Alberto "Bear" Whitmer is a guitarist and teacher from Metro Detroit, specializing in fingerstyle acoustic guitar. His music blends British and American folk, Irish Traditional Music, Celtic, blues, classical, jazz, pop, and percussive fingerstyle. He expands the sonic palette of a 6 or 12-string acoustic guitar by synthesizing melody, bass, and harmony on a single instrument while also incorporating percussive tapping techniques, expressive effects, and alternate tunings.
Bear is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee's fingerstyle guitar program and also holds a Master of Arts degree in Irish Traditional Music from the University of Limerick. Bear has played with Mick Gavin and Friends, opened for Tony McManus, Stefano Barone, Robert Jones & Matt Watroba, and James Keelaghan as well as being the special guest of Blackthorn. Around Detroit, he performs regularly at Irish sessions, open mics and farmers markets as well as busking when the weather cooperates.