Chris Eldridge & Kristen Andreassen

As a member of Punch Brothers since the band's inception, guitarist Chris Eldridge has been at the vanguard of acoustic music for over a decade.  Although initially drawn to the electric guitar, by his mid-teens Chris Eldridge had developed a deep love for acoustic music, thanks in part to his father, Ben, a banjo player and founding member of the seminal bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. Eldridge later gained in-depth exposure to a variety of different musical styles while studying at Oberlin Conservatory, where he earned a degree in music performance in 2004. During his time at Oberlin, Eldridge studied with legendary guitarist Tony Rice.

Kristin Andreassen is a songwriter, a dancer, and a community builder. This year, she released two albums. The Bright Siders: A Mind of Your Own was ten years in the making, and she couldn't be more proud of the music and the message within. Featuring an all-star cast of guest singers (The War & Treaty, Ed Helms, Gaby Moreno, Punch Brothers, Kaia Kater, Oh Pep!, and more...) and released on the Smithsonian Folkways label, this music will hopefully reach every pair of ears that is wisely listening for empowering ways to talk about mental health with their kids and their grownups.