The Song School

The Song School

The Song School

The 2024 Song School Instructors

Instructors

​Michaela Anne

Michaela Anne is a songwriter, musician, educator and published writer. She has toured throughout the US, EU and UK and with artists like The Wood Brothers, Watchhouse, Bonny Light Horseman, Joe Pug, and Brandy Clark. She has performed at festivals like Bonnaroo, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, XPonential Fest, Red Wing Roots Festival, NPR’s Mountain Stage and more. Her work has been praised by the New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, Boston Herald and more

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Instructors

Mary Gauthier

Mary Gauthier is a Grammy nominated songwriter who has released eleven studio records. She is also a published author. Her book Saved by a Song (St Martin’s Press) explores the healing power of songwriting, and has been praised by Rolling Stone Magazine as “A must-read book that is just right for the times we live in.” The Associated Press named Mary Gauthier as one of the best songwriters of her generation. Her newest release, Dark Enough to See the Stars, was released in 2022. Her 2019 release, Rifles & Rosary Beads (a collection of songs co-written with wounded veterans), was nominated at the 61st GRAMMY Awards (2019) for Best Folk Album.

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Instructors

Vance Gilbert

If Joni Mitchell and Richie Havens had a love child, with Rodney Dangerfield as the midwife, the results might be something close to the great Vance Gilbert”, says Richmond Magazine.

Vance’s new album, “The Mother Of Trouble”, features Grammy winner Lori McKenna on background vocals, Juno award recipient and Bonnie Raitt Grammy hit song co-writer Joey Landreth on guitars, and Americana-Roots master mandolinist Joe K. Walsh. With 4 bullies, 4 deaths (3 of them murders), 3 moms, 2 accidents, 2 Black people, 2 dogs, 1 dog ball, 1 gay kid, and 1 missed flight thanks to gas station sushi, this album benefits from the gifts of time and experience honing songwriting skills that put this most vital of acoustic storytellers at the top of the game.

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Instructors

Bonnie Hayes

Bonnie Hayes is a songwriter, recording artist, musician and record producer. She has released 5 records as an artist, including a stint at Chrysalis Columbia and the early Slash/Warner’s record Good Clean Fun. Her songs have been recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, Bette Midler, Booker T & the MG’s, Adam Ant, David Crosby, Huey Lewis & the News and many others. Hayes also toured as a keyboardist/vocalist with Billy Idol and Belinda Carlisle world tours and has shared the stage with Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bonnie Raitt, Tower of Power, Don Was and countless others. 

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Instructors

Phoebe Hunt

On the heels of 2021’s acclaimed “Shanti’s Shadow”, Phoebe Hunt is excited to release “Nothing Else Matters” in July of 2023 (Thirty Tigers). The album of solo fiddle and voice marks a departure for Hunt, whose previous projects have showcased her skill as a bandleader and collaborator. Yet it is also a joyful return to her foundations.

When the pandemic changed the world, Hunt, like all touring artists, was taken off the road. Feeling for the community of artists she had met over 15 years of touring, she realized that it would be beneficial for professional artists and music dabblers alike to experience community through dedication to the study of music.

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Instructors

​Peter Mulvey

Peter Mulvey has been a songwriter, road-dog, raconteur, and almost-poet since before he can remember. In 1989 he spent a year in Ireland, busking on the streets of Dublin and hitchhiking to whatever gigs he could find. Back stateside, he spent a couple years gigging through the bars of his native Midwest before taking off for Boston, where he returned to subway busking and coffeehouses. Small shows led to larger shows, which eventually led to regional and then national touring. The wheels have not stopped since.

Twenty albums, one illustrated book, thousands of live performances, a TEDx talk, a decades-long association with the National Youth Science Camp, opening tours and gigs for luminaries such as Ani DiFranco, Greg Brown, Emmylou Harris and Chuck Prophet, appearances on NPR, an annual autumn tour by bicycle, emceeing festivals, hosting his own Lamplighter Sessions for years in Boston and in Wisconsin… he has built his life’s work on collaboration, on an instinct for the eclectic and the vital.

Instructors

Pat Pattison

Pat Pattison is an author, clinician and Berklee Professor of Lyric Writing and Poetry whose students have composed for major artists and written number one songs. At Berklee, he developed the curriculum for the only songwriting major in the country. In addition to his four books, Songwriting Without Boundaries, Writing Better Lyrics, The Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure, and The Essential Guide to Rhyming, Pat has developed three online lyric writing courses, one on poetry, and one on creative writing available through Berkleemusic.com.

