Kristin Andreassen has songwriting credits on two albums with 2024 GRAMMY nominations – Mighty Poplar’s self-titled debut (up for Best Bluegrass Album) and Andrew & Polly’s Ahhhh! (Kristin co-wrote the title track on this candidate for Best Children’s Album). Her own most recent release was The Bright Siders’ A Mind of Your Own (Smithsonian Folkways), which is for kids, about emotions, and was created and co-produced with psychiatrist Dr. Kari Groff and Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers). Chosen as one of 2020’s top three children’s releases by the American Library Association, this album followed up on Kristin’s first #1 kids’ radio hit – a song called “Crayola Doesn’t Make a Color for Your Eyes.” In the world of “grown-up music”, Kristin has toured and recorded with the stringband Uncle Earl, the vocal trio Sometymes Why, the percussive dance company Footworks (as a clogger), and with NYC’s anti-folk superhero Jeffrey Lewis. She’s had the honor of recording with producers John Paul Jones, Dirk Powell, Mark Schatz, José Ayerve, Robin MacMillan, and Shane Leonard (coming soon, I promise!). One favorite MoM-inspired collaboration is this video — created by Anna Roberts-Gevalt — which uses shadow puppets and body percussion to illustrate “How the Water Walks.” Kristin studied community development at Montreal’s McGill University and in rural Canada, and she’s noticed herself thinking about that learning a lot in her current work at Miles of Music. She lives in Nashville.

www.kristinandreassen.com

Lauren Balthrop is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter born and raised in Alabama where her family gatherings always included sing-alongs of the Everly Brothers, the Andrew Sisters, the Louvin Brothers, and the Beatles. After 10 years making her way in NYC, she heard the siren call of Nashville where she now calls home. Lauren has released 2 albums under own name and is working on her 3rd full length. She is also the director of the Nashville branch of Blue Balloon Songwriting School, the NYC originated music school that teaches kids and adults instrument instruction through songwriting. Her big folk-rock band and "small town" with her brother called Balthrop, Alabama toured all across the states to a cultish following. Her 60's inspired girl group, The Bandana Splits, released two records with songs landing on shows such as HBO's 'Bored to Death' and the re-boot of ‘Magnum P.I.’ She's also toured extensively as a multi-instrumentalist for Elizabeth & the Catapult, Kevin Morby, Michaela Anne and Ximena Sariñana. Lauren is a knitter, crocheter and tap dancer too.

www.laurenbalthrop.com

Richie Barshay began drumming inside kitchen cabinets at an early age, and continues banging on things worldwide to this day. From his multi-percussion work with Herbie Hancock in the 2000s, to tours and recordings with Chick Corea, Esperanza Spalding, The Klezmatics, Fred Hersch, and Kenny Werner, he's been dubbed "a major rhythm voice on the rise" by Downbeat magazine, and “a major innovator who also knows how to have fun” by The Guardian (UK). He’s also performed with Natalie Merchant, Bobby McFerrin, Joe Lovano, Lee Konitz, Donald Harrison, Lionel Loueke, Julian Lage, the Curtis Brothers, Joey Weisenberg, Gabriel Kahane, Pete Seeger, and the Tony Award winning musical The Band’s Visit on Broadway and national tour. Since 2004 he’s traveled across 5 continents teaching and performing as an American Musical Envoy with the U.S. State Department, and can be heard on over 100 recordings including two self-produced albums: Sanctuary featuring Chick Corea (2014), and Homework featuring Herbie Hancock (2004). Based in Northampton, Massachusetts and New York City, he is an AmSAT certified Alexander Technique teacher helping performing artists and others regain more body-mind coordination and ease of movement.

Thomas Brown is a mixed-media artist based in Brooklyn, New York, since 2008.

He is known for his ice, sand, stone, clay, earthen, and wood sculptures, which have been featured in private collections, television, movies, festivals, and public events internationally..

His work combines music, performance, and visual art, reflecting his passion for creating ephemeral and experiential art.

He’s not a pyromaniac, but he does enjoy a properly flamboyant campfire.

Besides being the off-season manager of Three Mile Island, Dinty Child is a longtime member of the Boston roots/folk scene. A fearless multi-instrumentalist he can most often be seen with the band Session Americana, as well as the Chandler Travis Philharmonic, the unapologetically loud and grimy Catbirds, as sensitive side man to any number of singer/songwriters, including Rose Cousins and Kris Delmhorst, and even fronting the 15 piece party band, the Funky White Honkies. Dinty is also a well respected songwriter and has two albums and several singles out under his own name

www.sessionamericana.com

Tracy Einstein wants you to feel better in your body so you can do what you love. She’s a 1600-hour certified Alexander Technique teacher, Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, and lifelong performing artist dedicated to fostering embodied resilience and creative expression.

