KRISTIN ANDREASSEN
Kristin Andreassen is a songwriter, a dancer, a vessel for musical tradition, and a believer in the power of all of the above to bind and build community. Her work has been featured on three GRAMMY-nominated albums (two for songwriting, and one for clogging feet!). Her own most recent release was The Bright Siders’ A Mind of Your Own (Smithsonian Folkways), a collection of original children's songs and skits about emotions that she co-created with child psychiatrist Dr. Kari Groff and Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers). Chosen by the American Library Association as one of the year's three best releases for kids, The Bright Siders’ album follows 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 pioneering stringband Uncle Earl, the vocal trio Sometymes Why, the percussive dance company Footworks, 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. One favorite MoM-inspired collaboration is this video for a song written on the island – in which shadow puppets and body percussion are employed to illustrate “How the Water Walks.” Kristin studied history and community development at Montreal’s McGill University and in rural Canada, and she’s noticed herself thinking about that learning a lot in her current work at Miles of Music. She lives in Nashville.
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. This will be her seventh year on the island!
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.
Dinty Child
Besides being the off-season manager of Three Mile Island, Dinty Child is a longtime member of the Boston roots/folk scene. A fearless multi-instrumentalist he can most often be seen with the band Session Americana, as well as the Chandler Travis Philharmonic, the unapologetically loud and grimy Catbirds, as sensitive side man to any number of singer/songwriters, including Rose Cousins and Kris Delmhorst, and even fronting the 15 piece party band, the Funky White Honkies. Dinty is also a well respected songwriter and has two albums and several singles out under his own name
Zachariah Hickman
Zachariah Hickman is a double bassist, multi-instrumentalist and producer based out of Boston, MA. Originally from Lynchburg, VA, he received his formal training in jazz performance and composition from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. For most of his adult life he has toured with singer-songwriter Josh Ritter, traveling all over the world and recording 9 full-length albums. Currently, he is performing as bassist and musical director for Ray Lamontagne. He has performed at many notable venues and festivals, including Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Red Rocks, Bonnaroo, Dublin Castle, The Fillmore, and the Royal Albert Hall. With Josh Ritter, he has also performed with the Boston Pops in Symphony Hall, the New York Pops in Central Park, and many other orchestras in Europe and the United States. Television appearances include five David Letterman appearances, Conan O’Brien, Ellen Degeneres, and Late Night with Jools Holland for the BBC. As a producer, Zachariah as made records with a number of talented singers, including Rose Cousins (for which he won a Canadian JUNO award), Mark Erelli, Laura Cortese, Miss Tess, and his own bluegrass band Barnstar! He has also produced and ring-mastered his own circus, released his own brand of mustache wax, and runs a vaudeville style variety show, Zack Hickman’s House of Ill Repute.
Caroline Campbell McCormick
Caroline is a Community & Equity Advisor at Miles of Music and has been part of the vibrant and creative camp community since 2014. Her passion for fostering joyful and inclusive environments where creativity, belonging and connection flourish is put to use at camp and in her full-time role as a non-profit management leader for Farm Aid, a national organization whose work intersects music, culture and celebrating the importance of family farmers. She also serves as a board member for Club Passim in Cambridge, MA, and lives in the Boston area.
Caroline is influenced by her lifelong experience and love of choral singing—church, gospel, chamber, a cappella; and is a founding member, singer, and songwriter for the Americana band The Pennies. She is always looking for the chance to create music collaboratively and credits Miles of Music with helping her grow in her personal storytelling through song. Outside of camp, Caroline enjoys quilting, exploring the outdoors with her family, and cultivating joy through music and craft.
Carrie Cahill Mulligan
Carrie Cahill Mulligan has the distinct honor of having attended Miles of Music every year since its beginning in 2011.
She’s worked a variety of Camp jobs: running the store, working in the kitchen (on salads, as Baker, as Kitchen Assistant), on Midnight Snack detail, as a porch captain, and as part of the check-in crew.
This year, Carrie will continue to rely on her varied Three Mile experiences as she returns as Camp Hospitality Coordinator, here to assist with any questions or concerns while you’re on the island!
Carrie is a Park Ranger-turned-fiber artist, who also loves clawhammer banjo, hula-hooping and playing ice hockey. She also happens to grow and harvest all the rhubarb we use in various ways during the camp week!
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.
Matt Smith
Since beginning his career in the music world, Matt Smith has been on panels and advisory committees at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, the International Folk Alliance, and the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance. He has worked as a tour manager and sound engineer for the singer-songwriter collaborative, Live From New York (Edie Carey, Teddy Goldstein, Anne Heaton, and Andrew Kerr) and the Celtic band Halali (Hanneke Cassel, Laura Cortese, Lissa Schneckenburger, and Flynn Cohen). Matt has also been a stage emcee at the Falcon Ridge and the Newport Folk Festivals, and he is the managing director of Club Passim and founder of Club Passim's Campfire Festival.
Richa Sahay
Richa Sahay is a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn by way of India and the Philippines. Her foundation in Hindustani music influences her writing and performance, where she blends Indian classical raaga vocals with western themes.
Richa began her musical training in Delhi at the age of 8. She studied North Indian classical vocals with a blind guru who taught her how to learn singing by ear and rhythm by feel, and to sing improvisationally within the melodic framework of each raaga. After moving to the Philippines, Richa began to mix traditional classical music with western styles such as Blues, Jazz, Rock, and pop acapella music.
She now leads a Brooklyn-based world music blues band, Richa and The Blue Skies, with a few other Miles of Music campers. Richa is delighted to bring Hindustani vocals for the first time to Miles of Music.
Dietrich Strause
Dietrich Strause is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has worked extensively as a studio musician, engineer, and producer. Dietrich writes and records under his own name and released his latest album You And I Must Be Out Of My Mind on Blueblade Records in 2022. He lives part time in London, UK and works as an apprentice luthier at Outlier Workshop.
Timothy Tucker
Chef Timothy Tucker was born in Springfield, IL, and graduated from Sullivan University in Louisville, KY with a degree in Culinary Arts. He began his career working at restaurants such as The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas and The Painted Table in Seattle. Since then he has established 4 culinary training programs for low-income populations in Louisville, Miami, Boston, and in San Francisco where he currently resides. Timothy has also been the chef for Three Mile Island (summer) and Miles of Music since 2011. The author of Food to Make Music To, a collection of recipes from Three Mile Island, was inspired by his time working with Miles of Music. He also has a food radio blog WGGF radio (World Gathering Good Food) and they now have their own publishing company called Good Food Gathering. In 2020, they released a book called Destination Chef which is a textbook Timothy uses to teach people to cook!
Nelson Williams
Hailing from the musically diverse and rich culture of South Louisiana, Nelson’s bass playing takes inspiration from his home and beyond; blending bluegrass, jazz, classical and old-time influences into a style of playing that’s been called “Pleasing Virtuosity”. He is a founding member of the latest Black string-band, New Dangerfield, a member of Chris Jones and the Night-Drivers and has served as a core member of awarding-winning Black banjo and fiddler, Jake Blount, band for years. His expertise and steadfast bass playing has made him a sought after bass player in his home of New Orleans and around the country. He has performed at Newport Folk Festival, The Grand Ole Opry, Kennedy Center and many other illustrious festivals and halls across the world.
Vilray
Vilray is a songwriter, singer and guitar player based in his native Brooklyn. He admires the humor and sophistication of the great Tin Pan Alley writers and his own songs evoke theirs. He and Rachael Price perform and record as a duo, Rachael & Vilray.
