Willow has lived in the Melbourne area her entire life and has enjoyed playing and performing music all the while. She started with ukulele, and soon joined the Space coast Homeschool band with clarinet at the age of 8.Over the years, she has acquired more instruments from a wide variety of origins. She started playing banjo at age 13, with a primary focus on Clawhammer style in an Old-Time fashion (think Rhiannon Giddens and Walt Koken.) This style of Banjo playing hails from the Appalachian Mountains and is older than the three-finger Scruggs style that is often heard in bluegrass music.
Willow has traveled the east coast with her family band Boylston Fish to festivals and events to better study and connect with the Old-Time folk tradition. She regularly attends local music jams, festivals, and classes whenever possible. She has also released a few solo projects under the stage name Windybug. She can often be found busking downtown or at the Brevard County Farmers Market.
In the festival circuit, she has won several contests, these include 1st place novice category in the Florida state banjo contest 2018, 3rd place in the Florida State Fiddler's Association's Old-Time Youth Category 2018, 1st place in the Florida State Fiddler's Association's Old-Time Youth Category 2019, 3rd place in the Chattanooga Old Fiddler's Association's Online Flatfoot Dance Contest, and 3rd place at Florida State 4-H Share The Fun 2018.
As a former homeschooler, Willow recognizes the importance of a quality learning environment, and does the best she can to give her students an open-minded learning experience that is tailored to a student's individual needs. Her philosophy is that learning should be fun and freeing, not a boring and stagnant chore.
Instrument(s): Banjo, Ukulele.
Levels: Beginner-Intermediate-Advanced. All Ages.
Genres: Old-Time, Bluegrass, Folk, Celtic/Irish,Country, Pop, Rock.
Primary Focus/technique: Clawhammer Banjo, Soprano and Baritone Ukulele.
