David McKindley-Ward is a multi-instrumentalist from outside Washington DC who now lives in Boston. He has made a name for himself as a top traditional singer, and a much sought after accompanist. He regularly performs with the area’s finest traditional musicians, and records as session musician for various local bands.
Fiddler and violist Ryan McKasson has gained a reputation as a performer, composer, collaborator, and teacher. In 1996 he was the youngest to win the National Scottish Fiddle Championship. In 1997 he was awarded a Merit Scholarship for Viola Performance from the University of Southern California. Ryan has been a member of many bands over his 40 plus year career including his family band, The McKassons, The Syncopaths, Ensemble Galilei, MAC, Kalos,
Rooted in the sounds of American-born music, Baltimore based bassist, Alex Lacquement has crafted a unique style that is dazzling, lyrical, and transcends musical genres. Whether on stage playing jazz, old-time, bluegrass, or playing with singer song-writers his tone is unmistakable and joy for performing is obvious and infectious. In addition to being an energetic, assertive, and groovy ensemble player and imaginative soloist, he is a skilled arranger, composer and producer. Alex tours across North America playing at performing arts centers and festivals with the critically acclaimed acoustic roots quartet Charm City Junction,
Growing up in a musical family, Brad Kolodner was exposed to Folk and Roots music from birth. His father Ken Kolodner is a renowned hammered dulcimer player and fiddler who toured for many years in the folk trio Helicon. When Brad picked up the banjo at age 17, everything started to click into place. Since then, he’s charted a path centered on performing, recording, broadcasting and community organizing. He’s an acclaimed clawhammer banjo player who performs with the chart-topping Irish,
Mark Kilianski is a guitar and banjo player, and singer songwriter, with home bases in Nashville, New Jersey, and Toronto, Canada. But most of the time you’ll find him on the road with Americana/Old Time duo Golden Shoals. In his formative years, Mark immersed himself in various styles of guitar music including classic rock, jazz, classical, and metal. While pursuing a degree in Jazz Composition at Berklee College of Music, he started meeting bluegrass and celtic fiddlers and took a stylistic left turn,
Southern California based composer-instrumentalist Ashley Hoyer keeps a varied schedule of musical adventures. Described as a “mandolin phenomenon” by the San Diego Tribune, she performs in various venues ranging from great dance halls with The Syncopaths; to castles of Ireland with Sam ‘n Ash (who were also featured on the wildly popular podcast “Welcome to Night Vale”); to classical concert halls with Fire, Grace, & Ash; as well as small listening rooms with her original music folk trio Long Story Short.
Jocelyn is a musician and percussive dancer from Boston, MA and Baltimore, MD. She learned to dance in Asheville, NC, and tries to bring elements of traditional dance with her wherever she goes. Masquerading as a scientist, you might be able to find her at a lab bench during the day, but you’ll always find her on her dance board at night.
Benjamin Foss is a musician and luthier based near Belfast, Maine. Benjamin grew up in southern New England attending and playing for contra dances and building fiddles and banjos out of everything he could find. He is passionate about continuing the traditions of New England tunes, songs and dances and is always excited to share tunes and knowledge with the people around him. Benjamin plays in several contra dance combinations on fiddle,
Christa’s expressive, supple voice is compelling—a Celtic singer to satisfy the purist, and those who prefer a modern take on the tradition. Her bodhrán drives the groove in concert halls and on dance floors across America. Christa tours and teaches primarily with ‘chamber folk’ band, the Syncopaths, lifting listeners’ voices, feet, and hearts in harmony and rhythm. She has taught at Lark Camp, BACDS American Week, and many contra dance festivals and weekends; and has sung and drummed with keepers of the tradition such as Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser;
Addie Best is a relief printmaker based in Midcoast Maine. Her work is folkloric and her primary medium is linoleum prints printed with letterpress techniques. Addie prints on both paper and textiles: her warm and charming block printed patches, which can be used as adornment or for more practical purposes, such as mending, have a devoted following and look great (we must say) on dancewear. She has a BFA in printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design and now spends her days cranking out prints on a vandercook no.
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