Camp Faculty

Meet your instructors, use arrows below to scroll.

Meet your Instructors

Rachel Eddy

Old Time Fiddle, Banjo, Guitar & Band

Rachel Eddy is a native of West Virginia who grew up in a musical family steeped in the traditions of Appalachian music and dance. Now based in Washington, D.C., they are known throughout the world as both a dynamic, emotionally powerful performer and an engaging, thoughtful teacher. Rachel’s soulful singing and multi-instrumental finesse—including fiddle, banjo, guitar, and mandolin—may be heard on numerous solo and collaborative recordings as well as at dances and jam sessions, where Rachel is dedicated to fostering community and sharing a love of music with others.

Rachel’s performances, workshops, and festival appearances have featured both a creative range as a soloist and an energetic engagement with fellow musicians part of various ensembles, including the Ken and Brad Kolodner Quartet, the Early Mays, and a European tour with Uncle Earl. Rachel has shared a passion for music teaching at the Alabama Folk School, Augusta Heritage Center, Common Ground, Kauffman Kamp, Nashville Fiddle and Banjo Camp, Sore Fingers, and many others.

A passionate teacher, Rachel regularly teaches private lessons as well as workshops. They are committed to ensuring an inclusive classroom, in which all students can succeed and experience the joy of developing their own musical talents—whether as beginners or long-time players. Indeed, Rachel’s students frequently remark on their teacher’s ability to lead them through a well-thought-out musical journey that leaves them more deeply connected with their instruments and inner creativity.

Rachel has four full-length albums: The Morgantown Rounders (2006); Hand on the Plough (solo, 2008); Chilly Winds (with Kristian Herner, 2010); and Nothin’ But Corn(solo, 2014). Among other recent projects, Rachel produced and performed on Roger Netherton’s eponymous debut album (2018), and was featured on Ken and Brad Kolodner’s The Swift House (2017). As part of the trio The Early Mays, Rachel has also recorded Chase the Sun (2017). Rachel has a variety of other projects underway for release in 2019 and beyond.

Old Time/Swing Vocals, Fiddle & Guitar

Emily and Jesse perform country and old-time music, singing close harmony with Jesse's unique finger-picked guitar style and a healthy dose of old-time fiddling.  They make their home in central West Virginia where they often play for square dances. They love teaching harmony singing, often with Emily's mother Val Mindel (Val taught and performed at WVMC 2024)

Emily Miller was raised playing and singing old-time and country music with her parents while they traveled the world as journalists. She received her BA in Anthropology-Linguistics from Brown University and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Vanderbilt University. In her career as a musician, she has toured with bands such as the Sweetback Sisters, The Starry Mountain Singers, and as a duo with Jesse Milnes, performing multiple times on national radio programs Mountain Stage and A Prairie Home Companion. She has released several albums of traditional and country music including In the Valley (2006), Chicken Ain’t Chicken (2009), Looking for a Fight (2012), Jesse Milnes & Emily Miller: Deep End Sessions (2015) and King of Killing Time (2017).

Emily is currently the Artistic Director of the Augusta Heritage Center and a professional singer and fiddle player. At Augusta, Emily works with the director to oversee all programming and helps the theme week coordinators to execute a joint artistic vision.

Jesse Milnes grew up in the world of West Virginia old-time music, learning from masters like Melvin Wine and Ernie Carpenter as well as his father, Gerry Milnes. Though he is widely known as a fiddle player, Jesse’s first instrument was a guitar and he has developed a personal style of finger-picking, drawing on influences from blues to bluegrass to country. He has played fiddle and guitar with many country, old-time and bluegrass bands over the years, including the Sweetback Sisters, a country band for which he was also a main songwriter. Jesse has won many local and regional fiddle contests, including the WV State Folk Festival in Glenville, WV, and the Ed Haley Fiddle Contest in Ashland, KY. Jesse and his wife, Emily Miller, recently toured in Australia and California and recorded their first album as a duo. They live in Valley Bend, WV.

Emily Miller & Jesse Milnes

Louise Bichan

Celtic Fiddle

Louise Bichan is a USA-based Scottish musician and photographer who uses both mediums to tell stories old and new.

Growing up in the remote but culturally rich Orkney islands, a place where creativity abounds and playing music has been a part of the social fabric for centuries, gave Louise a solid grounding in music. She started playing fiddle at the age of 7 after witnessing the magic of live music: “I remember the butterflies in the tummy feeling when watching concerts at the Orkney Folk Festival as a kid, wanting to be a part of it all.” The sense of community and belonging it gave her was infectious; she pestered her parents to let her learn.

In the years since, she has honed her craft, first amongst the cream of Scottish folk at Glasgow’s renowned session scene and performances with talent like Orkney group Fara and award-winning singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni, before a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, Boston, where she developed her style further.

Masterfully blending traditional and classical arrangements, her music is thoughtful, and complex, curious and playful. She composes in response to her roots and the world around her; weaving through stories of connection, to people, nature, the past and the possibility of the future.

