About Aaron Dorfman

About Aaron Dorfman

Aaron Dorfman is a full-time freelance musician in Chicago, proud to make music education the primary focus of his career. Aaron played guitar for the well-known Chicago-based bluegrass band, Henhouse ...
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About Alan Epstein

About Alan Epstein

Alan Epstein has played mandolin and sung in bluegrass bands in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New York since the 1970s. A certified Wernick Method jam teacher since 2012, he has ...
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About Allie Burbrink

About Allie Burbrink

Allie Burbrink Allie is a musician, teacher, and mom. As a founding member of the Indiana-based band The Whipstitch Sallies, she sang lead and harmony, wrote songs, and played guitar, ...
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About Andy Lentz

About Andy Lentz

Andy Lentz started on fiddle with the Suzuki technique, and has been jamming and performing bluegrass and other roots styles for over twenty years. Before recently relocating to Oakland CA, ...
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About Austin Scelzo

About Austin Scelzo

Austin Scelzo was introduced to various fiddle traditions at Mark O’Connor’s early Berklee String Camps and over time picked up all the bluegrass instruments along with singing, songwriting, and jamming ...
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About Barry Mitterhoff

About Barry Mitterhoff

Barry Mitterhoff has played bluegrass mandolin professionally for over 40 years, appearing in 49 states and 18 countries. He has toured with Peter Rowan, Jorma Kaukonen, Tony Trischka, Hazel Dickens, ...
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About Betsey Jacobs

About Betsey Jacobs

Betsey Jacobs took piano lessons early on and as an adult picked up the guitar. After 5 years she started attending "slow jams" at a local musician's home. Though struggling ...
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About Bob Amos

About Bob Amos

Bob Amos was the lead singer, guitarist and principal songwriter of the IBMA award-winning Front Range band from 1988-2003. The Colorado-based band toured America and Europe, and their 5 Sugar ...
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About Bob Barrett

About Bob Barrett

Bob Barrett began playing guitar in high school more than 50 years ago. Over the years he has performed in folk, bluegrass and rock 'n roll bands. For the past ...
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About Brian Bauer

About Brian Bauer

Brian Bauer was introduced to music at an early age by his grandfather, who encouraged him to explore the ukulele, piano, and guitar. He became interested in singing, songwriting, and bluegrass ...
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About Buck Thrailkill

About Buck Thrailkill

Buck Thrailkill was born in Meridian, MS and started playing banjo at age 12. Mentored by his big brother and Lee Jackson (Carl Jackson’s Dad), he grew up playing all ...
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About Charlotte Ivy

About Charlotte Ivy

Charlotte Ivy was introduced to bluegrass in 2012 while visiting Virginia friends, which renewed her interest in playing guitar. She attended a Wernick Method workshop and from then on she ...
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About Chris Armstrong

About Chris Armstrong

Chris Armstrong is a multi-instrumentalist who has performed and taught private and group lessons for over fifteen years, and is now teaching at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and ...
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About Chris Brashear

About Chris Brashear

Chris Brashear plays fiddle, mandolin and guitar and sings lead and harmony parts. With over 25 years of professional experience as a performer, producer, teacher, recording artist and songwriter, he ...
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About Chris Roszell

About Chris Roszell

Chris Roszell is a recent arrival in Denver from North Carolina. He has played bluegrass banjo professionally for over 15 years with many bands including Colorado’s Blue Canyon Boys, Scott ...
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About Chris Talley

About Chris Talley

Chris Talley plays over 25 instruments, specializing in banjo, fiddle and guitar, and releasing six albums with the Chris Talley Trio. She has won numerous banjo and fiddle contests including ...
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About Dan Whitener

About Dan Whitener

Dan Whitener is from Washington, DC, and is currently performing on banjo in the New York / New Jersey / Pennsylvania scene. He has hit the Billboard Bluegrass charts with ...
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About Dave Howard

