Tutors
FOGHORN STRINGBAND
Foghorn Stringband is the shining gold standard for American stringband music, with eight albums, thousands of shows, over two decades of touring under their belts, and new generations of old-time musicians following their lead. Through all this, they’ve never let the music grow cold; instead they’ve been steadily proving that American roots music is a never-ending well of inspiration. Onstage, they gather around one microphone, balancing their music on the fly, and playing with an intense, fiery abandon.
Foghorn Stringband is comprised four master performers and historians: –Caleb Klauder (vocals, mandolin, fiddle) – From Orcas Island, Washington –Reeb Willms (vocals, guitar) – From rural Farmer, Washington –Nadine Landry (vocals, upright bass) – From the Gaspé Coast, Eastern Quebec –Stephen ‘Sammy’ Lind (vocals, fiddle, banjo) – From Minneapolis, Minnesota Each member of Foghorn Stringband exemplifies the best of the roots music traditions from their respective native cultures. Caleb Klauder’s wistful, keening vocals and rapid-fire mandolin picking are as influenced by Southern roots music as much as they are by his upbringing in the sea islands of coastal Washington State. Reeb Willms hails from the wind swept Eastern farmlands of Washington. Her musical family and rural upbringing are are on display with every note she sings and every heart she breaks. Nadine Landry’s roots lie in the rural backroads of Acadian Québec, and her high lonesome vocals have delighted audiences the world over. Her earth-shaking bass playing is the rumbling backbone of the Foghorn sound. Minnesotan Stephen ‘Sammy’ Lind, simply put, is the old-time fiddler of his generation whose tone and voice are as old as the same hills that gave birth to this music. Together, these four have forged a sound like no other.
ERYNN MARSHALL AND CARL JONES
Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones are old-time musicians and inspired tunesmiths from Hillsville, Virginia. They are married – in life and music. They sing southern song-duets and play powerful fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo tunes. They have won many awards for their playing and performed in Canada, Europe, Australia and China. They have 17 recordings between them including 2021 double-release Old-Time Sweethearts (produced by Marshall/Eddy) featuring 12 old-time music couples from across the US.
Erynn Marshall lives in Hillsville, Virginia and is known internationally for her traditional music. Erynn learned the nuances of Appalachian old-time fiddling from rare recordings and visiting 80-95 year-old southern fiddlers. Her original tunes are becoming common repertoire in fiddle circles. Erynn is a vibrant performer at festivals, teaches at music camps, and tours around the globe with husband / songwriter, Carl Jones. Erynn won 1st place fiddle at Clifftop, Mt Airy, and Hoppin’ John fiddlers’ conventions. She has recorded numerous albums, appeared in five films (Voices of Virginia, the Clifftop Experience I’ll Fly Away Home, Conversations with Old-Time Musicians,” plus Never Met a Stranger), and is featured in the books “Singing at the Clothesline” and “As Has It.” For years, Erynn was program director at the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, VA and Alleghany JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians) in Sparta, NC. Erynn is currently coordinator for Swannanoa Old-Time Week (Swannanoa, NC) and leads her own series of online, group fiddle classes.
Carl Jones is an American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in Macon, Georgia who lives in Hillsville, VA. He studied music near Muscle Shoals, Alabama and was influenced by seeing Roy Orbison, Steve Goodman, and Mac McAnally record there. Carl is widely respected for his instrumental talents and original songs about the joys and tribulations of life in the south. His songs have been recorded by The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Kate Campbell, Rickie Simpkins w/ Tony Rice, and others. Last Time On The Road was on the Grammy award winning album Unleashed by The Nashville Bluegrass Band. Carl played with Norman and Nancy Blake as part of the Rising Fawn String Ensemble, with fiddler, James Bryan, and today tours/records with wife, Erynn Marshall. Carl is known for his fine musicianship, charismatic teaching, sense of humor, and powerful songwriting. He has recorded on a couple dozen recordings including his original songs CD “Traveling Star” and Norman Blake’s “Original Underground Music of the Mysterious South.”
IAN ALEXANDER
Ian Alexander has played old time music on clawhammer banjo in Australia and the USA with the best old-time musicians for over thirty years. Ian loves playing fretless and minstrel banjos and is an engaging and passionate teacher dedicated to fostering a love of old time music with others. Ian is a respected performer especially with his own band, APPALACHIAN HEAVEN STRINGBAND. He has taught clawhammer banjo classes at many venues and festivals around Australia and aboard. Ian has placed in banjo competitions at USA festivals including being the first and only Australian to win a place in Senior Banjo at the Clifftop Festival in West Virginia. Ian draws on his profound knowledge of the history of old time music and his extensive repertoire of clawhammer banjo tunes to connect audiences to the traditions of the Appalachian South.
