GREENEVILLE – The sounds of bluegrass will fill Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center at Tusculum University when local band Strings of Green, headed by the National Banjo Championship winner in 2014, takes the stage for a free performance.
The members of Strings of Green are, left to right, Ezekial Green, Josiah Green, Bandon Green and Ezra Green.
The band will perform two, 30-minute sets Thursday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m. in the Marilyn duBrisk Theatre. Strings of Green will incorporate fiddle tunes, bluegrass gospel and country into his repertoire and play a blend of original songs and covers of others’ music. Among the songs Strings of Green will perform are “Country Roads,” “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” “I’ll Fly Away” and “Windy and Warm.”
Strings of Green is led by Brandon Green, who has been a performer for more than 20 years. The band also consists of three of his sons – Josiah Green, 15; Ezekial Green, 10; and Ezra Green, 8.
“We are thrilled to provide another genre of music for the community to enjoy at Tusculum,” said Rouja Green, director of the university’s Center for the Arts, who has no connection to the group. “Strings of Green is an excellent band, which has performed at many local venues, and will continue our tradition of providing high-quality entertainment on campus.”
Strings of Green has been a band for about three years and has had a variety of members. Within the last year, the sons joined their father as their musical talent developed and are contributing ideas for the creation of the band’s original songs.
The group has played regularly at the Farmer’s Daughter restaurant and has performed at the Rheatown Country Store and Deli. Strings of Green has three performances scheduled during the spring on the grounds of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
Brandon Green stands in the Marilyn duBrisk Theatre at Tusculum University.
Brandon Green won the National Banjo Championship sponsored by the Walnut Valley Festival and has performed with bands throughout the United States and Canada as well as in Israel and several countries in Europe. He has also taught bluegrass at the collegiate level for more than 10 years. He plays and teaches the banjo, guitar, dobro, mandolin and bass and is a ukulele and beginner fiddle instructor.
“We are excited about performing in a terrific venue like the Marilyn duBrisk Theatre and continuing to grow our band,” Brandon Green said. “With performances such as ours, we want to reinforce that musical groups, including ours, have a strong presence in our region. We look forward to entertaining the audience at Tusculum with an evening of upbeat and lively music.”
While the Strings of Green performance is free, Tusculum welcomes donations to support the university’s music program.
Anyone with questions about the performance can email Rouja Green at rgreen@tusculum.edu. To learn more about the band and hear some of its music, please search for Strings of Green on Facebook. More information about the university’s music program is available at https://site.tusculum.edu/music/.