Since 2017, Tracy has been Associate Faculty at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC, where she teaches the Alexander Technique and Movement for the Actor. She also teaches at institutions such as UMass, Fairfield University, and Barnard College, blending a trauma-informed approach with a focus on community, creativity, and craft.

In addition to her teaching, Tracy maintains a private practice as a Somatic Practitioner in Northampton, MA, and online. Her work empowers individuals to cultivate greater self-awareness, empowerment, self-expression, and embodied resilience—both in their art and in their lives. Learn more at www.tracyeinstein.com

Zachariah Hickman is a double bassist, multi-instrumentalist and producer based out of Boston, MA. Originally from Lynchburg, VA, he received his formal training in jazz performance and composition from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. For most of his adult life he has toured with singer-songwriter Josh Ritter, traveling all over the world and recording 9 full-length albums. Currently, he is performing as bassist and musical director for Ray Lamontagne. He has performed at many notable venues and festivals, including Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Red Rocks, Bonnaroo, Dublin Castle, The Fillmore, and the Royal Albert Hall. With Josh Ritter, he has also performed with the Boston Pops in Symphony Hall, the New York Pops in Central Park, and many other orchestras in Europe and the United States. Television appearances include five David Letterman appearances, Conan O’Brien, Ellen Degeneres, and Late Night with Jools Holland for the BBC. As a producer, Zachariah as made records with a number of talented singers, including Rose Cousins (for which he won a Canadian JUNO award), Mark Erelli, Laura Cortese, Miss Tess, and his own bluegrass band Barnstar! He has also produced and ring-mastered his own circus, released his own brand of mustache wax, and runs a vaudeville style variety show, Zack Hickman’s House of Ill Repute.

Kelli Jones moves so effortlessly between genres, traditions, and musical concepts that it’s clear she was born with an insatiable artistic curiosity. From her deeply musical Appalachian and old-time roots, she grew into a prominent figure of the vibrant Lafayette, Louisiana music scene while studying dance at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and simultaneously learning Cajun French and writing and singing songs in dual languages with progressive Cajun bands like GRAMMY-nominated Feufollet and T’Monde along the way. Queen of the In Between, her debut solo record, knits together everything from classic country to psychedelic rock to contemporary indie roots singer-songwriters.

Kyshona is an artist ignited by untold stories, and the capacity of those stories to thread connection in every community. With the background of a licensed music therapist, the curiosity of a writer, the patience of a friend, the vision of a social entrepreneur, the resolve of an activist, and the voice of a singer - Kyshona is unrelenting in her pursuit for the healing power of song. She lends her voice and music to those that feel they have been lost, silenced, forgotten or alone. Through her organization Your Song, she facilitates therapeutic songwriting sessions with groups and individuals in hopes of reconnecting those who are divided. Of her past releases, one fan reviewer wrote: “Amidst these hard, divisive times this set of songs is a salve for the grief many of us are feeling about the resulting loss of family, friends, and community.”

http://www.kyshona.com

Emily Mure is a singer-songwriter, creative coach, and teacher dedicated to making authentic art and helping others do the same.  Originally a classical musician, Emily studied oboe performance and psychology at Ithaca College before shifting to folk music and songwriting.  After graduating, she lived in Galway, Ireland for a time where she spent her days writing songs and busking on the streets.  

Emily has released three full-length albums and a covers EP, toured nationally and in Ireland, and has earned recognition in songwriting competitions and features on major networks.  Her music is an essential outlet for her, and her commitment to helping others deepen their creativity has been a natural extension of her work.  Certified in creativity coaching, Emily supports creatives of all kinds, drawing on her background in psychology, mindfulness, and Zen meditation, and teaching private music and songwriting. 

Emily is a proud member of the Miles of Music community!

http://www.emilymure.com

Kevin O’Connell is a musician, audio engineer, producer, and educator with a focus in creative development, mentorship, and media production. He was born and raised in Upstate NY, studied music at a small liberal arts college upstate, then moved to Boston. He has spent his early career in music, audio engineering, and podcasting. Kevin currently leads the Audio & Video Post Production Team at The Mel Robbins Podcast– the #6 podcast worldwide, and most-shared podcast of 2024 on Apple Podcasts.

Shortly after moving to Boston, Kevin an educator and arts advocate, he founded the West Suburban YMCA Center for the Creative Arts (YCCA) – a community-based music and media program serving youth and teens in the MetroWest suburbs of Boston through studio recording, songwriting, ensembles, performances, and more.

In the studio, Kevin has worked with a number of artists including Grammy Recording Artist Alex Torres y Sú Orquestra and Josh Ritter. Additionally, as a post production expert and podcast consultant, Kevin has worked with a number of indie, aspiring, and professional audio creators as a producer, engineer, and sound designer. See his Podcast Production page to listen!

And as a musician, Kevin has shared the studio and stage with artists including The Ballroom Thieves, Josh Ritter, Susan O’Neill, and Kaiti Jones.