About Dave Howard

Dave Howard has enjoyed years of singing and playing mandolin throughout the U.S. with The 23 String Band – winners of the Louisville Music Awards Bluegrass Artist of the Year ...
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About Dave Kiphuth

About Dave Kiphuth

Dave Kiphuth became well-known for his banjo work with the respected Connecticut band Apple Country, performing throughout the Northeast and South in the 1970s and 80s. He went on to ...
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About Debbie Wagner

About Debbie Wagner

Debbie Wagner was introduced to guitar in grade school and quickly developed a love for the instrument. She has led jams for over 10 years, teaches beginning guitar to adults, ...
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About Derwin Hinson

About Derwin Hinson

Derwin Hinson grew up in North Carolina playing and singing in his family’s gospel band. In his early 20s he joined Charlie Louvin’s band and the next week played his ...
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About Don Julin

About Don Julin

Don Julin, founder of Mandolins Heal the World, is regarded as one of the top mandolin instructors on the scene today. Don’s patient, detailed teaching style is appreciated by students ...
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About Duck Adkins

About Duck Adkins

Duck Adkins has performed throughout the United States and around the world, including Lincoln Center in New York, the San Francisco Wharf, and the International House of Music in Moscow ...
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About Ed Harvey

About Ed Harvey

Ed Harvey has been playing, writing, performing and recording music since the 1990s, mostly on acoustic guitar and upright bass. He also plays banjo, mandolin, mountain dulcimer, autoharp, and fiddle ...
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About Ellen Carlson

About Ellen Carlson

With a Master’s in Education and 15 years of teaching math, Ellen Carlson knows what it means to be accountable for students learning what she teaches. Having started fiddle at ...
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About Ellen Carlson & Melissa Bragdon Caron

About Ellen Carlson & Melissa Bragdon Caron

Ellen Carlson and Melissa Bradgon Caron co-direct the New Hampshire Fiddle Ensemble. Ellen has been performing for 35 years, currently with High Range. She teaches fiddle, guitar and mandolin, privately ...
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About Erik Yates

About Erik Yates

Erik Yates has been singing and playing the banjo for the past twenty years as a means of self-expression, a way of connecting with tradition, and surprisingly, as a way ...
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About Ernie Martinez

About Ernie Martinez

Ernie Martinez, 40-year Swallow Hill faculty member, plays just about every stringed instrument, and more. In high school he started his first bluegrass band, the Off the Wall Gang, and ...
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About Fred Staunton & George Welling

About Fred Staunton & George Welling

Fred Staunton was first taken by bluegrass in 1980 while attending the Skyline Bluegrass Festival in WV, seeing and hearing John Hartford and the Osborne Brothers. Twenty years later he ...
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About Gabe Hirshfeld

About Gabe Hirshfeld

Gabe Hirshfeld grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. At fifteen, listening to Car Talk on the radio he heard Earl Scruggs. The sound of the banjo spoke to him as no ...
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About Gilbert Nelson

About Gilbert Nelson

Gilbert Nelson has been a regular on the jam scene for 30 years, with a passion for jamming, performing and teaching a variety of instruments. Gilbert's teaching is action packed ...
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About Gilles Rézard

About Gilles Rézard

Gilles Rézard discovered bluegrass music at 16. He started learning guitar, then fell in love with the banjo. His two solo albums and recent cover feature in Banjo Newsletter magazine ...
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About Graham Sones

About Graham Sones

Graham Sones is a more than forty-year veteran of the banjo, a Scruggs-style picker who enjoys his craft and helping students learn to play. Born in Rochester, MN with strong ...
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About Gray Toney

About Gray Toney

Gray Toney is a well-respected guitar and banjo instructor in South Mississippi. He has over 25 years’ experience teaching, and has students ranging from age 7 to 72. He currently ...
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About Greg McGrath

About Greg McGrath

Greg McGrath has been a bluegrass musician and teacher since 1990, teaching banjo and guitar during that time. Since attending Pete Wernick’s 2007 jam camp in North Carolina, he has ...
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About Harry Gambrill