ABOUT HILDALAND: Louise Bichan and Ethan Setiawan often perform together as Hildaland, a collaboration and meeting of their musical worlds. Their music is steeped in the fiddle traditions of their respective sides of the Atlantic, the journey taken wends through Scottish, oldtime, and Swedish inspired music intertwined with contemporary compositions. Bichan’s fiddle is a melodic foil to Setiawan’s counterpoint and harmonic depth, and the two weave in and out seamlessly.

Ethan Setiawan

Mandolin & Octave Mandolin

Originally from Goshen, Indiana, Ethan Setiawan tried out numerous instruments before finding his way to the mandolin. After high school, Setiawan attended Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship. “...I came into Berklee as a very technically oriented musician, but just being exposed to so many different styles and incredible musicians…. gave me a deeper understanding of artistry and musicality beyond technical proficiency”, he explains.

Setiawan has a command of the instrument far beyond his twenty-five years, and has won both the National Mandolin Championship at Winfield, KS and the Rockygrass Mandolin Championship.  Since then, his path has wended its way through traditional bluegrass, to Bach partitas, to free jazz. His debut full-length album, “Flux” is made up of original tunes drawing from all these wells.  His latest recording, “Gambit” feels more like my own artistic statement.” “Gambit” was recorded in Maine at the Great North Sound Society, and features an all-star cast of musicians including Darol Anger (fiddle), Tony Trischka (banjo), Sam Leslie (guitar), Brittany Karlson (bass), Ethan Jodziewicz (bass), Louise Bichan (fiddle), Joe K. Walsh (mandolin), Mike Marshall (mandolin), Neil Pearlman (keys), and Matt Arcara (banjo).

In addition to his solo projects, Setiawan is an in-demand side man and band member, and can be seen playing with Ethan Setiawan & Fine Ground, Hildaland, and Acoustic Nomads, among others.

The Clements Brothers

Vocals, Songwriting, Bass & Guitar

The Clements Brothers are George and Charles Clements, identical twins from New England. They’ve been playing and writing music together for as long as they can remember and ‘The Clements Brothers’ marks their first project together since playing in the internationally touring grass-roots band, ‘The Lonely Heartstring Band’ with whom they put out two albums on Rounder Records. With roots, rock, bluegrass, jazz, and classical influences, George (on guitar) and Charles (on bass) aim to capture their singer-songwriter sensibilities in a unique blended voice, at once enthralling and intimate, groovy and serene.  The duo is a fusion of each brother's unique musical journey, and the result is a music all its own, filled with vocal harmonies, instrumental virtuosity, and a genuine love of song.

Quinn Bachand

Celtic & Swing Guitar; Gypsy Jazz Fiddle

By age 17, Quinn was playing over a dozen instruments, recording and producing albums with his sister Qristina, and collecting multiple nominations and awards up to, and including their release, Little Hinges. Ever the bold musical voyageur, Quinn has invested his love of swing jazz in particular with the 2013 release of his band and same-named debut CD, resulting in noteworthy recognition for Quinn, including an unprecedented five Canadian Folk Music Award nominations,  top prize at the Independent Music Awards for Jazz Song with Vocals, and many more.  

In 2014, Quinn left his hometown of Victoria, British Columbia to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston on a full scholarship. While on the east coast he joined forces with Grammy nominated composer/violinist Jeremy Kittel (Fleet Foxes, Turtle Island Quartet, My Morning Jacket) as a part of his new musical endeavor, Kittel & Co.. In 2018, their record, ‘Chrysalis’, was nominated for Best Instrumental Composition alongside composers such as John Williams and Terence Blanchard.

After his 4-year stint of extensive touring and studies, Quinn graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2018 and moved to Montreal, Quebec. He is currently delving into older jazz traditions in his brand new CD, Tunes in a Hotel, which was released in 2019. The recording represents the latest evolution in Quinn’s ongoing reappraisal of Celtic, bluegrass, Jazz, Euro-Jazz, and Western swing traditions – a passionately creative trajectory that continues to delight fans as it challenges critics to come up with fresh new superlatives.

ABOUT QUINN & Natalie: Quinn and Natalie are both talented multi-genre multi-instrumentalists, born to musical families. They met in 2018 at the Montana Fiddle Camp and enjoy collaborating in the studio and on stage whenever they get the chance. Quinn’s innovative accompanying style blends effortlessly with Natalie’s original compositions, creating music that captures the ears of studied musicians while remaining accessible to all. Their album Montana Wildflower has been favorably reviewed along with Natalie’s recent single that Quinn produced, Going Going Gone. Their performances feature a delightfully diverse set of fiddle tunes, Quebeqois tremolo harmonica, clawhammer banjo, songs and even a bit of swing!

Natalie Padilla

Fiddle & Banjo

Currently based in Williamsburg, MA, Natalie was raised in Montana to a musical family. She is a performer, teacher, learner, recording artist, tunesmith and occasional songwriter with fiddle as her main instrument, along with clawhammer banjo, guitar, and voice.

