sentences:  Fredrick formed the band in 1987 after earning his Ph.D. in English from University of California, Santa Barbara.After recording "St. Valentine" and releasing it on eskimo, Fredrick's own label, violinist J'Anna Jacoby joined the group and the two of them formed the nucleus of the band until she left the group in 2003.The Black Watch has recorded and toured consistently throughout its history except for a brief period in 1997 when the band broke up.