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Instructors

Paul Reisler

Paul Reisler is a composer, songwriter, recording artists, performer and teacher. He is the founder and artistic director of Kid Pan Alley, co-founder of Trapezoid, as well as his current bands, Paul Reisler & A Thousand Questions featuring Howard Levy, and Three Good Reasons. Over his almost 50-year career, he has performed in over 3,000 concerts, recorded close to three-dozen albums, co-written Aesop’s Fables for Orchestra and Narrator, music for theatre, dance and film, as well as the script and songs for two musicals—Bouncin’ and The Talented Clementine.

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Steve Seskin

Steve Seskin

Steve Seskin is a successful songwriter who has written seven number one songs, including Grammy-nominated “Grown Men Don’t Cry,” recorded by Tim McGraw, and “Don’t Laugh at Me,” winner of NSAI Song of the Year and Music Row Magazine Song of the Year in 1999 as recorded by Mark Wills. His other #1 hits are “No Doubt About It” and “For a Change,” both recorded by Neal McCoy, “No Man’s Land” and “If You’ve Got Love,” both recorded by John Michael Montgomery, and “Daddy’s Money,” recorded by Ricochet.

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Instructors

Bandits on the Run

Adrian Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd, and Regina Strayhorn

Bandits on the Run is the musical trio of Adrian Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd, and Regina Strayhorn. Formed upon a chance encounter while busking in the subways of New York City, the Brooklyn based outfit has gone on to receive accolades from NPR Music’s All Songs Considered, American Songwriter, NPR Weekend Edition, and the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project. 2020 found them busy writing and recording their EP “Now Is The Time” with producer Ryan Hadlock (Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers) and producing a short musical film “Band At The End Of The World” commissioned by NYC based Prospect Theater Company. 2022 saw them composing music for the Netflix children’s animated series “Storybots” and scoring the movie “The Same Storm”. 

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Instructors

Mike Beck

“Chicago” Mike Beck is an ASCAP-award-winning songwriter and recording artist who has been touring full-time in the USA and Europe since 2001 as a solo performer and with his band Chicago Mike’s InterGalactic Brother & Sisterhood of Big Eyed Beans. Mike has held a residency several weeks each year at the historic Bright Angel Lodge on the south rim of the Grand Canyon and has toured Europe over 30 times, performing in Switzerland, The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, Ireland, Belgium, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Bulgaria and Luxembourg.

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Instructors

Ryan Benyo

Ryan Benyo is a Los Angeles based, Gold-Record Award-Winning producer, engineer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with credits including Parachute, Sheppard, Baker Grace (Bitter’s Kiss), Lisa Loeb, Lime Cordiale, Alberta Cross, Through Fire, Vusi Mahlasela, and Caro Emerald. He has also worked on a variety of music and sound design projects for visual media including for Carl’s Jr/Hardee’s, NBCUniversal, and many others.

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Instructors

Meg Braun

Meg Braun is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter known for her fearless writing and dynamic performances that have charmed audiences throughout her musical travels. Meg’s newest release “Better Than Fine” focuses on healing and resilience and features backing musicians made up of 99% women. Meg has released three other albums of original songs, “Tomboy Princess” (2009) and “Broken Places” (2011) and “Restless Moon” (2015) and sang “River” on the Chicks with Dip songwriting collective’s 2012 release “Joni Mitchell’s Blue: A 40 th Anniversary Celebration”. Meg was a 2013 official NERFA showcase artist in 2013 and a 2015 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist.

Ron Browning

Ron Browning

Ron Browning is internationally known as the “Voice Coach to the Stars.” Alison Krauss, the most celebrated Grammy Award winner (27 wins), recently praised him in the New York Times, USA Today, BBC News, the Tennessean, and The Sun in London, where she called him “a genius” after he saved her from a debilitating case of dysphonia and brought her back into excellent voice where singing felt effortless.This restored the confidence needed to finish her Windy City album, which won her 2 Grammy nominations. She was then able to move on with her singing career.Ron accompanied Alison Krauss on the Red Carpet for the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in Madison Square Gardens.

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Instructors

Sarah Clanton

Refreshing, empowering and authentic, Sarah Clanton inspires audiences to join her on an uplifting musical journey that delights and surprises. Whimsical and witty, Sarah invites her community to cello-brate life as she defines her own style of music with intuitive songwriting and a memorable voice paired with her unique style of playing her carbon fiber cello.

Sarah’s engaging performances invite audiences to join her in an escape from the ordinary. Having used music to heal in her own life, Sarah share’s her journey through her unconventional, yet vulnerable approach. A celebration (or what Sarah aptly calls a “cello-bration”) of the unexpected, captivating yet approachable, Sarah’s innovative sound is an eclectic blend, with flashes of the classically-trained pop sensibility of Norah Jones and the sultry jazzitude of Amy Winehouse.