Natialie started off learning fiddle from her mom, mostly bluegrass and Texas Style - and it was fiddle contests, family band and orchestra until she went to college (Violin Performance at University of Northern Colorado). In college she was introduced to traditional Irish music and by graduation was leading a weekly Irish session and had made her first album Fiddle and Flutein 2011. Her passion for oldtime music recently led to a 2013 recording entitled Hell Broke Loose with friends Tyler Andal, Casey Campbell in Nashville.

Her interest in writing fiddle tunes has resulted in three self titled albums of original material, Paths and Places produced by Joe K. Walsh, Fireweed co-produced with Ben Winship, and Montana Wildflower produced by Quinn Bachand. 

Natalies’s past fiddle contest wins include National Small Fry (1994), National Young Adult (2015), RockyGrass (2015), Kentucky State (2022) and she been a violinist with the National Repertory Orchestra, Colorado Bach Ensemble, Greeley Philharmonic and Bozeman Symphony. She has taught at Montana Fiddle Camp, Rockygrass Academy, Walker Creek Music Camp, Targhee Bluegrass Camp, Nashville Acoustic Camps, Wicklund’s Fiddle Pal Camp and Rustic Roots. She now performs with Quinn Bachand, the Vermont based trio Low Lily, in addition to producing shows and tours under her own name.

Eli Gilbert

Bluegrass Banjo

Eli Gilbert is one of the most watched and supported banjo instructors online today. His videos have been viewed on YouTube millions of times with over 50,000 subscribers. In addition to his online educational resources, Eli has taught at numerous bluegrass and banjo camps, including Banjo Summit, Augusta Bluegrass Week, Banjo Camp North, and Ashokan Bluegrass Camps. 

As a performer Eli has toured throughout the United States and Canada with artists such as Dale Ann Bradley, Alan Bibey, Chris Jones, Rick Faris, and now as a member of Missy Raines and Allegheny. Eli is an alumni of the Jazz Studies program of the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University as well as the Bluegrass and Country Music Program at East Tennessee State University.

Judy Hyman

Old Time Fiddle

With roots in classical training, Appalachian fiddle music, and modern rock, Judy's a founding member of the alt-folk rock band, The Horse Flies. With The 'Flies she toured extensively in the U.S., Canada, and Europe and recorded 8 albums, including releases on MCA and Rounder Records.  

Judy composes music for film, television, and multi-media. She received an Emmy for "Musical Composition/Arrangement: Special Achievement" for her score for the documentary, The Cultivated Life: Thomas Jefferson and Wine. For more information about film scoring projects and to hear audio, please explore the film scores page on this site and also j2filmmusic.com.

Judy has toured and recorded with the remarkable Natalie Merchant several times and appears on her albums, The House Carpenter's Daughter, Leave Your Sleep, and Retrospective.

A project emotionally special to Judy is Late Last Summer, an album of her original waltzes, which she recorded with her dad, jazz pianist/composer Dick Hyman, in 2012.  

She is proud of the two albums that rock band Boy with a Fish has produced, on which she plays electric violin. This project features the song-writing/lead singing of Judy's husband, Jeff Claus. 

Judy has been featured twice in Fiddler Magazine (for her fiddle playing), and once in Electronic Musician (for her film composing). She was also included as one of 20 master fiddlers in a booklet/cd set celebrating Fiddler Magazine's 20th anniversary. She was commissioned to create a new waltz to celebrate Fiddler Magazine's 25th anniversary in 2019.

Critics have described her work as haunting, gorgeous, sepia-tone, stirring, powerful, impressive, beautiful, rousing, playful...

Richie Stearns

Old Time Banjo

He’s been described as one of the major innovators of 5-string banjo playing, a wonderfully idiosyncratic musician. Fellow musician Tony Trischka calls him“a transcendentally clawhammering force of nature” and Bela Fleck says simply, "Richie is a wonderful musician. I love his mantra-groove spooky-banjo style." For Natalie Merchant, it’s his ability to blend traditional technique and repertoire with contemporary and original material that sets him apart: says Natalie, “I have been amazed by Richie Stearns’ musicianship…the banjo in his hands can bd plaintive sounds I have ever heard.”

A founding member of the neo traditional alternative rock band THE HORSE FLIES, he’s toured extensively over the last three decades, recording eight albums with The Horse Flies, including releases on MCA and Rounder Records. (The Horse Flies have been featured on MTV, Prairie Home Companion, All Things Considered, World Café and Mountain Stage, and have been written about in Rolling Stone, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, and other major publications.)

