Podunk Bluegrass Kids’ Academy

Kids Academy Staff

Sal Sauco is a member of one of Rhode Island’s best known local bands, “Lizzie James and the Greystone Rail.” They regularly play around the area at events such as; The Bluegrass on the Pawtuxet Festival, Bluegrass on the Bogs Festival, various street festivals, both of RI’s weekly Bluegrass shows, clubs, weddings, and parties.

Sal also runs Providence’s only weekly Bluegrass show: Bluegrass Throedown at Nick-a-Nee’s, and has done so for almost four years. During that time he has cycled many local, regional, and national bands though the club. He schedules and promotes the bands, runs the sound, and MCs each show.

He is currently the President of the Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance. RIBA serves to promote Bluegrass and its education in the southern New England area. As well as providing lessons to local musicians on guitar and mandolin, he hosts three local jams in Rhode Island regularly held on the 1st Saturday, 1st Sunday, and 3rd Tuesday in three different locations around the state.

 

Jeremy Place has been playing bluegrass music in the New England area for the past 16 years with his band, Four Bridges. Along with playing guitar, Jeremy also plays mandolin, banjo, cello and drums. He is the music teacher at both elementary schools in Norton, MA (Kindergarten through third grade).  Jeremy is always excited to work with students of all ages and assist them in making music together.

 

Debbie Hall cares about people and built a reputation for quality and integrity as a leader among Rhode Island’s bluegrass community when she co-founded Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance (RIBA) in 2013. Currently, Debbie holds a seat on the executive board as Outreach Director. Established as a rhythmic driving-force on the upright bass she currently performs with “The Bill Thibodeau Band.” Debbie taps into her childhood memories and draws from her deep-rooted passion to deliver an energized, authentic bluegrass experience.

Born the daughter of iconic New England bluegrass pioneer and band leader Bill Hall, bluegrass music is Debbie’s heritage and passion. Fundamentally, she cares about people and demonstrates that in her communication style. Debbie moves people through kind and encouraging words, and with authentic gestures of exceptional thoughtfulness, she assures people of their individual significance. Adjectives routinely used to describe Debbie Hall include “compassionate” “kindhearted”.

 

Cathy Bumgarner Day – Fiddle

Cathy Bumgarner Day is bluegrass fiddler and a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from Connecticut who was trained in a bluegrass family with a rich musical heritage from Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. Her style was formed by studying Bluegrass fiddlers such as Mark O’Connor, Kenny Baker, Glen Duncan, Byron Berline, and Blaine Sprouse.   Cathy is a fourth generation fiddler and began performing at age 10 around New England, NY, and PA in the 1980s with the Bumgarner Family, who later changed their name to the Rose City Bluegrass Band.

During her teens, she was a regular feature in Wynn Faye’s Fiddle Showcases throughout Massachusetts.  She also freelanced with many bluegrass bands in CT and MA.  She competed in bluegrass contests in CT, MA, and NC on every instrument, often placing in guitar, mandolin, and banjo, but more often winning first in Fiddle in the Trick & Fancy Division and Open Fiddle.

During her college years, she played with SassyGrass, an all-girl bluegrass band with New England favorites, Suzi Gibson and Betsy Rome and hosted the Magic of Bluegrass Radio on WHUS 91.7FM for 5 years.

Cathy is an active studio musician laying down tracks for projects at Burt Teagues’ Hidden Valley Recording Studio in Granby, CT for 2 decades and more recently for Signature Sounds in Pomfret, CT.  She has been playing Irish Fiddle with Cashel Rock for 20 years, recorded and performed for 2 years with Country Artist Glenn Stewart and currently plays with The Bill Thibodeau Band.  She has been a past fiddle instructor of Kids Academies at Strawberry Park and Podunk Bluegrass Festivals, an advocate for Bluegrass music in the Schools, and gives private lessons on fiddle and bass.