Justin Branum

Justin Branum is a freelance fiddler and multi-instrumentalist residing in the Nashville, TN area where he lives with his musician wife, Angelica, twin baby boys Emmett and Everett, and four step kids, Jakob (12), Callie (10), Violet (8), and Hazel (6).

Justin was born in Okinawa, Japan where his father was stationed as a Marine. His father’s side of the family is from Kennett, Missouri and his mother’s side is from the Texarkana, Arkansas area.

Justin started on fiddle at age 12 and was mostly self-taught with the exception of a few sporadic lessons until college. During this time he was exposed to old-time fiddle, contest style fiddling, bluegrass, western swing, country, jazz, and classical. He was drawn to the fiddling of Johnny Gimble, Buddy Spicher, Kenny Baker, Bobby Hicks, Tommy Jackson, Dale Potter, and Howdy Forrester who all became major influences on his playing. In college, Justin studied music and received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in jazz studies from Webster University in Saint Louis, MO. He also taught as an adjunct instructor at Webster University and Washington University.

Justin has spent many years on the fiddle contest circuit and has won the Grand Master Fiddler Championship, Tennessee State Fiddle Championship, Tennessee State Mandolin Championship, Alabama State Fiddle Championship, Kentucky State Flatpicking Guitar Championship, Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree, and the Twin Lakes National Fiddle Championship.

In addition to working as a freelance musician in the Nashville area doing recording sessions and occasional tours, Justin runs the instructional video site MasterFiddle.com  along with a private teaching studio for virtual lessons online. You can often hear Justin playing in the Grand Ole Opry staff band or playing with the New Monday band (Val Story, Carl Jackson, and Larry Cordle) at The Station Inn on Monday nights. Artists Justin has performed with include Lee Ann Womack, Jeannie Seely, John Conlee, Steve Earle, Bobby Flores, The Sons Of The Pioneers, Kane Brown, Suzy Bogguss, Mo Pitney, Sara Evans, Charles Esten, and many more. You can also catch Justin in the house band for the Merlin Gene Show on RFD-TV every Saturday.

Loretta Brank McKeever

Hailing from the great fiddling tradition of the Pacific Northwest, Loretta Brank MacKeever is no stranger to the winner’s circle. A former Washington State Junior Champion, California and Oregon State Champion, and two-time National Junior–Junior Champion, Loretta has also placed among the top five in both Junior and Open National Championships and earned the title of Northwest Regional Champion.

Loretta’s musical roots run deep. Growing up in Washington State, she learned to play at just nine years old under the guidance of her father, Kenneth Brank, and followed in the footsteps of her grandfather Thom and Uncle Leon, both old-time fiddlers. At age eleven, her playing caught the attention of fiddle legend Benny Thomasson, who took her under his wing — helping her refine the traditional Texas-style sound that became her musical foundation.

Loretta spent a decade leading her own California-based band, Sugarfoot, before making the move to Nashville in 1995. There, she took her talents to the national stage, touring with some of country music’s biggest names — including Deana Carter, Patty Loveless, Sara Evans, Lila McCann, Mindy McCready, and many others.

Now based in Spring Hill, Tennessee, Loretta works in nearby Franklin at A Moment’s Peace

Salon and Day Spa as a Licensed Aesthetician. She continues to pick up her fiddle from time to time, donating her musical talents to worthy causes such as The Nashville Rescue Mission.

  

Aynsely Porchak

Aynsley began playing fiddle at the age of 9. She was introduced to contest-style fiddling in her early teens and quickly fell in love with the music. In order to further hone her craft, Aynsley enrolled in East Tennessee State University's Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies degree program in 2013. She graduated in 2017 with an additional bachelor's degree in English and completed her master's degree in Appalachian Studies in 2020.

Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler, having won the Grand Master Fiddler Championship in 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee, and the 2017 Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Championship, making her the first person to win both competitions. She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. She is a certified and qualified national contest judge.

 In 2018, Aynsley received the 2018 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award. She has played with the SPBGMA award-winning bluegrass band Carolina Blue, the Tennessee Bluegrass Band, and the Darren Nicholson Band. She is an adjunct professor at East Tennessee State University and is currently the social media specialist at Crossroads Music Group. Aynsley spends her time off the road as a private fiddle instructor, session musician, contest judge, and author.

Heather Kolbrek Risser

Heather Kolbrek Risser grew up in the Saint Paul suburb of White Bear Lake, MN. At the age of eight, when a troupe of Suzuki violin players performed at her school, she knew this was something she wanted to pursue. Shortly after she began Suzuki training, her grandfather urged to learn “Turkey in the Straw.”  This was the beginning of a lifelong passion.

