Ellen Carlson

Exeter, Manchester and Tilton Coach

Ellen Carlson is the founder and Executive Director of the New England Fiddle Ensemble. She has a strong grasp on several musical genres. She has played with bluegrass, swing, western swing, country, Irish and square dance bands. Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine gave her a coveted highlight review for her solo album "People I Play With" as well as three excellent reviews for her band High Range, calling her "a talented musician." Ellen teaches at numerous festivals and workshops including Fiddle Hell, Grey Fox, Joe Val, and Pemi Valley. She is a member of the NH State Council on the Arts Teaching Roster.

ellencarlson.com

Melissa Bragdon Caron

Kittery and Westbrook Coach

Melissa Bragdon Caron is the Associate Director of the New England Fiddle Ensemble. She is a Maine-based fiddler known for playing and teaching many different styles of music. Classically trained, she received a degree in Music Education at the University of Maine and has experience teaching string programs and general music at various grade levels in the Maine public schools. Melissa is a member of the Portland-based bluegrass bands Jerks of Grass and Cumberland Crossing. She also performs often with the old-time group Sugar Hill Stringband and recently recorded an album, "Stuff That Works," with Fiddlers Three. Melissa teams up with Ellen Carlson to organize Fiddleheads Acoustic Jam Camp, a music camp for acoustic musicians held each September in New Hampshire. Melissa was greatly involved in the development of 317 Main Community Music Center in Yarmouth, Maine, where she taught fiddle and acoustic ensembles for twelve years. Melissa also offers a welcoming bluegrass jam in her community, teaches at her studio in Scarborough, Maine and enjoys spending time with her two young sons, Daniel and Aidan.

melissabragdoncaron.com

Shana Aisenberg

Tamworth and Rhythm Coach

Shana is a nationally recognized multi-instrumentalist, playing, composing, recording, and teaching diverse acoustic roots styles from traditional southern Appalachian and Celtic, to eastern European Klezmer, bottleneck blues and jazz. She has been a national flatpicking champion.

website

Amy Conley

Guest Coach

Amy teaches and performs on guitar, harmonica, banjo, ukulele and piano for all ages.  Leading community music programs such as "Second Thursday Community Singalong," "The Kukuleles" performing group and therapeutic singalongs for seniors and persons with special needs, Amy enjoys sharing her love for music.  She is the Music Director for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Milford and is a member of the climate-justice event band "No Planet B."  Conley  also travels around New England with her Ukulele Playshops program for libraries and community centers and has recorded three CD's of family folk songs.

AmyConleyMusic.com

Betsy Heron

Guest Coach

Betsy grew up on a farm in central Massachusetts, playing throughout her childhood in a family country band called the Housejackers which included her parents and three sisters. Today she regularly performs around New England with her husband in the old-time and bluegrass duo Green Heron, as well as with her three sisters in the Green Sisters. She started out learning classical music in grade school and was in the Massachusetts Central Districts orchestra for several years through high school; however, her passion turned to Irish and contradance fiddle tunes after about the fourth grade. Old-time fiddle tunes are her favorite, but she loves all styles. 

GreenHeronMusic.com 

Tyler Lienhardt

Guest Coach

Tyler is a contemporary fiddle player with a background in Appalachian, Irish, and Bluegrass traditions. He currently performs with the string band Tricky Britches, and has collaborated with a variety of performers such as Ghost of Paul Revere, Tumbling Bones, and Caroline Cotter. He grew up in Maine, where he currently lives and teaches music.

 Darrell Carlson

Guest Musician

He started playing guitar at 9 and quickly developed into a sought after singer and player in the northwestern Connecticut/New York region even at age 14. He started his own band with his brother Bruce and sister Ellen along with 3 neighborhood kids at age 13 and has continued to play for 40 more years thoroughly enjoying playing with others of all levels.

Kris Day

Guest Musician

He is most recognizable as a member of the New England roots music scene. He's spent the last 25 years as a member of rockabilly quartet King Memphis and over a decade as bassist for bluegrass favorites Jerks of Grass and Travis-picking guitar slinger Sean Mencher and his Rhythm Kings. Kris has performed in 38 states, Canada and Europe holding down the low end for rock n' roll legends Link Wray, Dale Hawkins, Ronnie Dawson, Sleepy LaBeef and Joe Clay as well as performing with an array of artists ranging from bluegrass mandolin hero Matt Flinner to Brazilian singer Celia Vaz to Gypsy Jazz guitarist Stephane Wrembel (as a member of Hot Club of Portland). For the last 15 years Kris has spent his days teaching music at Buckdancers Choice in Portland, Maine and his nights performing live in and around New England.