Mary Amato is the author of over 25 books for children and young adults. Her work for adults also includes poems, plays, essays, and short fiction. Amato's fiction has been translated into foreign languages, optioned for television, and produced onstage. She teaches workshops in creative writing, songwriting, and the creative process around the country and is a frequent presenter in Maryland schools. She is a former classroom teacher and also teaches a weekly online class for adults and teens who are serious about writing.
Dr. David Hildebrand is a specialist in early American music. He performs and lectures at museums, historical societies, and universities, solo and more frequently with wife/music partner of 35 years Ginger Hildebrand. David holds a B.S. from Dickinson College, and his M.A. and Ph.D. (both in Musicology) are from George Washington University and The Catholic University of America. He teaches American music history at the Peabody Conservatory and is an author for the Johns Hopkins University Press. David consulted on the PBS series Liberty!
Seaside Jimmy DiLorenzo
Guitar, Vocals and Other Extremes
Jimmy has played with the likes of Carlos Santana, Cat Stevens, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Paul McCartney, Jerry Garcia, Bruce Springsteen & other artists…while relaxing on the couch with his music collection, and hopes to perform with them for real, on stage someday. You’ll hear covers of these artists & many more, as well as original songs, in Jimmy’s solo set.
Stephanie Garon received dual science degrees from Cornell University, then attended Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Her environmental art has been exhibited internationally in London, Colombia, South Korea, as well as across the United States. Her writing, a critical aspect of her artistic process, has been published in international literary journals.
Sara Dittrich (b. Cincinnati, Ohio 1991) is an interdisciplinary sculpture artist who builds introspective experiences that shift perspective from passive seeing to active looking, from passive hearing to active listening.
An avid performer and educator, pianist and composer Joshua Espinoza balances his time sharing music on the stage and off. As a performer, Joshua has played with renowned artists including Warren Wolf, Paul Bollenback, Miho Hazama, John D’earth, Mike Pope, Kris Funn, Todd Marcus, Chuck Redd, Ryan McGillicudy, Eugene Goss, and Gail Wynters, and on national stages including Piccolo Spoleto (Charleston), The Jazz Kitchen (Indianapolis), Blues Alley, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Keystone Korner (Baltimore), and the DC Jazz Festival.
Liz Miller is a second-generation fine artist. She creates hair sculptures, sculptural paintings, wearable art, performance art pieces, and film. Her films capture community members and herself performing while adorned with hair sculptures for meaningful transformative movement rituals. The concepts embodied in her work are social justice themes centered around the black experience in America; utilizing both history and Afro-futurism simultaneously balanced within. She considers her work to be a part of a broader black liberation strategy employing black joy and serious play.
Jacqueline Pollauf, American harpist, is known for her sensitive performances, dedication to teaching, and beautifully-crafted compositions. Past performances include a premiere for voice and harp at Carnegie Hall and appearances at the Eleventh World Harp Congress and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Her most recent recording, Beau Soir, with cellist Dariusz Skoraczewski, was lauded as “utter perfection” (The Harp Column).
For 40 years Karen Ashbrook has been an international pioneer and advocate for the hammered dulcimer. With Silver Spring, Maryland as home base, she has brought magic of the 76 resonating dulcimer strings to a wide audience, from the young children who attend her summer hedge schools in Irish culture to the elderly and infirm with whom she engages as a certified music practitioner in the healing arts. She has entertained at the John F. Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Institution and the White House, as well as concert halls and festivals in the U.S. and around the world.