Ben McPherron Ben McPherron is a native of Greeley, CO and started playing bass when he was fourteen. He began playing upright bass at age 20 in order to audition for music school and now holds a Bachelors degree in Music Education from Appalachian State University. McPherron received his introduction to playing bluegrass when a local band in Boone needed a bassist and he stepped in. He has continued playing bluegrass with several groups ever since. His influences also include classical, jazz, rock, and folk, and he is equally comfortable playing in all of these styles.
Brian Swenk Brian Swenk was born in West Jefferson NC to the infamous Swenk Clan. Early in his life Social Services decided that Brian would be better off if he were placed in custody with a pack of wild wolves deep in the heart of Appalachia. Brian's time with the wolves taught him many valuable lessons, such as how to track a scent over many miles, but also left Brian with certain identifiable traits, such as the inability to pronounce the letter "p". One night while tracking a bobcat Brian heard the sweet sound of a 5-string banjo coming from a nearby porch. From that moment on, Brian new that he had to learn how to make that sound and use it to fight crime in small college towns in the Appalachian Mtns. Criminals and terrorists beware, if you are participating in any illegal activity you might here the sound of the 5-string banjo piercing thought the crisp night air, right before you are drop kicked by a masked ninja.
Jon Hill Born and raised in Winfield, West Virginia, Jon Hill’s interest in music started when he received his first guitar at age 11. He quickly became interested in many styles of music and began studying classical guitar as a teenager. While studying music at Marshall University he played guitar with several groups and earned his Bachelor’s degree in guitar performance in 1997. Hill continued his education at Illinois State University where he earned a Master’s Degree in music in 2000. During his years in school, he maintained a love of bluegrass and spent his spare hours learning to play banjo and mandolin. Hill came to Boone in 2001 to work on a degree in Appalachian Studies and began playing mandolin with Wiseapple in early 2002. Besides bluegrass and classical music, Hill loves listening to and playing jazz, rock, Latin, and traditional Appalachian music.
Tim Marsh Originally from Trenton New Jersey, Tim has been writing and performing guitar and vocal music since the age of 14. In addition to bluegrass and acoustic music, Tim enjoys studying and performing jazz, latin, blues and rock music. Some groups that Tim has been involved in include, Grass Dance, Happy Go Naked, The Mountain Boys, The Nomads, Wiseapple, The Horse You Rode In On, the Laura Blackley Band, Get Lost and the Tim Marsh trio.
