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Kristin Andreassen
Kristin Andreassen has songwriting credits on two albums with 2024 GRAMMY nominations – Mighty Poplar’s self-titled debut (up for Best Bluegrass Album) and Andrew & Polly’s Ahhhh! (Kristin co-wrote the title track on this candidate for Best Children’s Album). Her own most recent release was The Bright Siders’ A Mind of Your Own (Smithsonian Folkways), which is for kids, about emotions, and was created and co-produced with psychiatrist Dr. Kari Groff and Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers). Chosen as one of 2020’s top three children’s releases by the American Library Association, this album followed up on Kristin’s first #1 kids’ radio hit – a song called “Crayola Doesn’t Make a Color for Your Eyes.” In the world of “grown-up music”, Kristin has toured and recorded with the stringband Uncle Earl, the vocal trio Sometymes Why, the percussive dance company Footworks (as a clogger), and with NYC’s anti-folk superhero Jeffrey Lewis. She’s had the honor of recording with producers John Paul Jones, Dirk Powell, Mark Schatz, José Ayerve, Robin MacMillan, and Shane Leonard (coming soon, I promise!). One favorite MoM-inspired collaboration is this video — created by Anna Roberts-Gevalt — which uses shadow puppets and body percussion to illustrate “How the Water Walks.” Kristin studied community development at Montreal’s McGill University and in rural Canada, and she uses those skills and then some as she attempts — every day -– to develop a more inclusive and empowering musical community here. She lives in Nashville.
Lauren Balthrop
Lauren Balthrop is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter born and raised in Alabama where her family gatherings always included sing-alongs of the Everly Brothers, the Andrew Sisters, the Louvin Brothers, and the Beatles. After 10 years making her way in NYC, she heard the siren call of Nashville where she now calls home. Lauren has released 2 albums under own name and is working on her 3rd full length. She is also the director of the Nashville branch of Blue Balloon Songwriting School, the NYC originated music school that teaches kids and adults instrument instruction through songwriting. Her big folk-rock band and "small town" with her brother called Balthrop, Alabama toured all across the states to a cultish following. Her 60's inspired girl group, The Bandana Splits, released two records with songs landing on shows such as HBO's 'Bored to Death' and the re-boot of ‘Magnum P.I.’ She's also toured extensively as a multi-instrumentalist for Elizabeth & the Catapult, Kevin Morby, Michaela Anne and Ximena Sariñana. Lauren is a knitter, crocheter and tap dancer too.
Isa Burke
Isa Burke is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer based between Durham, North Carolina and Portland, Maine. Whether singing harmony vocals, playing traditional fiddle tunes, or crafting spiky yet atmospheric electric guitar sounds, she brings a voracious musical appetite and a spirit of collaboration to a vast array of projects. Raised in a musical family in Maine, Isa soon found her way to Boston, where she studied fiddle and songwriting at Berklee College of Music and dove headfirst into the area's thriving music scene. In 2014 she co-founded the indie-folk band Lula Wiles, which released three albums on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and toured internationally until 2021. Isa has spent recent years building a reputation as a versatile and in-demand collaborator, a musical Swiss Army knife at home in many styles and contexts. She has been touring with Aoife O'Donovan since fall 2021 (earning a nomination for Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2023 Americana Music Awards), and recently became the newest touring member of cult-favorite indie band the Mountain Goats. She has toured and recorded with many other artists including Jake Blount, Darlingside, Mipso, Rosier, the Brother Brothers, Laura Cortese, Kris Delmhorst, Session Americana, Sam Moss, and Liv Greene (whose debut album Isa produced). Isa is also an experienced and devoted music educator, and a longtime member of the Miles of Music community.
Sheena Ozaki
Sheena Ozaki is the Welcome Team and Travel Coordinator at Miles of Music this year. She is a creative producer with a passion for sharing great ideas, having previously worked with TED, VICE News, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. But her first love is music - she studied piano performance in college and has been lucky to have been part of the Miles of Music community since 2015.
Clara Baker
Clara Baker is a songwriter & producer from Portland, OR. She records, produces, and mixes music at several full-service recording studios in the Portland area as well as her home studio, The Bakery. As both a singer-songwriter and an audio professional, Clara brings a unique perspective to the recording process. In addition to her work with artists, Clara also composes music for film and TV, and tours occasionally as a side player on fiddle and guitar. She is a member of SoundGirls and a voting member of The Recording Academy.