Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen

Considered one of Canada's leading talents on acoustic guitar and harmonica, Frechette has been performing high-energy, entertaining, and soulful concerts throughout North America and Europe since 1992. A prolific songwriter (1300 songs and counting), his songs, including The Duhks’ 2005 hit single, "Mists of Down Below”, have been covered and sung all over the world by talented artists. 'Sing Out!’ magazine called Dan "one of the most talented singer-songwriters I've heard in a long time.”

Thomsen, a genre-bending violinist, composer, and songwriter, is a Monterey native who combines the tone and emotional range of her classical training with a diverse palate of fiddle styles and acoustic genres, from Celtic to ragtime to Gypsy Jazz. She has performed with many local orchestras and bands over the years, including The White Album Ensemble, The Santa Cruz World Choir and Orchestra, and Peace Train. Also a respected educator, writer, and podcaster, she has been teaching violin, viola, and fiddle since the tender age of 14, has been a featured contributor for Strings magazine since 2010, hosts the popular “Violin Geek Podcast” on iTunes, and was included in a The New York Times front page article for her pioneering in the world of online Skype music lessons.