Kevin Wimmer

Cajun & Swing Fiddle

Kevin first picked up the fiddle under the watchful eye of his mother, Shirley Givens, a world-renowned violin pedagogue who instilled in Kevin a love of musical exploration and an emphasis on the value of good tone and technique. Still, violin was always more of an obligation than a true love until he discovered folk music in high school and began digging into the fiddle music scene, eventually following the music all the way to the prairies and swamps of Southwest Louisiana, where he studied for years with his mentor, Dewey Balfa, as well as Canray Fontenot, Dennis McGee, Carlton Frank, Bois-Sec Ardoin, and really anyone who he could get to sit on a porch and play with him for a few hours. You may have caught Kevin playing live with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Balfa Toujours, the Red Stick Ramblers, and the Racines,. Kevin has taught at Ashokan Root Camp, the Swannanoa Gathering, Augusta Heritage Workshops, Black Pot Camp, Lark in the Morning Camp, Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week, Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, in the Traditional Music Program at the University of Louisiana (Lafayette), or around some campfire somewhere. Kevin now lives in Moravia, NY, teaching private lessons when he’s not on the road. 

Bass

Joey Arcuri is a professional bassist and strings teacher from Ithaca, NY. He has a Bachelor of Music in double bass performance from Ithaca College (2009) and a Master of Science in Music Education from Syracuse University (2023). In the time between undergrad and graduate studies, Arcuri established himself as a contributing force in and around the Central New York music scene. His musical endeavors span from folk rock, jazz, pop, classical, and musical theater genres.

Arcuri gained valuable music business experience when he joined Driftwood in 2011. A folk rock band from Binghamton, NY, Driftwood has toured nationally and shared stages with Old Crow Medicine Show, Rusted Root, Greensky Bluegrass, Marty Stewart, and Donna The Buffalo. Along with playing bass with Driftwood, Arcuri has more recently begun contributing as a singer-songwriter for the band.

Alongside performing, Joey Arcuri also devotes his time to teaching the youth in Ithaca, NY. This year marks Arcuri’s second year as an elementary orchestra teacher in the Ithaca City School District. He teaches at Cayuga Heights Elementary School and Caroline Elementary School, where students in grades 3-5 enjoy studying string instruments with him. This teaching position in the Ithaca City School District has influenced much personal and professional growth for Joey Arcuri.

Joey Arcuri is continually inspired with teaching and performing. He is eager to pass onthe knowledge he has acquired throughout his career and is always excited at the prospect of creating more musical experiences with others.

Joey Arcuri

Austin Scelzo

Bluegrass Fiddle, Guitar & Vocals

Austin Scelzo was introduced to various fiddle traditions at Mark O'Connor's early Berklee String Camps, learning from powerhouse players like Billy Contreras, Jason Anick, Casey Dreissen, Jeremy Kittel, Andy Reiner, Bruce Molsky, Mark O'Connor, and Christian Howes.  

After four years of service in the public schools as a Darien Public Schools Orchestra teacher, Austin decided to transition from a creative orchestra teacher to musical entrepreneur. This decision followed his growing love for bluegrass music and desire to serve and provide resources to that community.. Nowadays, Austin still visits schools as a clinician, presents at professional development sessions, and shares resources for public school teachers to incorporate non-traditional approaches to education on YouTube and in his blog.

Austin is an active bluegrass community advocate, teaching Wernick Method Jam classes, creating and maintaining the performance venue "Bluegrass Coffeehouse" and launching the Connecticut Bluegrass Music Association. In 2024, the Connecticut State Government also named him 2023 Connecticut Arts Hero, an award that "celebrates the remarkable contributions of Connecticut residents who have made a profound impact in, for, or through the arts"

His performance credits include showcasing at the IBMA "World Of Bluegrass" in Raleigh, NC, winning the 2022 Thomas Point Bluegrass Festival Band Competition with On the Trail, and performing at festivals across the northeast, including Jenny Brook (VT), Blistered Fingers (ME), Podunk (CT), Ossipee Valley (ME) to name a few. 

Austin’s teaching credentials include teaching at Ashokan Music and Dance Camps (Southern, Western, Bluegrass), Silver Bay Bluegrass Camp, Fiddle Hell Massachusetts, and kids Academies at Grey Fox, Jenny Brook and Fiddling on the Hill,  as well as festival workshops at Jenny Brook, Thomas Point Beach, Podunk.

Dave Davies

Swing Rhythm Guitar & Vocals

Dave Davies is a talented multi-instrumentalist, singer, arranger, songwriter and teacher from Ithaca, NY. His work in a multitude of musical styles has brought him to venues all around the USA, Central America and Europe. At home on the trombone, guitar and upright and electric bass, you may also find him playing the tuba, ukelele or drums. He's been a solid member of the Northeast music scene for 30 years, playing with Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, Lindy Hop Heaven, Djug Django, The Clayfoot Strutters, Peggy Haine's Lowdown Alligators, The B Side, The Contradictions, The Gourmet Jug Band and leading the HotFoot Club and many other dance bands. Dave has toured extensively as a swing and contra musician, and has been a staff member at Ashokan Fiddle and Dance for over 30 years, and on staff at Augusta Blues and Swing Week for several years. He has a BA in music from SUNY Oswego, and studied with Bobby McFerrin at Omega Institute. Dave was director of the CSMA Jazz Ensemble for 4 years, and gives classes and workshops in vocal and instrumental improvisation, music theory, arranging and leads ensembles of many varieties.