About Harry Gambrill

Harry Gambrill was bit by the bluegrass bug early and began playing the banjo at age twelve. He plays banjo with regional bluegrass band The Jersey Corn Pickers. Harry also ...
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About Heidi Olsen

About Heidi Olsen

Heidi Olsen has long been involved in the bluegrass scene in the Central New Jersey area, playing banjo with her band Heidi Olsen and The Night, and hosting the Bluegrass ...
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About Ira Gitlin

About Ira Gitlin

Ira Gitlin is widely known and respected in Washington-Baltimore music circles as a versatile multi-instrumentalist, teacher, and writer. A winner of the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship at Winfield, he has ...
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About Jeanette Curry

About Jeanette Curry

Jeanette Curry began teaching 5-string banjo and guitar in the 1980s and now also teaches beginning mandolin. She has performed at bluegrass festivals and state fairs in the Midwest, and ...
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About Jeff Burke

About Jeff Burke

Jeff Burke has been performing on mandolin, guitar, and banjo since 1999–a sought-after sideman who’s toured the U.S. and Europe with a variety of acoustic and bluegrass acts. A certified ...
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About Jeff Harding

About Jeff Harding

Jeff Harding sings and plays the guitar and dobro and has been playing and teaching bluegrass all over the world for the last 30 years. He’s performed, recorded, toured and ...
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About Jenny & Matt Richardson

About Jenny & Matt Richardson

Jenny & Matt Richardson are co-owners and head instructors at Blue Raven Music studios in Lincoln a musical environment welcoming to all. They have honed their teaching skills there for ...
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About Jim Penson

About Jim Penson

Penson String Works is the home of Jim Penson, long-time bluegrass musician, teacher, and luthier. He specializes in bluegrass banjo, having played since the 1970s, with The Bee Creek Boys, ...
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About Jimmy Heffernan

About Jimmy Heffernan

Jimmy Heffernan is a multi-instrumentalist, specializing in resonator “dobro” guitar. In bluegrass and country music for over 40 years, he has performed and recorded with top names such as Larry ...
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About Jodi Harbin

About Jodi Harbin

Jodi Harbin is a career musician who teaches mandolin, guitar, banjo and bass. She was the founder of the Colorado bluegrass band, Lonesome Traveler, and has continued her involvement in ...
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About Joe Ross

About Joe Ross

Joe Ross is a multi-instrumentalist who has performed and recorded since the 1970s in bluegrass and other styles, with such bands as the High Mountain Ramblers, Sagegrass, Cold Thunder, Umpqua ...
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About Joel Denman

About Joel Denman

Joel Denman has a passion for bluegrass that began as a teenager growing up in Colorado. He actively gigs on fiddle, mandolin, guitar and baritone vocals, and was a public ...
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About John David

About John David

John David is a master on banjo, mandolin, dobro, guitar, and harmonica. He also plays fiddle and bass. He toured with music luminaries the Limeliters, performed with Leon Redbone, and ...
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About John Holenko

About John Holenko

John Holenko runs Charleston, SC’s popular folk music school Hungry Monk Music — a place to gather with friends and be encouraged to explore a lifelong love of music. He ...
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About John Treacy

About John Treacy

John Treacy of Olympia, Washington plays mandolin and guitar and sings lead and harmony vocals. Since the ‘90s he has performed in numerous bands, playing a mix of old time, ...
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About Jonas Friddle

About Jonas Friddle

Jonas Friddle began playing bluegrass guitar and mandolin as a student at Berea College, and in the fifteen years since has added the fiddle and clawhammer banjo. He has performed ...
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About Joshua Adkisson

About Joshua Adkisson

Joshua Adkisson plays 11 instruments. He discovered bluegrass after the death of his parents, finding a stash of bluegrass albums and listening to their records to feel closer to them ...
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About June Crosby & Jamis Johnson