Kevin spent several years as the Studio + Operations Manager at the PRX Podcast Garage, supporting indie podcast creators in the Greater Boston area. In 2020, he jumped further into the podcast industry working as Product Education Manager at Descript. At Descript, he worked with and trained pro podcast teams around the world including Serial, Vox, Wondery, Gimlet, Campside, and many others. And before joining the Mel Robbins team, Kevin also spent time on the team at Ten Percent Happier, leading all-things podcast post production.

Hailing from the musically diverse and rich culture of South Louisiana, Nelson’s bass playing takes inspiration from his home and beyond; blending bluegrass, jazz, classical and old-time influences into a style of playing that’s been called “Pleasing Virtuosity”. He is a founding member of the latest Black string-band, New Dangerfield, a member of Chris Jones and the Night-Drivers and has served as a core member of awarding-winning Black banjo and fiddler, Jake Blount, band for years. His expertise and steadfast bass playing has made him a sought after bass player in his home of New Orleans and around the country. He has performed at Newport Folk Festival, The Grand Ole Opry, Kennedy Center and many other illustrious festivals and halls across the world.

Abigail Washburn is a singing, songwriting, Illinois-born, Nashville-based clawhammer banjo player. She is every bit as interested in the present and the future as she is in the past, and every bit as attuned to the global as she is to the local. Abigail pairs venerable folk elements with far-flung sounds, and the results feel both strangely familiar and unlike anything anybody’s ever heard before. She performs and records as a soloist, as well as with the old-time bands Uncle Earl and Sparrow Quartet, experimental group The Wu Force, and as a duo with her husband Béla Fleck.

Having toured the world, Washburn is also armed with Chinese language ability and profound connections to culture and people on the other side of the Pacific.  Washburn is one of the few foreign artists currently touring China independently and regularly.

https://abigailwashburn.com/

2024 Steve Martin Banjo Prize Winner Tray Wellington’s approach to the quintessential American instrument is all about looking forward. An International Bluegrass Music Association Award winner, Wellington is critically acclaimed not only for his technical prowess, but also for leveraging his unique point of view to craft a one-of-a-kind voice on the instrument. It’s a feat that’s all too rare in these roots genres that seem to value emulation and regurgitation over all else. Instead, Wellington has time and time again reasserted that his playing style, and all of the many varied and disparate parts that combine within it, is wholly his own – and it’s unconcerned with tradition.

https://traywellington.com

Paola Vera is a singer songwriter from London, based in France. Paola’s music blends her passion for jazz with a modern edge; a fresh take, which she infuses into her own song writing and a new slant on old songs. She first started singing and playing the piano at the age of 13, later going on to continue her musical education at Trinity Laban Conservatoire and The Royal Academy of Music after receiving the Elton John Scholarship in London. In 2007 Paola was awarded a Yamaha Jazz Award for outstanding young Jazz musicians. She has since gone on to receive several awards as a singer and pianist, including recieving an ARAM for her contributions to music from the Royal Academy of Music, London.  She has performed with many greats of the jazz scene all over the world. 

Paola is also a highly sought after educator and vocal coach,  currently working with several higher-education institutions across Europe and the UK. She is a vocal and songwriting tutor for Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London on the BAMPI degree program and Assistant professor of Jazz Voice at the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels. Paola is a certified Estill Master Trainer (EMT) and is among few bilingual French speaking coaches delivering Estill courses in French and English across Europe. She is also a vocal coach for Disney in Paris, France.

https://www.paolavera.com

Jonathan Vocke is a passionate and adventure loving oldtime musician, educator, and multi-instrumentalist from Baltimore, Maryland. He loves traveling, building, dancing, riding his bike and finding music in the world around us. In recent years he has become increasingly enthralled with some of the older sounds of banjo and is in an unending pursuit of the infinity loop that the banjo can weave. He has released a solo record and two records as a part of the Baltimore based group, Geraldine, as well as performing regularly in the Johns Hopkins Hospital system as a part of the Peabody Sound Rounds program. Jonathan came to the island for the first time back in 2018 and ever since has been in love with the island and the creativity it empowers.

https://www.vockemusic.com

Elizabeth Ziman, who performs as Elizabeth and the Catapult, is a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn. She's toured with the likes of Sara Bareilles and Kishi Bashi; collaborated with Esperanza Spalding, Gillian Welch, Blake Mills and Ben Folds; scored, with Paul Brill, a variety of international award-winning documentaries including "Trapped," a Peabody winner; and won an Independent Music Award for Songwriting. Her songs have been featured in national television campaigns for Google and Amazon. She composed music for Sara Bareille’s new apple tv show, “Little Voice”. Always writing, Elizabeth narrowed her vast collection of previously unrecorded material down to her fifth full-length studio album "Sincerely, e”, which she self-produced at home and released on Compass Records in March 2021. One of the singles off that album, "Together Alone", made it onto NPR's All Songs Considered 10 best songs of 2021 list.