Benny Bleu

Old Time Banjo

A lifelong inhabitant of the Finger Lakes hills, Benny Bleu’s music is as reflective of the place as the lakes themselves. His recent records 'Warm Prickly' (2019) and 'Swatting the Flies' (2021) are esteemed as “soft and swaying, breezy, country folk” (Rochester CITY Newspaper) and “a fresh voice that speaks to the roots of Country, Old Time, and authentic American music” (Bernunzio Uptown Music). Benny plays the banjo with a distinctive sound rooted deep in the traditional clawhammer style, influenced by the funky, rhythmic approach of players like Reed Martin and Richie Stearns. An instructor with an accessible teaching style he has helped many dozens of students find joy in the clawhammer technique which is beautiful in its simplicity. As a former faculty member at the Hochstein School of Music and Dance in Rochester, NY, and as an organizer of 'backyard banjo camps', his main goal is instilling the joy of groove in playing old time music, whether by yourself or with others.

Oona Grady & James Gascoyne

Oona – Irish/Old Time Fiddle; James – Guitar, Bass & Banjo

James Gascoyne is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and teacher based in Saratoga Springs, NY. Originally from Louisville, KY, James has been an active participant in the NYS Capital Region arts community since 2004. He has toured nationally with a variety of groups, at times performing on bass, guitar, drums, and vocals, all the while maintaining an active local performing and recording schedule as well as teaching privately when time allows.  James regularly performs with Oona Grady as their duo, Drank The Gold, specializing in traditional Irish and American fiddle tunes and folk songs, as well as original compositions and arrangements, plus newly formed bluegrass quintet The Millstone Rounders. With a passion for sharing his musical experience with others, he’s led various workshops at times on guitar, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and bass for the Caffe Lena School of Music, Dance Flurry Festival, GrassRoots Culture Camp, and Winter Village Music Camp.

Oona Grady is a musician and educator living in Saratoga Springs, New York.  She performs with the duo Drank The Gold, a band specializing in creative arrangements of traditional Irish and American fiddle music, folk songs, and original compositions, as well as other projects including The Grady Girls, Folk Club Kids and newest project The Millstone Rounders.  Oona grew up in Ithaca, NY, nurtured by a family and community with a deep love of music.  After receiving a foundation in Suzuki violin and Irish fiddle, she began performing with her family band as a teenager, and moved to Ireland at age eighteen to continue her music studies at University College Cork, graduating with a B.Mus. in 2008.  Oona manages a private music studio focussed on teaching and recording and is a founding teacher at the Caffe Lena School of Music.  She also works as a guest instructor for weekend workshops and summer programs, including GrassRoots Culture Camp, The Flurry Festival, and Winter Village Music Camp.

New England, Bluegrass & Celtic Fiddle

Tim Ball’s debut solo album Upstate Crossroads was the No. 1 CD of January 2023 on the FAI Folk music chart. After 20 years performing in Celtic and contra dance bands and a lifetime of playing traditional fiddle music, the success of this album has set Tim on a new path as an artist. Upstate Crossroads sheds new light on fiddle tunes and traditional songs from all corners of New York State, drawing repertoire and inspiration from the surrounding Irish-American, New England, Canadian, and Old-Time/Bluegrass traditions. Tim’s music tells stories about hard work, immigration, community, and joyous celebration.

Tim brings a wealth of performing experience from other projects. He is the guitarist for the acclaimed Celtic trio Arise & Go, weaving together a unique blend of traditional Scottish, Irish, and Atlantic Canadian music. Tim performs frequently with well-loved Renaissance festival bands Empty Hats and Cantiga, and has toured throughout the northeastern US with many different contra dance bands. In addition, he’s performed and taught at respected music and dance camps such as Ashokan and Pinewoods. Over the years, Tim has cultivated a rare ability to approach each style of music that he plays on its own terms, always interpreting in his unmistakable voice.

Traditional music became part of Tim’s life at the age of 5, when his father brought home two tin whistles and a method book and they learned to play together. He devoured his parents’ LP collection, listening to groups such as The Boys of the Lough and Fennig’s All-Star String Band. Other influential recordings included Sackett’s Harbor, a CD of fiddle tunes from 19th century upstate New York manuscripts, and Toss the Feathers, a cassette sent from Ireland by his grandmother with a note indicating that the tenor banjo player was also their plumber. While attending Ithaca College Tim became an avid contra dancer and eventually an in-demand contra dance musician, afterwards falling headfirst into Ithaca’s vibrant Irish session scene.

Tim holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Ithaca College, where he studied with Susan Waterbury. In the fiddle world, he has sought out respected mentors in the New England and Irish-American traditions, including David Kaynor, Brian Conway, and Ed McGowan. Tim has also studied early music, jazz improvisation, Suzuki Pedagogy, and the Creative Ability Development method.

When he is not performing, Tim teaches string ensemble at the Ithaca Waldorf School, directs the Finger Lakes Fiddle Orchestra, leads Irish sessions, serves as a visiting lecturer in violin at Cornell University, and maintains a private violin and fiddle studio in Ithaca, NY.

