musicians. But they make us smile, they make us weep, they make us shout for joy. We see ourselves more clearly though the songs they sing.
"Listening to one of Zeke’s songs for the first time is like opening a present from a dear friend — it’s beautifully wrapped, and inside is a delightful surprise, always gentle, clever, wry, and just exactly perfect." - Mark McPherson
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-03T01:27:28-08:00
"Listening to one of Zeke’s songs for the first time is like opening a present from a dear friend — it’s beautifully wrapped, and inside is a delightful surprise, always gentle, clever, wry, and just exactly perfect." - Mark McPherson
"Zeke Hoskin is a very annoying person.  His funny songs make you think while you laugh, which is unfashionable.  Also, the tunes will stick in your head.  Worse, they are better than mine."
- Rob Lopresti
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-03T01:26:47-08:00
"Zeke Hoskin is a very annoying person.  His funny songs make you think while you laugh, which is unfashionable.  Also, the tunes will stick in your head.  Worse, they are better than mine." - Rob Lopresti
"Zeke’s command of pointed political satire can make his audience think, laugh, and cheer...or cringe. He’s a unidextrous 21st Century Tom Lehrer or Les Barker with a bit of a Canadian accent." - Meryle Korn
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-04T19:21:55-08:00
"Zeke’s command of pointed political satire can make his audience think, laugh, and cheer...or cringe. He’s a unidextrous 21st Century Tom Lehrer or Les Barker with a bit of a Canadian accent." - Meryle Korn
“[Fl!p has]...nimble guitar work and unpretentious vocals...”
- T. Spaeth
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-07T20:23:22-08:00
“[Fl!p has]...nimble guitar work and unpretentious vocals...” - T. Spaeth
"[Fl!p's] ability, warmth, and genuine concern for people and planet ... make it obvious why she’s a leading ... song gardener with a green thumb”  - Victory Review
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-03T01:28:30-08:00
"[Fl!p's] ability, warmth, and genuine concern for people and planet ... make it obvious why she’s a leading ... song gardener with a green thumb”  - Victory Review
“[Fl!p has] good songs, well sung and well played.”
- Faith Petrick, San Francisco Folklore Society Journal
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-07T20:21:18-08:00
“[Fl!p has] good songs, well sung and well played.” - Faith Petrick, San Francisco Folklore Society Journal
Flip, nobody knows better than you: gentleness without precision is ineffective. Precision without gentleness can harm. But if they are properly mixed, healing can happen. I've watched you do this for a long time. And in this way you are my beloved teacher. - Kim Scanlon
Fl!p & Zeke
2
2019-06-10T14:01:00-07:00
Flip, nobody knows better than you: gentleness without precision is ineffective. Precision without gentleness can harm. But if they are properly mixed, healing can happen. I've watched you do this for a long time. And in this way you are my beloved teacher. - Kim Scanlon
"I appreciate Zeke's ability to bring humor to the absurd and difficult issues we face."  - Mary Varco
Fl!p & Zeke
2019-03-04T04:43:09-08:00
"I appreciate Zeke's ability to bring humor to the absurd and difficult issues we face."  - Mary Varco
0
1
Fl!p & Zeke