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Keith Billik (MBC Sound Engineer). Both a performing musician and a professional sound engineer, Keith Billik has excelled on both sides of the soundboard. He believes that his listening and personal involvement in a wide variety of musical styles has given him a knack for knowing how these different genres should sound, and he enjoys the challenge in trying to achieve the perfectly appropriate mix when running the board. His experience includes various rock, jazz, bluegrass, and theater productions, not to mention two Midwest Banjo Camp faculty concerts. Keith's main axe for several years has been the banjo (3-finger style), and he is honored to be able to work with many of his personal heroes on the MBC faculty. (Keith Billik at Elderly.com)

Ryan Cavanaugh may well have taken the art of playing jazz on 5-string farther than any other living player. He grew up in North Carolina playing traditional bluegrass and took first place at the Merlefest, Rockygrass, and Renofest banjo contests. He began studying jazz in high school, and soon began adapting it to banjo, developing in the process a method for playing rapid runs by in effect performing forward rolls on single strings. Discovered by guitar legend John McLaughlin in 2006, Ryan has spent the last few years touring the international jazz scene with acclaimed saxophonist Bill Evans. He also played on several cuts of Evans' recent CD, "The Other Side of Something." Songs For the New Frontier" was released in 2007 (now available only through the (Itunes store). "Cavanaugh’s bluegrass credibility is undeniable but, while he’ll humbly tell you that he’s still got so much to learn, he’s already a remarkable jazz player." John Kelman - reviewer, All About Jazz magazine (Ryan Cavanaugh MySpace) (Ryan Cavanaugh at Elderly.com)

Bill Evans is well-known within the bluegrass banjo world as a player and teacher. A former member of Dry Branch Fire Squad, Bill currently tours nationally with Peter Rowan, John Reischman, Tony Trischka, and with his solo historical concert The Banjo in America. In addition, he writes a monthly instructional column for Banjo Newsletter and has produced instructional books and videos with Sonny Osborne and J.D. Crowe for AcuTab Publications and Homespun Tapes. He has taught at American Banjo Camp, Augusta Heritage Center, Banjo Camp Northm Camp Bluegrass, and Nashcamp Bluegrass Instructional Camps. (Bill Evan's Native and Fine Web Site) ( Bill Evans at Elderly.com)

Murphy Henry (leader: bluegrass novice program) - Murphy Henry is known to bluegrass banjo students around the world for her "Murphy Method" videos, which focus on learning to play 3-finger style by ear. Murphy has written the "General Store" column for Bluegrass Unlimited magazine for the past 18 years, has written a monthly column in Banjo Newsletter since 1983, and now edits and publishes her own Women in Bluegrass quarterly newsletter. She has been an instructor at the Tennessee Banjo Institute, the Maryland Banjo Academy, Steve Kaufman's Banjo Kamp, Augusta Heritage Bluegrass Week, the Huck Finn Bluegrass Camp, Bill Evans' J.D.Crowe Camp, and the Wintergrass Bluegrass Festival. She was also selected for inclusion in the book Masters of the 5-String Banjo. She and her husband Red Murphy have recorded 10 record albums and cassettes, and they can often be heard around their home in Winchester, Virginia playing with their bluegrass band Red and Murphy & Co. Her one solo CD is called M and M Blues. ( Murphy Method Web Site) ( Murphy Henry at Elderly.com)

Bill Keith - A renowned explorer of the frontiers of banjo picking and of the instrument's harmonic potentialities, Bill Keith largely invented the three-finger picking style known as "melodic" banjo. He first came to international attention in the early 60s when he played and recorded with Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys. He co-authored the original Earl Scruggs banjo instruction book and record, and has also written several other banjo instruction books, including the first ones ever published in French and Italian. He has recorded several albums for Rounder, Green Linnet, and Hexagon, and has toured widely throughout North America, Western Europe, Japan, and Australia. He devised and, through the Beacon Banjo Company, still markets the famous tuning pegs that bear his name. (Bill Keith at Elderly.com)

Peter Knupfer (Camp bluegrass fiddler) - East Lansing's own Peter Knupfer is an award-winning fiddler with over thirty years of freelance and professional practice to his credit.He toured and recorded with 'Grass, Food & Lodging, a Milwaukee-based bluegrass band, for five years, followed by six years playing country, string swing, and Irish fiddle in a variety of bands. He has shared the stage with the likes of Byron Berline, Donald Stiernberg, Tony Trischka, Peter Ostroushko, and Tim O'Brien. He was the state old-time fiddle champ for Wisconsin (1976) and Kansas (1995). Currently he plays with Detour Bluegrass, from the Traverse City, MI area. Peter Knupfer at Elderly.com) (Peter Knupfer's Web Site)

Jens Kruger Since his electrifying introduction to American audiences at Merlefest in 1997, the Swiss musician Jens Kruger has established himself as one of the world's most musically sophisticated and technically accomplished five-string banjo players. He has performed with Earl Scruggs, John McEwen, Willie Nelson, Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson, and many others. Along with his brother Uwe on guitar and Joel Landsberg on bass, the Kruger Brothers band has appeared in hundreds of arts council and theater concerts as well as at major folk and bluegrass festivals. They have released nearly a dozen CDs on their Double Time Music label. Now living permanently in North Carolina, they perform year-round throughout the U.S. Pronounce his name "Yenz". (Jens Kruger at Elderly.com) (Jens Kruger Web Site)

