Hour 8 – 5:00pm to 6:00pm
See featured performers below!
MICHELLE YOUNGER
Michelle is an experienced guitar and banjo performer and educator with expertise in classical and traditional American folk music. With a Bachelors of Music from Oberlin Conservatory and a Masters of Music in classical guitar from Eastman School of Music, Michelle has over 25 years of training and performance experience. While refining her own technique at conservatory Michelle also developed a love for teaching, serving as a teaching assistant and an independent educator at Oberlin and Eastman. In addition to her formal training, Michelle has an intimate understanding of American folk music and has played banjo professionally on national and international stages. She deeply values the aural tradition and the passing of music from person to person that characterize American folk music. Her bilingual fluency in classical and folk allows her to strike the balance between formal and informal in her teaching, keeping students engaged in learning music without neglecting proper technique and training.
Michelle has collaborated in many different music ensembles including the internationally renowned chamber folk trio Harpeth Rising. In March of 2019, Harpeth Rising was selected by the U.S. State Department for the American Music Abroad, a program designed to communicate America’s rich musical culture by fostering international, people-to-people connection through music. On this tour Michelle conducted workshops, performed concerts, and served as an American musical diplomat in Cambodia and Singapore. Her experiences teaching abroad have refined her communication skills and greatly informed her local musical instruction to help her overcome barriers in musical knowledge and understanding.
On a personal note, Michelle hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia but now calls Rochester, NY home. Along with her passion for guitar and banjo, Michelle loves to travel and is obsessed with Star Wars. When not teaching or performing, Michelle enjoys spending time with her two dogs (Roscoe and Edith) and her husband, jamming away on way too many instruments.
Website: michelleyounger.com
CASEY MURRAY & MOLLY TUCKER
Casey & Molly play traditional folk tunes and songs and original compositions drawing from New England, Celtic, and Old Time traditions. With Molly on fiddle and Casey on guitar, cello, and banjo, they bring together engaging arrangements and artistry.