Michael J. Miles is a master banjoist, guitarist, orchestral composer, author of numerous theatrical works combining music and history, and acclaimed music educator. Alone in concert or with his signature stage production, “From Senegal To Seeger,” he has had standing ovations on four continents.
But give him a string quartet, a jazz band, an orchestra, a choir and Michael has created new music bringing critical rave and professional respect from musical legends.
“”This is enough to make me want to learn the banjo all over again.””   
 – Pete Seeger
In a world poisoned by international heartache Michael has reached across borders with music as the powerful and wordless weapon of respect. For his work in Morocco, Lebanon, and Turkey, Michael has been heralded by the US State Dept on three occasions for his powerful and enduring musical diplomacy.
“I commend you for your hard work as an educator, and send my best
wishes.” — President Bill Clinton

Known around the world for his clawhammer banjo playing, Joe Newberry is also a powerful guitarist, singer and songwriter. His song “Singing As We Rise,” won the 2012 IBMA “Gospel Recorded Performance” Award, and with Eric Gibson, he shared the 2013 IBMA “Song of the Year” Award for “They Called It Music.” A long-time and frequent guest on A Prairie Home Companion, he was a featured singer on the Transatlantic Sessions 2016 tour of the U.K., and at the Transatlantic Session’s debut at Merlefest in 2017. He was for many years the coordinator of Old-Time Week at the Augusta Heritage Center, and teaches at camps at home and abroad. Newberry has the distinction of having captured each banjo prize at the Appalachian String Band Music Festival in Clifftop, WV, over the years – from Fifth to First Place – and was just as happy with each place!

Craig Edwards has been playing and teaching old time banjo for over thirty years. In addition to banjo, he plays fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and button accordion, and performs old time, blues, bluegrass, Cajun, Zydeco, a capella work songs, honky tonk, western swing, and Irish music. Craig began playing guitar at age 9 and fiddle and banjo a few years later while growing up in Staunton, Virginia. Going to the “Stompin’ 76” festival near Galax, VA in the summer of 1976 (which included a who’s who of “roots music” performers of the time) and fiddler’s conventions and contests led him to study ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University, and to visit and learn from West Virginia fiddlers and banjo players Frank George, Ernie Carpenter, Woody Simmons, and Melvin Wine. He’s been performing, teaching, and touring both solo and with a variety of bands ever since.

After spending a decade in Nashville, Casey Henry now plays and teaches banjo in Winchester, Virginia. She started out as a bass player for her family band and then went on to play banjo with Uncle Earl, the Dixie Bee-Liners, Tennessee Heartstrings, and her own band, Casey and Chris and the Two-Stringers. Casey has taught at Kaufman Kamp, Banjo Camp North, Augusta Heritage Bluegrass Week, and many other camps. She has done several instructional DVDs for the Murphy Method and co-hosts three camps a year in Winchester with her mom, Murphy Henry; she teaches the Murphy Method way: by ear (no tab)! Casey’s newest instructional DVDs are Scruggs Style Fiddle Tunes, Banjo Backup for Fiddle Tunes, and Old Favorites. She has a banjo CD titled Real Women Drive Trucks. http://www.caseyhenry.net

Banjo For Dummies and Bluegrass Banjo For Dummies author Bill Evans is one of the best and most experienced bluegrass banjo teachers & workshop leaders in the world. His instruction is practical, down-to-earth and designed for the adult learner. Bill has performed with David Grisman, David Bromberg, Peter Rowan, Dry Branch Fire Squad, and many others in a professional career that now spans over three decades. He currently tours with his solo show The Banjo in America and performs with the trio Crary, Evans & Barnick featuring flatpicking guitar pioneer Dan Crary.

Bill has taught at virtually every bluegrass camp in the world and he produces his own annual events in California & New Mexico (the California Banjo Extravaganza & the New Mexico Banjo Camp). He has produced eight instructional DVDs for Homespun Tapes, the Murphy Method and AcuTab, is the co-author of Parking Lot Picker’s Songbook: Banjo Edition from Mel Bay Publications and has taught thousands of students from all over the world, including Chris Pandolfi (The Infamous Stringdusters), Erik Yates (Hot Buttered Rum) and Wes Corbett (Molly Tuttle Band). His latest recording is “Songs That Are Mostly Older Than Us,” recorded with Tennessee fiddler Fletcher Bright and Americana icons Norman & Nancy Blake. Bill also hosts the Beginning Banjo and Bluegrass Banjo courses online at Peghead Nation (www.pegheadnation.com).

www.billevansbanjo.com
www.youtube.com/BillEvansBanjo