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Instructors

Jenn Cleary

Jenn ClearyJenn Cleary is a singer-songwriter and musician known for her soulful vocals and captivating shows. She hails from Boulder, Colorado and has been actively involved in the music scene since 2006. Jenn’s music encompasses a blend of folk, rock, and blues, creating a rich sound with stirring melodies and heartfelt lyrics. Jenn Cleary has released multiple records, including three children’s albums, and has performed at various venues and festivals throughout the USA and Europe.

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Instructors

Ellis Delaney

There’s just something about Ellis, who is at once funny and wise, thoughtful and uninhibited, with a captivating voice that is matched by their uplifting lyrics. Ellis has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion four times and has been voted “most-wanted-to-return” performer at festivals including Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Moab Folk Festival, Kerrville, and Sisters Folk Festival. Ellis regularly receives h messages from strangers including, “you exude pure joy”, “I heard you and fell in love” and “I was stopped in my tracks by your music and captivating laugh” as well as “Yours is a voice we all need to hear.”

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Terri Delaney

Terri Delaney

Terri Delaney is a Minneapolis-based social worker turned booking agent turned trauma therapist. After running a booking agency for many years, Terri then re-focused her career onto trauma therapy and helping people heal using mind-body approaches. She still collaborates with her spouse, contemporary folk musician Ellis, co-managing their record company Singing Crow Music.

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Instructors

Shanna in a Dress

Shanna in a Dress is a clever millennial who sucks at dating, a masterful storyteller, and as candid as it gets! Her show will take you on an emotional roller coaster with as many ups and downs as the hills she bicycled on her 2021 musical-bicycle tour across the US, “Tour de Dress.” Shanna’s quirky, fearless songs will make you laugh out loud, then punch you in the gut. This playful, witty free spirit from Boulder is a Kerrville New Folk winner, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival crowd favorite, and is one to watch as her career is taking off.

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Rebecca Folsom

Rebecca Folsom

Rebecca Folsom is an award-winning songwriter, a national touring performer, a teacher, and a coach of transformational creativity. Dubbed “The Creativity Shaman” Rebecca has been coaching individuals and groups in transformational creativity for over 27 years. She offers a toolbox of simple and potent embodiment exercises, both traditional and non-traditional to help singers/writers/performers open streamlined vocal, songwriting, and performance flow.

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Instructors

Mark Monroe Gibson

In 2019, drawn by its scenic majesty and lack of humidity, Mark Monroe Gibson abandoned his lifelong deep southern roots, 25 years of law practice and relocated to Colorado to pursue music full time.

With a keen wit, balanced occasionally with compassion, Mark offers thought-provoking story songs filled with charismatic, unusual and sometimes flawed characters that give listeners an unconventional perspective on everyday life.

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Instructors

JJ Jones

As a touring drummer, JJ has played over 800 shows in six countries with countless artists and bands — including Po’Girl (Allison Russell), Girlyman, Heather Mae & Crys Matthews, Ramy Essam and Margaret Cho.

As a private coach, facilitator and instructor, she’s taught more than 200 women and girls how to play drums. An accomplished rhythm guitarist as well, JJ teaches the sell-out online guitar course “Right Hand Bootcamp” throughout the year, and provides private coaching on rhythm and strumming.

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Instructors

Arthur Lee Land

Lyons Colorado based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Arthur Lee Land is known for his joy filled, innovative live performances, his mad guitar and live-looping skills, Arthur’s hands are full theses days writing, recording and performing with multiple projects. First as a solo artist, you have his unforgettable one-man act employing the Art of Live-Looping to create his Electro-Americana BAND of ONE featured in his last studio album release Cracked Open featuring songs co-written by his wife and songwriting partner, clairvoyant lyricist Carol Lee. In late 2014, Arthur replaced Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon in the veteran Colorado Americana Jam-Band Great American Taxi.

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Instructors

Heather Mae

Heather Mae is a Nashville-based songwriter, artist, and activist. Winner of the 2017 Rocky Mountain Folk’s Festival Songwriter Showcase and the co-recipient of NERFA’s 2021 Artist-Activist of the Year, Mae is poised to release two albums in two different genres - Americana and Pop. Reflecting her dedication to diversity in the music industry, both records were crafted by a powerhouse team of all-women and nonbinary music makers in Nashville, including Grammy award winner Allison Russell and the dynamic duo Sistastrings. Scheduled for release in 2025, these albums will be preceded by single releases throughout 2024.
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Instructors

Clare McLeod

Clare McLeod, Harvard EdM, is an Associate Professor in the Voice Department at Berklee College of Music, where she is the principal author of the Minor in Teaching Contemporary Voice and Berklee Online’s Essentials of Teaching Contemporary Voice. A certified Estill Master Teacher, Clare also trained at the National Center for Voice and Speech, and is a member of the Voice Foundation, the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the Pan American Vocology Association. In addition to teaching at Berklee, she presents voice clinics regularly around the world and continues to contribute to developments in voice research.

