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Often described as “a singer’s singer,” Dede Wyland’s pure and compelling voice has enchanted audiences around the globe, and her driving rhythm guitar has powered the sound of many a bluegrass band including the popular Tony Trischka & Skyline and ’Grass, Food & Lodging. Dede has become one of the most sought-after vocal instructors in the Washington, D.C., area. In addition to her full schedule of private lessons, she has taken her expertise to workshops and music camps from Tucson, Arizona, to Somerset, England. Her recordings and concert performances with the cream of Washington’s bluegrass players earned her the Washington Area Music Association’s “Wammie” awards for 1999 (Female Bluegrass Vocalist) and 2004 (Bluegrass Vocalist). Her latest release is “Keep the Light On.”

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Kenny Ray Horton is only the 4th lead singer named to the U.S. Navy’s Country Current, which he joined in April 2008.   Before that he was a successful staff songwriter.   He received an RIAA certified Gold Record for “A Soldier’s King” recorded by Kenny Rogers. He was also a Nashville demo and background singer.  He recently released a solo bluegrass project, “A Canary’s Song.”

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Singer-songwriter and guitar player Leigh Gibson is the younger of the two Gibson Brothers, who grew up on a dairy farm near Ellenburg Depot, New York. The Gibsons are famous for their much-loved “brother duet” harmony. The Gibsons’ newest release Ring the Bell on Compass Records is due out in May 2009 and follows quick on the heels of their successful Iron and Diamonds CD. Leigh will teach guitar during Bluegrass Week again in July 2009 at the prestigious Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, W.Va.

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About Béla Fleck

Béla Fleck is one of the world’s premier banjo players. He is well known for his work across multiple genres and progressive approach to the instrument. He has performed as a solo artist and with a number of groups including Spectrum, New Grass Revival, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, and most recently Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet. Flecks’ total Grammy count is 9 Grammys won, and 20 nominations. His latest win was in the 2009 Pop Instrumental category for his Christmas CD, “Béla Fleck and the Flecktones’ Jingle All the Way.” He has been nominated in more different categories than anyone in Grammy history. His latest project is “Throw Down Your Heart,” a documentary about bringing the banjo back to Africa.

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About Ken Perlman

Ken Perlman is the pioneer of the 5-string banjo style known as “melodic clawhammer” and is known in particular for his skillful adaptations of Celtic tunes to the style. He has written a number of widely-respected banjo and guitar instruction books. He has also been a sought after instructor at prestigous teaching festivals and camps, including American Banjo Camp, Banjo Camp North, Suwannee Banjo Camp and the Maryland Banjo Academy. http://www.kenperlman.com/

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About Marc Pruett

Currently the banjo player for Balsam Range, Marc Pruett has also played on five albums with Ricky Skaggs (including Ricky’s first record in 1974 and the Grammy winning “Bluegrass Rules”). His solid three finger roll has been featured with acoustic artists like Rhonda Vincent, James Monroe, Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, Peter Rowan, Jerry Douglas, Tony Rice, Bryan Sutton, Emmy Lou Harris, Everett Lilly, Billy Edd Wheeler, John R. Bowman, Tim Surrett, Adam Steffey, Buddy Melton, Darren Nicholson and a host of bluegrass friends. For a dozen years, his music was used as the featured theme for the square dances in the highly acclaimed Native American drama…Unto These Hills. Marc Pruett was featured in the definitive banjo publication, Masters Of The Five String Banjo. Marc is an accomplished entertainer, and he will lend his power-pickin’ to a show, as well as calling a square dance…he says, “Entertainment is ALL!”

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About Valerie Smith

The child of musical parents, Valerie Smith showed talent at an early age, and soon began singing Baptist hymns in church, and later began to accompany her parents to play her fiddle and sing with local country and bluegrass musicians in her hometown of Holt, Missouri and the surrounding area. A strong desire to learn more and to teach others prompted Valerie to attend the University of Missouri Conservatory of Music in Kansas City, where she received her B.A. in vocal music education. In 1992 moved to Nashville with her husband.

In Nashville, She formed the acoustic country group “Fresh Cactus”, honing her songwriting and performance skills. One thing led to another and eventually Valerie, J. Gregory Heinike, and Kraig Smith founded Bell Buckle Records and Valerie recorded her first highly acclaimed CD, “Patchwork Heart” and formed her band, Liberty Pike.

Since then, Valerie’s music has taken her from coast to coast and around the world. She has been the recipient of IBMA awards and has been nominated for a Grammy Award as part of the Ralph Stanley “Clinch Mountain Sweethearts” project, and she has appeared on the famous Grand Ol’ Opry as guest of hall of famer Charlie Louvin. Most recently she has released a duet album with bandmate Becky Buller named Here’s A Little Song. Valerie, her husband Kraig and daughter, Josie now reside in their adopted hometown of Bell Buckle, Tennessee.

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About Diane Jones

Diane Jones started playing old-time music on the Appalachian Mountain dulcimer in 1980. After much visiting in the Southern Appalachians, she zeroed in on the old-time music being played in West Virginia, studying with many people including Dwight Diller and Gerry Milnes.

Diane has been honored with several 1st and 2nd place wins at several southern old-time music contests. Most recently awarded including the special “Heritage Tune” championship at the Fiddler’s Grove Festival in ’04 and ’05.

Diane loves teaching best; She’s taught at Augusta, the John C. Campbell Folk School, and assisted at the Dwight Diller’s Banjo Camp. She enjoys working with her several continuing private students. Her new DVD “Thirty of Diane ’s Favorites” is a popular companion tool for her students, and those wanting to learn new tunes. When not playing banjo or dulcimer, Diane works on her family dairy farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, breeds Labrador Retrievers, and works with her Percheron horses.

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About Dick Smith

From Alexandria, Va., Dick Smith has been a fixture in the Washington area bluegrass scene for years. Dick as worked as a member of the Country Gentlemen, the Del McCoury Band, Country Store and the Lynn Morris Band. He also worked with many of the first-generation Bluegrass pioneers, such as Bill Clifton and Don Stover, The Goins Bros, Joe Stuart and Red Rector and Bill Harrell.  He currently heads up the Dick Smith/Mike O’Reilly band, playing banjo and singing harmonies. Photo by L.A.Gould.

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About Adam Hurt

Deemed a “banjo virtuoso” by the Washington Post, Adam Hurt draws on diverse musical influences from the North Carolina piedmont, the mountains of central West Virginia, the Ohio River Valley, and beyond to create his own style of clawhammer banjo playing. At age 24, Adam has placed in or won most of the major old-time banjo competitions including Clifftop, Mount Airy, and Galax, and won the state banjo championships of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio, as well as the state fiddle championships of Virginia and Maryland. Adam has conducted banjo workshops at the Swannanoa Gathering, the Augusta Heritage Center, and Appalshop, among other venues around the country. In 2006, Adam released his second CD, “Insight,” on the Ubiquitone label. The album features accompaniment by Cathy Fink, Beth Hartness, Marcy Marxer, and Jarred Nutter.