Tyler Grant is a young guitarist with high aspirations. He became the 2008 National Flat-Picking Champion for placing first at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS. He also appeared at Winfield in 2005 and placed second. He placed first at the 2008 New England Flatpicking Championship, the 2005 Wayne C. Henderson Festival Guitar Contest, and the 2003 Colorado Flatpicking Championship at Rockygrass. He holds a BFA in Music Performance from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), and is an active and experienced performer and teacher of many instruments and styles ranging from classical to bluegrass. He has played guitar with the Drew Emmitt Band since 2005 and bass with the Emmitt-Nershi Band since 2007. Andy Thorn is a young banjoist who is fast emerging as one of a new generation of hot pickers. Andy has played in many different groups through the years. While studying music at the University of North Carolina, he played with the UNC Jazz Band as well as the Big Fat Gap bluegrass band. Andy spent the summers of 2003 and 04 in Colorado touring with the Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band, winning the Rockygrass banjo and band contests in 2003. 2005 was an exciting year for Andy, as touring with Larry Keel and Natural Bridge allowed him to play at some of the biggest festivals in the country. Andy has also shared the stage in the past with Jim Lauderdale at Bonnaroo, Frank Wakefield, Tony Rice, Darol Anger, Yonder Mountain String Band, Chris Thile and Tony Trishcka.