Bill Nash

Bill Nash

Bill Nash has been a musician all his life. He was a 5-year-old boy soprano, a 4th grade french hornist (played horn all through college), a 15-year-old beginning guitarist and then an 18-year-old guitar teacher, and a graduate of Bradley University’s School of Music, majoring in composition studying under the tutelage of Professor Dean Howard, and an almost master’s degree from time at the University of Colorado (just one semester short!). Bill began writing music and lyrics in his early teens and his roots are firmly embedded in what is now known as the singer/songwriter acoustic music genre. He has performed styles as diverse as rock ‘n roll, fusion, country, polka, folk, and even old-time western music, ala the Sons of the Pioneers.

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Instructors

Justin Roth

Justin Roth is a singer/songwriter, fingerstyle guitarist and teaching artist based in Fort Collins, CO. Acoustic guitar has been the root of his musical world since he was 17, after witnessing the expansive sonic palette of guitarist, Michael Hedges. As an artist, Justin weaves alternate tunings, partial capos, innovative techniques, effects pedals and more into his songwriting and performances. His guitar playing has been described as, ‘more than just an instrument, but an extension of himself.’ As a teacher, he loves to share his passion of getting the most out of your instrument, creating compelling guitar arrangements, and how to enhance your playing without complicating it.

Justin has toured with John Gorka and David Wilcox, as well as opened for some of the finest singer/songwriters on the acoustic music scene, including Shawn Colvin, Martin Sexton, Willy Porter and Darrell Scott.

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Instructors

​Alan Rowoth

Alan Rowoth started playing professionally in 1968, 54 years ago. With thousands of gigs under his belt, He has also worked as an agent, manager, publicist, record producer, lighting designer and audio engineer. Alan pioneered the folk Internet in 1990 and created Internet Quartets and the Folktrain. He’s written for Performing Songwriter, Sing Out!, Dirty Linen, and other magazines. For over 3 decades, Alan has been teaching musicians at Song Schools and conferences on a broad range of technical and business subjects including live streaming, social media, and monetization strategies. His Big Orange Tarp has showcased hundreds of musicians at festivals and conferences. Visit his blog at http://BigOrangeTarp.org

Instructors

Amy Speace

“Amy Speace has one of the richest and loveliest voices in the singer/songwriter genre and her songs are luxuriously smart…she’s profoundly personal yet also a bit mythic. The imagery and the careful use of language is stunning and more evocative of classical poetry than most contemporary Americana peers” – Craig Havighurst, author & host of Nashville’s “Music City Roots”. Baltimore born, NYC bred and Nashville based, Amy Speace has been making critical waves since Judy Collins discovered her in 2006, releasing “Songs For Bright Street” on Collins’ own Wildflower Records. A logical protégé to classic singers like Collins and Baez, Amy’s brand of folk comes with a bit of grit and soul.

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Instructors

Jayme Stone

Jayme Stone is a musician, composer, instigator, producer and educator. On any given day, you might find him in his studio reworking a little-known hymn learned from a field recording, producing a session with musicians from Bamako or New York, creating experimental soundscapes, or tucking his kids in on time so he can get back to writing the next verse of a new song.

Stone, a “consummate team player” (Downbeat), has developed a process of trawling for understudied sounds in the more arcane corners of the world to see how they’ll land in his musical universe. His many collaborators have included Margaret Glaspy, Moira Smiley, Tim O’Brien, Julian Lage, Dom Flemons, Bassekou Kouyate, and more.

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Promo Photography

Instructors

Robert Mattson

Down Stage Images

Robert started coming to Song School in 2005 and after 15 years as a student decided he wanted to give back to the family that he found at Planet Bluegrass. In 2021 he started providing free photoshoots to students and teachers throughout the week. There is no charge, and all images belong to the artist/subject for their use in any and all ways. Photos from the Song School Photo Sessions have been used for gig promotions, websites, sponsorship listings, media, and CD art.

Robert’s work can be found at www.downstageimages.com and you can sign up at the morning mentorship sign-up sheet table. Or just look for a guy with a camera and flag him down. He’d love to talk to you.

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