About June Crosby & Jamis Johnson

June Crosby and Jamis Johnson are both certified Wernick Method teachers. June Crosby has traveled the world sharing music with her fiddle, having toured Europe with her family Bluegrass band, ...
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About KC Groves

About KC Groves

KC Groves is an accomplished instrumentalist (mandolin, guitar, bass), vocalist and songwriter at the forefront of Colorado’s bluegrass scene. As bandleader of the popular group Uncle Earl for over a ...
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About Kelly Bogan

About Kelly Bogan

Classically trained on piano, Kelly Bogan was swayed into folk music in high school after hearing the likes of: The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, Flatt & Scruggs, and ...
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About Kevin Slick

About Kevin Slick

Kevin Slick has been performing, writing, and recording music for over 35 years. A talented multi-instrumentalist (guitar, mandolin, banjo), he has recorded over 30 albums as a solo artist or ...
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About Kristin Scott & Wayne Benson

About Kristin Scott & Wayne Benson

Kristin Scott & Wayne Benson are both certified Wernick Method teachers. Kristin is 4-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year and known for her taste, timing, and tone, and for ...
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About Larry Kernagis

About Larry Kernagis

Larry Kernagis was raised during the folk revival era of the 60s, cutting his chops on Flatt & Scruggs and the Kingston Trio. Eventually, he became a banjo instructor at ...
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About Leigh Nelson

About Leigh Nelson

Leigh Nelson came to bluegrass music in the 80s when friends were jamming and she wanted in on the fun. Leigh learned by ear and developed her skills at jam ...
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About Len Lawhon

About Len Lawhon

Len Lawhon has been playing bluegrass and old-time music for over 30 years. He leads and plays mandolin for the old-time string band, Mulberry Jam and leads bluegrass and old-time ...
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About Leslie Dare & Susan West

About Leslie Dare & Susan West

Leslie Dare & Susan West have found great synergy in working together to teach others the essentials of bluegrass jamming. Both grew up with music but after being musically inactive ...
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About Liam Purcell

About Liam Purcell

Liam Purcell plays all the bluegrass instruments, sings lead and harmony and writes songs. Having grown up in Deep Gap, NC a mile from Doc and Merle Watson, he takes ...
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About Lydia Conway

About Lydia Conway

Lydia Conway plays fiddle, guitar and mandolin. Instilled with a passion for music at an early age, she is dynamic performer and a fun teacher. Studying classical violin early on ...
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About Lynn Young

About Lynn Young

Lynn Young is a veteran musician and Wernick Method jam teacher who has played in bluegrass and old-time string bands around the country during his 38 years with the US ...
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About Maggie Moore

About Maggie Moore

Maggie Moore is a singer/songwriter with Appalachian roots, growing up in Virginia and later moving to West Virginia and Colorado. A music history major, she has sung in gospel, folk, ...
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About Martin Gilmore

About Martin Gilmore

Martin Gilmore is a bluegrass musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and music educator based in Denver, Colorado. He is a founding member of the bluegrass band Long Road Home, an acclaimed solo ...
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About Marty Calden

About Marty Calden

Marty Calden is a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, mandolin, banjo), singer, and jam leader who believes bluegrass jamming can enrich and even change your life.  Marty discovered bluegrass at the Old Town ...
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About Matt Richardson

About Matt Richardson

Matt Richardson has played, performed and recorded music most of his life. His first love was rock guitar, playing in blues and rock bands before being drawn back to the ...
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About Max Schwartz

About Max Schwartz

Max Schwartz is from Berkeley CA, currently attending the U. of Miami Frost School of Music on scholarship. He is acclaimed as both a bluegrass and jazz musician, having won ...
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About Melissa Bragdon Caron

About Melissa Bragdon Caron

Melissa Bragdon Caron is a versatile fiddler and music teacher, classically trained and having studied music education. Since moving to Portland in 2003 she has been teaching and playing fiddle, ...
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About Michael Jockel

About Michael Jockel

Michael Jockel began playing music as a teenager, in various Rock, Folk, and Country groups. After discovering bluegrass and the 5-string banjo at age 18, he has now performed on ...
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About Michelle Wallace

