Kristin Andreassen is a songwriter, a percussive dancer, a vessel carrying pieces of several ancient musical traditions, and a believer in the power of all of the above to build and bind community. She's currently most excited about the songs she's been creating with guitarist Chris Eldridge. Together, they're headed to Cape Breton Island this spring for the Beinn Mhàbu Artist-in-Residence Program — so hopefully they'll have something to show for themselves soon. Other things Kristin might be known to brag about: her old time band Uncle Earl (two albums on Rounder Records), her children's mental health-focused collaboration The Bright Siders (Smithsonian Folkways), her three appearances on GRAMMY-nominated records (two for songwriting, one for clogging), her precocious toddler, and having been partially responsible for dreaming up Miles of Music. She still loves to share this camp collaboration — a music video in which shadow puppets & body percussion illustrate “How the Water Walks”. www.kristinandreassen.com

Clara Baker is a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Portland, OR. She has released multiple albums of original music and toured extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad.

In addition to her work as an artist, Clara records, produces, and mixes music for songwriters and bands, and composes music for film and television. Her songs have been featured on Netflix, ABC, The CW, and more.

Clara is also Adjunct Faculty in Songwriting at Lewis & Clark College, where she supports students in developing their unique voices as writers.

This will be her 8th year on the island!

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.

www.laurenbalthrop.com

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.

http://isaburke.com

Allie Chip is a Hudson Valley-based folk singer-songwriter, cofounder of the Imperfectionist Song Society (ISS), and a registered vinyasa yoga teacher. She loves oat milk matchas, comedy, wildflowers, and making up silly songs with her friends. Poses are cool, but Allie's real intention is to help you laugh, take deep breaths, and love on yourself during yoga class... no matter what your body's doing. Allie teaches from a warm, relatable place and welcomes folks of all levels. Yoga will be real, chill, explorative, and fun. Come hang!

Emily Haviland’s debut album, "Not Who You Think," released in February 2024, epitomizes her unyielding commitment to pushing artistic boundaries. In both her performing style and songwriting, Emily weaves together threads of authenticity and innovation, creating an auditory experience that captivates and resonates deeply with her audience. Renowned fiddler Darol Anger aptly describes her as the "Realest Deal in a long time," praising her genuine voice, profound reflections, and songs that boldly articulate the unspoken truths we all harbor. “Real voice, real thoughts, real songs that say - with pungent power - what everyone’s really thinking. Glad to welcome her work into the world.”
Emily Haviland has shared the stage alongside illustrious contemporaries such as Aoife O’Donovan, Margo Price, Twisted Pine, Darol Anger, the late Emy Phelps, Bruce Molsky, Abigail Lapell, and Rachel Sumner. Her collaborative spirit shines through in her contributions to records by Alisa Amador, Kaiti Jones, and others, cementing her status as a versatile and sought-after artist whose influence reverberates across genres.
@emilyhavi

Dawn Landes is a singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer who's penned original songs for TV, film, and musical theater (ROW on Audible). Landes has toured internationally and supported Nick Lowe, Mary Chapin Carpenter and many more. Her newest album The Liberated Woman's Songbook was produced by her longtime collaborator Josh Kaufman (Bonny Light Horseman) and highlights women's activism throughout history.
www.dawnlandes.com

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.

Rachael Price is an acclaimed American jazz/pop vocalist, best known as the dynamic lead singer for the band Lake Street Dive (LSD), celebrated for her powerful, versatile voice, and also performs jazz standards as half of the duo Rachael & Vilray with guitarist Vilray. Born in Australia and raised in Tennessee, she studied at the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) in Boston, where she met her bandmates, and has since become a prominent voice in modern American music, known for blending vintage jazz with contemporary sounds and performing with immense stage presence.

Shanice Richards is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and Music Therapist currently based in New Orleans, LA. Her work integrates performance, education, and therapeutic practice. Drawing upon her Caribbean heritage alongside influences in jazz, gospel, and soul, she brings a distinctive musical voice to traditional old-time fiddling with rhythmic vitality and cultural depth.
Her approach to her fiddling reflects an ongoing exploration of how diasporic traditions inform and enrich contemporary musical expression.

Rooted in the principles of community music therapy, Shanice's practice centers on inclusion, accessibility, and empowerment through shared music-making. She is particularly committed to serving individuals and communities who experience limited access to creative resources or who have been impacted by social and economic marginalization. Guided by the belief that music functions as both a cultural and therapeutic force, she facilitates participatory experiences that foster self-expression, connection, and resilience.

As a member of the collaborative string band The Little Mercies, she has shared stages with Kyshona, Sami Braman, and Amelia Powell. As a solo artist, she has collaborated with Brandi Waller-Pace, Isaiah Sibi, and Howard Rains. She recently recorded an EP with The Little Mercies which will be released in 2026. Her music reflects her belief that community-based music-making nurtures confidence, creativity, and belonging among participants of all ages.

@shayfiddles

Richa Sahay (pronunciation: rich-ah sah-hi) 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.

Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Emma Turoff has been playing the mandolin since she was 11 years old. She grew up steeped in the traditions of bluegrass and old time music, playing often around New York and other parts of the Northeast. When she was 17, she enrolled at Berklee College of Music, and spent four years studying mandolin performance there under teachers such as Joe K. Walsh, Jenna Moynihan, Bruce Molsky, and Greg Liszt. During her time at school, she also spent a lot of time playing the upright bass for various bluegrass bands in the Boston area, as well as mandolin in a Klezmer band, and in a project with her dear friends called Mighty REA which has played stages such as Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, and looks forward to playing at the Brooklyn Folk Festival this fall. 

@emmaroseturoff