Percussionist Byron Hedgepeth, a native of North Carolina, is among some of the most versatile percussionists in the southeast. After completing a Bachelors degree at Mars Hill College, and a Masters degree at the University of Illinois, Mr. Hedgepeth has been very active in the development of music education by reaching beyond the standard practices of percussion instruction. His wide knowledge of world music, the sounds of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Brazil, Africa, and Europe, have designated Byron as one of the most knowledgeable individuals in this burgeoning field.
Mr. Hedgepeth's percussion expertise includes drum set, vibraphone, timpan[iframe] drums, and congas. He has performed and recorded extensively with Singer-Songwriter, Jazz, Gospel, Middle Eastern, Rock and Roll, Latin and Classical artists throughout his career. Some of Byron’s favorite collaborations have been with Randy Brecker, Mark Levine, Conrad Herwig, Glen Velez, Judy Collins, Shirley Jones, Bill Gerhardt, Eliot Wadopian, Chris Wabich, and Mike Holstein.
Byron currently performs on drum set and is composer in residence with the Jazz Composer’s Forum in Asheville, NC, and enjoys working as an on-call timpanist and percussionist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra in Charlotte, NC. As an educator, he teaches private lessons in his home studio in Black Mountain, NC, and hosts the HedgeRa Percussion Camp. Some of his previous projects include; marimba, vibraphone and percussion with Light In The Corner, a duo collaboration with flutist Kate Steinbeck that produced a CD and tour of Europe; drum set with the Jack Coker Trio and the Jazz Fusion group InsideOut; and vibraphone and percussion with the Latin Jazz ensemble Con Clave. Mr. Hedgepeth formerly served as adjunct Director of Percussion Studies at UNC Asheville for 24 years, and principal timpanist with Asheville Symphony Orchestra for 14 years. Having performed in situations from symphony orchestras to touring ensembles in Taiwan, Byron brings a wealth of experience to excite audiences.
Since 2004, Mike Holstein has been a member of the band Cotangent, a New York based group led by pianist/composer Bill Gerhardt. He has played on two recordings with this band, "Stained Glass" and "Thrive" He also appears on Tony Moreno's "Trio Music" (Art of Life Records). He has performed with Joe Locke, Ingrid Jensen, Randy Brecker, Frank Kimbrough, Kendra Shank, Ron Horton, Marc Mommaas and Tim Horner among others. A truly gifted musician, Mike is finding himself more in demand than ever as he performs in jazz clubs in New York, throughout the Carolinas and continues to be a force with the Jazz Composers Forum.