Tim Ball

Steven Stull

Vocal Technique

A versatile performer, STEVEN STULL has lived and performed in Ithaca since 1986 and appears regularly in the area with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, the Society for New Music, Arts at Grace and Triphammer Arts. He has been a soloist in sixty performances with Symphoria and Syracuse Symphony including nine productions with the Syracuse Opera. A frequent performer with the Rochester Philharmonic, he has narrated and sung a variety of pieces including Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, Copland’s A Lincoln Portrait, and the Dr. Seuss stories,  How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Sneetches, and Gerald McBoing Boing. 


Mr. Stull has been a soloist in nearly eighty performances with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and can be heard in their recordings Home for the Holidays and Tales from the West Virginia Hills. His other recordings include Grant Cooper's Boyz in the Wood with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra,  The Pulse of an Irishman, Opera Cowpokes, and Christmas from the Heart of New York. Steven has appeared with Glimmerglass Opera, Tri-Cities Opera and many more.  A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Oberlin College Conservatory, Steven is also an actor, producer, director, composer, painter and photographer. His numerous recordings are available from operacowpokes.com. 

Sharon Costianes

Holistic Voice Teacher & Performance Coach

Known as “the Voice Whisperer”, Sharon (she/her) is the Founder and Director of Flight Performing Arts, Creator of The Elusive Voice™ online singing course, and cheering squad for countless professional voice users. Sharon has helped introduce freedom and mobility to people with chronic pain, arthritis, as well as people recovering from injury, trauma, and surgery through her somatic education practice, and has been teaching private voice and performance technique for over 2 decades. This unique constellation of performing arts and somatic training has lead Sharon to be an international speaker and performance coach for performing artists seeking holistic learning throughout the world. Possessing unique insight and skill into the physical organization of the speaker and singer, she can assess and correct tension patterns that hinder expression and proper vocal technique quickly and effectively, allowing each student to connect to the embodied energy of their performance, sell their message, invest audiences emotionally, and convert hearts and minds. 

Sharon holds degrees from Ithaca College in vocal performance, sociology and theater, certification from Feldenkrais Resources in Manhattan, as well as Professional Certification from The Feldenkrais Guild® of North America (2006). She has studied childhood neurodevelopment and somatics extensively and volunteers at the Clinic with Sheryl Field at the Field Center for Children's Integrated Development. Sharon has had the distinct honor of serving on the faculty at Ithaca College, and the Community School of Music and Arts, and as a guest lecturer at Cornell University. Sharon is also a regular theatrical director and music director with the Ithaca School District.

Tenzin Chopak

Songwriting & Finger-Style Guitar

“An unmistakably singular sound” - No Depression Magazine 

Tenzin Chopak is a singer songwriter based in Ithaca, NY.   Raised in Oak Ridge, TN with a singing minister father and water color and color pencil artist mother, Chopak was surrounded and suffused by art and music throughout his upbringing.  The roots of music in the American south resonate deeply through his own unique voice which emerges as at once hauntingly timeless and fully his own.  Chopak’s transportive music and live performances have been described as “incandescent”, “cinematic”, and "soul scorchingly beautiful".  

Tenzin Chopak often performs solo as well as accompanied by pianist Emmett Scott on keys, Moog bass, and backing vocals.  In 2024 Tenzin and Emmett were joined by Ethan Jodziewicz (Aoife O’Donovan, Maya De Vitry, Milk Carton Kids) on bass and in the role of producer, Mark Raudabaugh (Sierra Hull, Donna the Buffalo) on drums, and Courtney Hartman, Ruth Moody (Wailin’ Jennys), Maya De Vitry, and Brittany Haas (Punch Brothers, Crooked Still, Dave Rawlings Machine) to record Tenzin’s upcoming studio album “Witness” in Nashville, TN.  That album will be released in 2025.

Most recent album release "Tenzin Chopak Live at Red Newt" 2023

https://tenzinchopak1.bandcamp.com/album/tenzin-chopak-live-at-red-newt-lp

Naomi Sommers

Songwriting

Naomi Sommers is an Ithaca, NY-based singer-songwriter, guitar, banjo, mandolin and fluteplayer. She performs solo, with her family (as the Sommers Rosenthal Family Band), and a number of other groups including Black Diamond, and has recorded and performed professionally since childhood.

In 2024, Naomi is preparing to release an EP of original songs, co-produced with Jefferson Hamer, recorded at her dad’s studio in Connecticut (with dad Phil Rosenthal running the reel-to-reel tape machine)!  Jefferson and Naomi recorded these 5 songs live together in the studio, and now a few overdubs are being added from isolated hide-outs across the northeast.

Over the years Naomi has sung and played flute, banjo, and guitar on more than 20 records released on her father Phil’s independent American Melody label, and has recorded three albums under her own name, as well as one with Lisa Bastoni as the slow-grass duo Gray Sky Girls.