About Michelle Wallace

Michelle Wallace has been active in bluegrass music for more than 20 years. Promoting bluegrass music in eastern Kentucky has been a way of life and goal for her. Hosting ...
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About Mike Thomas & Gail Garabedian

About Mike Thomas & Gail Garabedian

Mike Thomas was bitten early by the bluegrass bug. In college he played banjo and guitar in bands and while in the Air Force played multiple instruments in Country Western bands ...
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About Nate Schwartz and Grant Milliken

About Nate Schwartz and Grant Milliken

Nate Schwartz and Grant Milliken have played music together since 2010, performing bluegrass as well as jazz, rock, and R&B in some of LA’s most prestigious venues. Nate grew up ...
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About Pat Carine

About Pat Carine

Pat Carine has been teaching private lessons in his home area of Medway for over ten years, on banjo, guitar, mandolin and fiddle. He plays banjo in a traditional bluegrass ...
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About Paul Dube and Erin Dube

About Paul Dube and Erin Dube

Paul Dube and Erin Dube teach as a team. Paul plays bluegrass, folk, blues, Irish, Cajun and old-time music on guitar, accordion, mandolin and harmonica. He has played in numerous ...
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About Pete Wernick

About Pete Wernick

Pete Wernick of Niwot, CO is renowned worldwide for his accomplishments and contributions to bluegrass music: the hot-picking force in several trend-setting bands including Hot Rize, innovative teacher and author, ...
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About Peter Ruby

About Peter Ruby

Peter Ruby started guitar in his teens and discovered bluegrass in the 1990s, gaining experience while living in Australia and the U.S., as well as in his Czech homeland. In ...
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About Petr Brandejs

About Petr Brandejs

Petr Brandejs has been voted Banjo Player of the Year three times in the Czech Republic. He now performs with the traditional Czech band Bluegrass Cwrkot, his own Petr Brandejs ...
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About Pierre Bastide

About Pierre Bastide

Pierre Bastide (aka ResoMan) has picked the banjo and dobro for many years and plays with Franco-américain, Silkwood, Pierre Bastide Syndicate, and other bands. He also enjoys playing swing, blues, ...
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About Rex Kerbs

About Rex Kerbs

Rex Kerbs has attended bluegrass festivals and played banjo at jams in the Pacific Northwest for more than 15 years. Jamming with friends has led to informal bands — the ...
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About Rick Sparks

About Rick Sparks

Rick Sparks is equally at home playing banjo, guitar, mandolin, dobro and pedal steel guitar, and singing either lead or harmony. He has developed a reputation as an outstanding teacher ...
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About Scott Hopkins

About Scott Hopkins

Scott Hopkins grew up hearing bluegrass recordings in his home. At 15 he took up banjo and also joined the school band on tuba, fully immersing himself in the study ...
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About Sébastien Ferry

About Sébastien Ferry

Sébastien Ferry started playing music at age 11, learning trumpet and guitar (fingerpicking, jazz, blues, rock). He plays styles from traditional Celtic music to folk, gypsy jazz and bluegrass using ...
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About Sue Coulter

About Sue Coulter

Sue Coulter is a member of Colorado’s Bluegrass Hall of Honor, a multi-instrumentalist, and an experienced, much-loved teacher. She has started and guided bluegrass jams for over 25 years, and ...
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About Tom Behan

About Tom Behan

Tom Behan teaches and performs in the Capital District area of Upstate NY and has been playing the guitar and banjo for over 40 years. He currently holds down the ...
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About Tom Morris

About Tom Morris

Tom Morris has been playing guitar and bass for over 55 years. He also plays banjo and has played mandolin with the “Good Tyme String Band” for over 15 years ...
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About Vince May

About Vince May

Vince May grew up around bluegrass, attending festivals and shows, and got his first dobro over 30 years ago. A 26-year Army veteran, he's jammed in Baghdad and played with ...
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