"I was born June 7, 1990, and make my home some miles outside of Red Bud, Illinois. My parents discovered bluegrass together when they were young and started playing music in the '80s. I have been told that while my mom was pregnant, she'd pick away with Dad and have that big D-35 right up next to me.

    I grew up with great albums and tapes around me, and occasionally, there would be a picking session. Mom and Dad didn't play too much when I was little, but whenever we'd hop in the car to go somewhere, it was a bluegrass tape that went into the cassette player. I can remember around 3rd or 4th grade, talking with my friends in P.E. class about music, and I had no idea who they were talking about. Honestly, I can still hear myself plain as day, "You don't know Del McCoury? Bill Monroe?" I didn't know anything else.

    I believe it was around this same time period that I first attempted to learn an instrument. I started on the guitar with Mom teaching me my first chords. Soon after, I attempted the banjo. Both of these actions were pursued earnestly for only a short time; however, since the guitar and banjo were very available to me, I'd pick them up and tinker with them off and on. Dad and Mom never made me play.

    I had my own ideas about music by the time my 8th grade year was drawing to a close, and my 14th birthday was rolling around. Dad and Mom were getting back into the scene and were going out to jams and get-togethers like crazy. They had reassembled their old band with my aunt, Alice Arras, with the addition of my uncle and cousin, Gordon and Heather Arras. The whole family was into it, and I began to want in on it, too. The fiddle had always appealed to me, and Dad always wanted a fiddle player. When our neighbor let us borrow his to see if I'd take to it, I started meddling around with it. Close to a week later, I received a brand new Palatino fiddle by mail-order for my birthday. It was a shock to me, never asking for such a gift, but I began to get serious about it then.

    The final touch came the about a week later. The family had decided to make their vacation spot of 2004 Bean Blossom, Indiana, for Bill Monroe's Memorial celebration, my first bluegrass festival. For that Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I was exposed to some of the finest people and bands in the business. The amazing experience there lit the flame for me. I developed this incredible passion to play that I still carry with me today!"

The Top 5 Most Influential Fiddlers: Benny Martin, Jim Buchanan, Mack Magaha, Tater Tate, Glen Duncan.

Most Influential Violinists: Jascha Heifetz, Isaac Stern, Mischa Elman, Anne-Sophie Mutter.

Most Influential Singers: Jim & Jesse McReynolds, Charlie & Ira Louvin, Don Reno, Goldie Hill, Joe Val, Teddy & Doyle Wilburn, Patsy Cline.

Most Influential Bands: Louvin Brothers, Reno & Smiley and the Tennessee Cut-Ups, Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys, Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys, Carl Story and His Rambling Mountaineers.