Over the next decade, Heather traveled throughout the state, Midwest and country attending competitions and festivals, familiarizing herself with the different styles of contest fiddling. Along the way, she was fortunate to collect state and regional titles in MN, SD, ND, NE, IA, MO, AK, and TX. She also placed in the top five finalist at the Grand Masters in Nashville, TN as well as the National Fiddlers’ Contest in Weiser, ID on several occasions.

At the age of 12, Heather auditioned for Opryland, USA on their national audition tour. They invited her to perform as a special guest in Opryland and  with Roy Acuff on the Grand Ole Opry. Upon graduating from Baylor University, Heather was hired by Opryland and was a part of several different musical shows and reviews. She also worked extensively with the David Humphreys Orchestra, as well as teaching Suzuki violin and fiddle styles at Overbrook Academy, and in her private studio.

In 1993, Heather joined Trisha Yearwood’s band. For the next 20+ years, she toured with Trisha throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. She has also toured/shared the stage with Sara Evans, Kenny Rogers, Travis Tritt, Garth Brooks, Roy Acuff and Don Henley, among others.

Heather has been married to her husband Royce for 25 years, and they have three amazing children - Mason, Walker, and Raleigh. The world of contest fiddling holds many memories and a has very special place in her heart.

Bobby Taylor

Bobby Taylor is a fourth generation West Virginia fiddler. He plays several styles of old-time and contest fiddling, but got his early start from the legendary Clark Kessinger, who influenced a world of fiddlers. He has a melting pot of old-time fiddle styles including the styles of his father Lincoln Taylor (1911-1995), Ed Haley, Mike Humphreys, Benny Thomasson, Reece B. Jarvis, Doc Roberts, French Carpenter and scores of others to name a few. He was the 1977 West Virginia State Open Fiddle Champion. In 2003, Bobby received the FOOTBRIDGE AWARD. This award was presented by FOOTMAD (Friends of Old-Time Music and Dance) for his contributions to old-time music. Bobby was presented The 2010 VANDALIA AWARD by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. The Vandalia award is West Virginia’s highest folk-life honor. When fiddle enthusiast West Virginia Senator Robert C. Byrd passed away in July of 2010, Bobby was honored to be chosen to play Senator Byrd’s favorite fiddle tunes during the public visitation in the West Virginia Capitol Rotunda, and for the official memorial service. Bobby was also requested by the Byrd family to play for the private funeral services. He was inducted into the Mountain State Art and Craft Fair Hall of Fame in Ripley, WV in July of 2012 for his musical contributions to the State of West Virginia.  

Bobby has been the coordinator of West Virginia's Vandalia Gathering contests at the State Capitol in Charleston since 1979. He was the contest coordinator of the Appalachian Open Contest from 1984 through 1987, and he has been the contest coordinator of the Appalachian String Band Music Festival contest since 1990. All of these events are sponsored by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Bobby recently retired after serving for many years as the Library Manager of the West Virginia Archives and History Library Section of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.

Bobby has judged the Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia state championships, and is a regular judge at the Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, Virginia. He has judged the Grand Master Fiddle Championship in Nashville, TN since 2006 to present. He was selected to judge the 2007, 2010 and 2012 Western Open Fiddle Championship in Red Bluff, CA. He was a judge at Jana Jae’s Grand Lake National Fiddle Fest in 2006, 2007 and 2009 in Grove, OK. He was selected as a judge at the Grand National Fiddle Championship in Weiser, ID in 2008. Bobby is a certified national fiddle judge. He is a nationally recognized consultant on rules and judging procedures for heritage music competitions. He has taught fiddle workshops at the Augusta Heritage Center, Allegheny Echoes in West Virginia, the 2012 Midwest Banjo Camp in Michigan and at the 2013 Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, WA. He has performed on musical tours in Australia and Ireland, and was a featured performer at the National Folk Festival in Australia in March of 2008. He was a featured performer at the Library of Congress and at the Kennedy Center on August 16, 2012. The Library of Congress show was recorded for their permanent collection.

In 1990, Bobby apprenticed and constructed a violin under the guidance of Harold M. Hayslett. Mr. Hayslett was a Violin Society of America “Gold Medal” winner for tone at the 1980 international competition.

Bobby currently judges extensively and presents historical showcases on fiddle styles with his old-time band “Kanawha Tradition.” It is not uncommon for historic fiddles once owned by great fiddlers such as Clark Kessinger and Ed Haley to show up at these events.  Bobby is the custodian of these historical instruments.