Naomi’s album, “Gentle As The Sun”, was recorded in Nashville, produced by the acclaimed musician/producer Jim Rooney (John Prine, Iris Dement, Nanci Griffith, Bonnie Raitt).  The album was engineered by David Fergusson (Johnny Cash/Rick Rubin) and features a backup band of some of Nashville’s finest musicians, and some family and friends as well.  The resulting collection of songs is the culmination of years of devotion to the craft of songwriting and to the merging of traditional and contemporary styles in American music. While living Germany for nearly a decade, Naomi toured in the Netherlands and the UK. “Gentle As the Sun” was released by Continental Records in the Netherlands, and received stellar reviews & radio airplay in the UK and Europe.

Maria Gillard

Songwriting

Maria Gillard is the REAL DEAL. A natural and talented singer, songwriter, and educator from the Finger Lakes Region of New York State, she is best known as a folk musician. Of late, she has grown to embrace a wider style range including jazz, swing, and blues. Maria’s songs offer wise, humorous, and sometimes painful observations on life and relationships. Maria has published 5 recordings of original music, was a Kerrville New Folk Finalist, and has been chosen several times for “Rochester Writes The Same Song” Concerts. She is a natural teacher and her warm, inviting flair will put you at ease.

Currently, she leads the Maria Gillard Trio, accompanied by Perry Cleaveland on mandolin and vocals, and Doug Henrie on Upright Bass. Their new recording ALWAYS LOVE, is getting rave reviews. Check it out on the Music page! 

As an educator, Maria received a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music. She is a voice instructor at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua, New York. She is the recipient of the 2020 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching.

Perry Cleaveland

Mandolin

Perry Cleaveland is a SAMMY Award winning mandolinist who also adds lead and harmony vocals, fiddle, lead guitar and clawhammer banjo. Born in Louisville, Kentucky Perry emigrated to Syracuse, N.Y. and grew up in a household that hosted many bluegrass luminaries during his formative years. In his High School years, and continuing later, he began playing in a number of New York State Bluegrass bands including: Hard Times, Pleasant Valley, Bristol Mountain Bluegrass, Rosewood, John Rossbach & Chestnut Grove, The McCarthy Paisley Band, and Lost Time. He has performed for festivals, colleges, clubs, private parties, corporate events, arts centers, schools, town concerts, PBS/NPR affiliates: WCNY, & WXXI, and New York State Council on the Arts-sponsored events, including Arts in Education series’ under the auspices of Young Audiences of Rochester.

His innovative mandolin playing keeps him in demand as a recording session player throughout New York State having played on projects by many regional Bluegrass, Old Timey and Folk artists such as: Joe Davoli, Maria Gillard, John Cadley, Ted Lambert, John Stevens, Joe Lamay & Sherri Reese, Andrew and Noah Van Norstrand, Jim Clare, Northwater, The Atkinson Family, Lisa Bigwood, Rebecca Colleen & the Chore Lads, Meyer & McGuire, Brian Coughlin, The Cool Club, Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz, Dan Dugan, The Crooked North and those bands as previously listed. Perry recently shared a CD release with Rochester NY's fabulous Roots acoustic band, "The Crooked North" and is concurrently working on a project of his own original melodies and musings.

Scandinavian Fiddle

Laurie Hart is a fiddler from Ithaca in central New York State. She specializes in Irish, Québécois, Scandinavian, French/Breton and American dance music.  She also plays Norwegian Hardanger fiddle and Swedish nyckelharpa.  Laurie is known for her beautiful tone, agile bowing, large repertoire, and fidelity to the diverse styles she plays.  She has 10 albums in her discography as well as two tunebooks.  She has also created the soundtrack for two documentaries, and appears as a guest on many other artists' albums. 

Laurie’s ensembles, many of which recorded albums over the years, have included duos with guitarists William Coulter and Paul Marchand and pianists Greg Sandell and Bob Berch; Irish ensembles with Arbo Doughty and Mitzie Collins (see video with Irish dancing); Scandinavian fiddle groups Daughters of Sweden, Fiddlespel,  Stefhan Ohlström & Andrew VanNorstrand; and her trio Alizé which played music of France and Brittany.  She explored many kinds of fiddle music over three decades with her buddies Rick Manning, Dave Davies and Tom Hodgson in their everlasting contradance quartet, the Contradictions.

Laurie's passion for fiddling, dancing, languages and travel has led her on research and tune-collecting expeditions to Ireland, Québec, Scandinavia and France, which in turn have led to writing magazine articles and tunebooks, and to new recordings and workshop offerings. She was the recipient of both a Fulbright Award and an American-Scandinavian Foundation grant to study the music and dance in Norway and Sweden. Her 5-volume CD series,  Scandinavian Fiddle Tradition has a very comprehensive accompanying tunebook, Give a Coin to the Fiddler (2024). Her highly respected tunebook Danse ce soir!: Fiddle and Accordion Music of Québec, with co-author Greg Sandell, was published by Mel Bay in 2001, and Laurie has made many trips to La Belle Province to collect tunes, perform and record, before and since. 