Uwe Kruger (Camp bluegrass guitarist) - Uwe (pronounced OO-vah) has been playing music since early childhood and has been working as a professional musician for more than 25 years. He was introduced to American folk music through his father, who would return to Switzerland from business trips to the United States with folk music records. Uwe's powerful guitar style -- which features a blend of both flat picking and finger picking -- is influenced both by contemporary artists such as Doc Watson, Jerry Garcia, and Eric Clapton, and by such old masters as Beethoven, Bach, and Brahms. He is also proficient on other several other instruments, including electric guitar and banjo. (Uwe Kruger at Elderly.com) (Uwe Kruger Web Site)

Joel Landsberg (Camp bass player) - Joel grew up in New York City and started playing bass at age 12. He moved to Switzerland in 1989 and embarked upon a successful career playing bass for several European-based country/rock and jazz groups. He met the Kruger Brothers during this period and developed what would turn into a deeply rewarding musical alliance and friendship. He has been playing full time with the Kruger Brothers Band since 1995. (Joel Landsberg at Elderly.com) (Joel Landsberg Web Site)

Ned Luberecki Ned Luberecki has been teaching and playing bluegrass banjo for over 25 years, having been part of Paul Adkins' Borderline Band, Radio Flyer, the Gary Ferguson Band, and the Rarely Herd (the latter won SPBGMA's Entertaining Band of the Year award several times). Ned has appeared on recordings with Paul Adkins' Borderline Band, the Rarely Herd, Jim Hurst, Bull Harman, and New Strings. Bluegrass Unlimited magazine has declared, "Ned's banjo captures that killer tone and technique banjo players die for." Now residing in Nashville, he is the banjoist for the Chris Jones Coalition and the Apocalyptic Cowboys, teaches private lessons at World Music Nashville, and is a fill-in radio personality on Sirius Radio's Bluegrass channel. His uncomplicated teaching style and fresh, wacky sense of humor has made him a favorite at music camps and workshops, such as NashCamp, Camp Bluegrass and the Maryland Banjo Academy. (Ned Luberecki's Web Site) (Ned Luberecki at Elderly.com)

James McKinney - is both a Scruggs and Reno style expert, one of the foremost jazz players of the bluegrass banjo world, and one of the most technically precise banjoists around. He won the Southern U.S. Banjo Championship at age 15. Before long he had won dozens of state and regional championships, including the National Banjo Championship at Winfield, Kansas. He made the first of several appearances on the Grand Ole Opry at age 19 and worked for a time at Opryland theme park as a banjoist and musical arranger. James moved to Nashville for good in 1990 to play full time in the James and Angela McKinney Band; he also does studio and touring work out of Nashville. James is a dedicated banjo teacher, he has taught countless workshops, and he has been on the staff at a number of major banjo camps, including the Smokey Mountain Banjo Academy, and the SPBGMA workshop. He has performed and/or recorded with the likes of Vassar Clements, Porter Wagoner, Barbara Mandrell, John Hartford, and Johnny Cash . His latest CD is called "Mind Over Banjo." (James McKinney Web Site) James McKinney at Elderly.com)

Scott "Stretch" Reinsmith - is a repair technician at Elderly Instruments. He started repairing instruments at his home in the late 70's and was the owner of Stretch Guitar Repair in the 90's. Stretch enjoys working on banjos and can do everything from basic setups to refrets, inlays, repair broken headstocks, re-cut neck heels and reset dowel sticks for proper neck angles, Binding repair and replacement and make new fingerboards, He has run a banjo repair shop and taught a repair class at the Midwest Banjo Camp IV & V.

Mike Sumner - claims numerous playing influences, from his father Joe Sumner to Bela Fleck, Scott Vestal, Allison Brown, and Sammy Shelor. He won the Indiana State Picking and Fiddling Banjo championship seven times and the Kentucky State Banjo championship twice. In 2001 alone, he placed first at Merlefest, first at Rockygrass, and won the Winfield National Banjo Championship (which he repeated in 2007). Mike currently plays banjo for the Randy Kohrs Band. He has taught extensively throughout Indiana and Michigan. (Mike Sumner's MySpace Site) (Mike Sumner at Elderly)

David Talbot - is both a master of Scruggs style bluegrass banjo and a consummate band player. He has appeared on numerous bluegrass, country, and Americana recordings, including the classic, "Aubrey Haynie: Bluegrass Fiddle" -- winner of IBMA's Instrumental Album of the Year. He was a member of Larry Cordle's Lonesome Standard Time, which released the Grammy-nominated recording "Murder On Music Row." David was also a founding member of The Grascals, whose first two recordings on Rounder were both nominated for Grammies. In 2004, David began working with the legendary Dolly Parton, touring internationally and performing on the Jay Leno, Dave Letterman, and Conan O'Brien's network television shows; he is also featured as a sideman on Parton's recent CDs. Since 1998 he has resided in Nashville, Tennessee where he currently freelances in the music business. (David Talbot at artistdirect.com) (David Talbot at Elderly)

Pete Wernick - Dr. Banjo," is renowned worldwide for his contributions to bluegrass music. He has been a member of such trend-setting bands as Hot Rize and Country Cooking, is a respected author and teacher, and was President of the International Bluegrass Music Association for 15 years. Pete has recorded dozens of original instrumentals and songs since his career got underway in the 1970s, including two bluegrass chart-topping hits, and is known for his soulful tradition-based style. Since 1980, Pete has conducted over 100 instructional camps nationwide and overseas, and continues to refine his teaching methods. His instructional videos and books include bestsellers such as Bluegrass Jamming, Bluegrass Banjo, Branching Out on the Banjo, How to Make a Band Work, and many others. Pete currently performs with his bluegrass/classic jazz fusion group Flexigrass, in a bluegrass duet with his singer/guitarist wife Joan ("Nondi"), and in occasional reunions with Hot Rize. (DrBanjo's Web Site) (Pete Wernick at Elderly)