Michael’s musical roots were seeded by his father, Walter. He began playing banjo at age 13 and continued to study a wide range of musical instruments. Today, Michael teaches and performs various instruments including guitar, bass, mandolin and the low brass family. Throughout high school, he played with local string bands, school ensembles and toured with the Suncoast Sound Drum …

Kristen began playing the flute at age ten and continued her musical training in high school and college. Her exposure to music at a young age paved the way for the formation of their family band, “Grass with Class,” and later their album, Friends, as well as other rewarding projects. The influence of David Grisman and the “Dawg” movement opened …

Mark has been playing music on various instruments since the age of six, a journey that has taken him through classical and jazz piano, organ, guitar, bass, and violin. In college, he studied audio recording and music theory, and met his wife, harpist Jennifer Robertson-Tessi. He picked up the mandolin about 10 years ago and it has since become his …

Rob’s earliest musical influence came from his grandfather, who was a self-taught musician; playing everything from the tuba and trumpet to the ukulele and guitar. While living in Cincinnati after college graduation, Rob wandered into the Old Time Music Shoppe and purchased a 1946 Kay Bass. This introduced him to world of  bluegrass, old time and acoustic music. His interest …