Laurie began offering fiddle lessons in 1990 and very much enjoys teaching children and adults.  She has taught fiddle classes at many camps and weekends, including Ashokan Northern Week, Fiddle Hell Massachusetts, Falling Waters, Ithaca Suzuki Institute, Northeast Heritage Music Camp, and Antons Vänner (Finland).  She runs a Hardingfele club, which meets weekly online; experienced new members are welcome.  Laurie is always happy to pass on her vast repertoire and her technical & musical expertise to new students at every level.

Laurie Hart

Banjo Uke in Southern Old Time

Jeff was one of the founding members and main songwriters of the alt-folk-rock band, The Horse Flies (www.thehorseflies.com), about whom the New York Times said: “The Horse Flies have figured out how to hold a hoedown in a physics lab." And Rolling Stone wrote, "The Horse Flies churn out swirling, addictive songs, blending tradition with invention." Jeff’s toured extensively in the U.S., Canada, and Europe; recorded on Rounder and MCA; appeared on Prairie Home Companion, All Things Considered, Mountain Stage, eTown, and MTV; and played numerous festivals and concert series (e.g., Central Park Summerstage in NYC, Telluride Bluegrass, Vancouver Folk, Winnipeg Folk, LEAF, Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Smithsonian Festival of American Folk Life, and many more). He’s also taught at many festivals, camps, and music programs throughout the U.S. Canada, and Europe, and he’s had songs and music used by film director Oliver Stone (in Any Given Sunday), Natalie Merchant (including on two albums and Late Night with David Letterman), and MTV's Rock the Vote. He’s also co-composed, performed, and/or mixed music for over 25 feature and documentary films, mostly with his partner and best friend, Judy Hyman (www.j2filmmusic.com). Jeff has a deep and abiding love of Southern traditional fiddle music, having been immersed in it for about 50 years. He’s an especially committed fan of rhythm, groove, and drone, and loves working with diverse people interested in developing their skills for providing solid, rhythmic backup on guitar and banjo ukulele.

Jeff Claus

Jazzy Uke

Robbert van Renesse is the author of the Mel Bay book “Understanding Ukulele Chords.”  Robbert can be heard playing the ukulele and a variety of other instruments on the “Collegiate” CD by the Original Cornell Syncopators.  He has a ukulele column in AllFrets magazine since April 2020, in which he presents chord melody arrangements for ukulele.  He is a co-founder of the Ithaca Ukes, an Ithaca-based community of ukulele enthusiasts.

Robbert Van Renesse

Bethany Parisi

Artist & Social Media Consultant

Bethany Parisi brings a unique blend of expertise in social media strategy, product photography, and communication to her work, helping non-profits, and creatives elevate their presence in the digital space. With extensive experience in managing social media platforms, Bethany excels at crafting engaging content that connects with audiences, boosts visibility, and drives engagement. Through her classes she provides valuable insights on how to optimize these platforms for personal branding, community building, and fundraising.

As a modern folk artist, Bethany has grown a dedicated following through her relief wood carvings. Bethany uses platforms to share her artistic journey, creating an authentic connection with her followers by offering behind-the-scenes looks, process videos, and stories that highlight her creative process and inspirations.

Bethany’s multifaceted background allows her to support creatives in showcasing their work to the world, using social media as a powerful tool for growth and artistic expression.

Paul Fairbanks

Banjo & Becoming a Better Musician

I have been playing the 5 string bluegrass banjo for the past 40+ years (gulp!). My teaching philosophy is to help people discover the joy of playing the banjo, whether that be on their front porch, an open mic, or on stage. It takes courage and determination to embrace this challenge and it’s so very important to maintain both perspective and a sense of humor throughout the process. I like to tell students that if it was easy to play the banjo, everyone would be doing it! That being said, there are many ways to pull back the curtain and reveal just how much banjo players rely upon some “smoke and mirrors!” My workshops are designed to do just that!

William Hurley

Know Your Bow & Your Violin

I trained as a repairman of stringed instrument bows with Bowmaker Geo Kloppel, and as a violinmaker with Luthier Robert Spear. At present, I am the proprietor of a bow repair business and make a few instruments as I have time at Congress St Violins. As a teacher, I maintain a studio of violin and viola students at the Community School of Music and Arts and First St Music Studios, both in Ithaca, NY. As a performer, I am a member of the Binghamton Philharmonic, Tri-Cities Opera, Music’s Recreation, Six Mile Craic, and various other orchestral and chamber music organizations, past and present. 

Rick Manning

Fiddle & Mandolin

Rick Manning plays fiddle and mandolin, performing bluegrass, swing and contradance music with Paris Texas, String Theory, the Falling Waters Trio (Grietzer-Hodgson-Manning), the Contradictions and, formerly, Cornerstone in the Ithaca and Finger Lakes area. Rick has recorded five CD’s – three in Nashville with Cornerstone in the 1990’s and most recently two with the Falling Waters Trio. He is also the founder and director of the Winter Village Music Camp and the Falling Waters Music Camp, both held during January.

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