We’re excited to present the performer lineup for this year’s Music in the Trees!
Saturday, August 15
11:00 AM
Stand 1
Mary Traxler
Guitar / Vocals
Instagram: @merrytracks
Mary Traxler is a multimedia artist, musician, herbalist, and farmer based out of south Minneapolis. Mary is the band leader of Fruitform, a local liberation-inspired rock band. Mary is interested in how environment inherently shapes what and how we express. Mary is inspired by improvisation, poetry, birds, and bugs.
Stand 2
SkySpiders and the Imperceptible Web
Spoken Word / Beatboxing / Vocals
https://skyspiders.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @skyspidersfly
Skyspiders and the Imperceptible Web is SEE MORE PERSPECTIVE, a Xicane hip hop artist and brown recluse, and Kat Parent, a folk musician and orb weaver. Together they weave magic spells with loops, beatboxing, poetry, rage and humor.
12:00 PM
Stand 1
Sean Egan & Aaron Kerr
Clarinet / Cello
https://seaneganmusic.com/
https://aaronkerr.com/
Aaron Kerr is a cellist and composer from St. Paul, whose music is a cross between jazz, minimalist classical, and rock. He performs as a soloist and with many artists and ensembles in the Twin Cities, and his music can be found on over fifty albums nationally and internationally, including several solo albums.
Sean Egan is a Saint Paul-based composer and multi-instrumentalist, primarily focused on clarinet improvisation. He is especially interested in inter-disciplinary collaboration, and has worked with a variety of artists, including poets, dancers, visual artists, film-makers, puppeteers, and singer-songwriters.
Stand 2
Laura MacKenzie & Marc Anderson
Wooden Flutes / Hand Percussion / Swedish Bagpipe / Vocals
http://www.lauramackenzie.com/
Facebook: @mackenziemusicMN
Laura MacKenzie has learned from many noted tradition bearers on both sides of the Atlantic and has herself been recognized as a master folk artist. She performs solo and with many diverse ensembles on an array of wind-powered instruments including wooden flutes, whistles, a variety of European bagpipes, concertina and voice.
Marc Anderson is a percussionist, composer and poet who has performed and recorded with dozens of notable artists. His interests and studies in non-western instruments and musical traditions are a signature of his sound and technical style.
1:00 PM
Stand 1
Tooth and Nail String Band
Banjo / Mandolin / Vocals
http://www.toothandnailstringband.com
Facebook: @Toothandnailstringband
Tooth & Nail String Band is the collaborative project of Tianna Riverbirch and Landon Kotarek, blending old-time mountain roots and progressive bluegrass under the wide canopy of modern folk. With Tianna on a 5-string banjo and Landon on mandolin, the duo reimagines traditional standards, coming together to create their own unique sound and songwriting.
Stand 2
Witness Trips
Guitar / Harmonica / Vocals
https://www.witnesstripsmusic.com/
Instagram: @witness.trips.music
Witness Trips is a folk singer and songwriter based in Minneapolis, MN. His songwriting philosophy: Life’s a trip worth witnessing, so don’t be so quick to close your eyes.
2:00 PM
Alma Andina
Andean and Latin American music
Facebook: @AlmaAndinaOfficial
Alma Andina (Soul of the Andes), is a Minneapolis-based ensemble that shares the rich musical traditions of the Andes and Latin America, inspired by a love of folklore and cultural storytelling. An ASL interpreter will be present for this performance.
Sunday, August 16
11:00 AM
Stand 1
low pass
Percussion
https://l0wpass.com/
Instagram: @low__pass
low pass is comprised of percussionists/sound artists Rob Cosgrove (Minneapolis) and Taylor Long (North Dakota). Although ostensibly a percussion duo, this project foregrounds interests in electronics, repurposed objects, noise, and improvisation.
Stand 2
Grace M. Alexander & Raphael B. Zimmerman
Clarinet / Violin
https://www.gracemalexander.com/
Instagram: @gracalxdr
Grace M. Alexander is a modern and baroque violinist, arts innovator, and forest conservationist currently based in Vancouver, BC Canada, holding degrees from St. Olaf College and University of British Columbia School of Music. A zealous collaborative artist at heart, her work centers on creating dynamic performances with musicians, composers, storytellers, and ecologists.
Montréal-based clarinetist Raphael Balk Zimmerman is known for his thoughtful and flexible playing and well-rounded musicianship, holding degrees from The Juilliard School and McGill University Schulich School of Music. He is a sought-after player for his interpretive creativity and down-to-earth approach.
12:00 PM
Stand 1
Sadie Gustafson-Zook
Guitar / Vocals
http://www.sadiegustafsonzook.com
Instagram: @sadiebgz
Every time Sadie Gustafson-Zook carves a linoleum block, sews a pencil case out of scraps, or admires the way the ink in her Pilot G-2 glides over her journal, she thinks, “I should be doing this all the time.” The act of creating something tangible is the air Sadie breathes.
Stand 2
Death Valley Yacht Club
Guitar / Vocals
https://dvycmusic.wixsite.com/death-valley-yacht-c
Instagram: @deathvalleyyachtclubb
The two musicians that make up Death Valley Yacht Club are Charlie Jacobs and Alex Oberton. Formed in 2024 after being neighbors in the dorms as freshmen at the University of Minnesota Duluth, the two singer-songwriters decided to team up and form a group together. Charlie is the lead guitarist while Alex holds down rhythm, each on their acoustic guitars while singing in harmony.
1:00 PM
Stand 1
Renee Vaughan & Paul Sauey
Nyckelharpa / Guitar
http://www.reneevaughan.com
Facebook: @renee.vaughan
Renee Vaughan brings Sweden’s folk music to life on the nyckelharpa, weaving centuries of tradition and storytelling into every performance. An award-winning performer and teaching artist, she creates deeply rooted and immersive musical experiences.
Paul Sauey is a Minneapolis-based musician with nearly twenty years of performance experience. Drawing on a background in classical cello, he brings a distinctive voice to Nordic guitar and cittern, blending Scandinavian tradition with American folk influences.
Stand 2
Ada Tzab & Denise Hernandez
Harp / Cello
Instagram: @sondecuerdasmn
Instagram: @deni_hrcello
Ada Tzab is the first classical harpist from Yucatán, Mexico. Currently working toward a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Harp Performance at the UMN, she is also a Laurel School of Music faculty and co-founder of the Latin American ensemble Son de Cuerdas.
Denise Hernández Raveiro is a Cuban cellist celebrated for her vibrant performances and commitment to cultural exchange. A graduate with highest honors from the University of Arts in Havana, she has played at prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and Elbphilharmonie, collaborating with renowned artists including Sarah Willis, Joshua Bell, and Chucho Valdés. As co-founder of the Havana Quartet, she has enriched the musical landscape by premiering works from contemporary Cuban composers and performing on international stages. Since relocating to Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the quartet has become the quartet-in-residence at CAYO, fostering cross-cultural dialogue through music.
Ada and Denise are members of Son de Cuerdas, a Latin American ensemble which engages multicultural communities through performances, workshops, and collaborations in Minnesota. They partner with organizations such as the Great Twin Cities Youth Symphony, Laurel School of Music, and YourClassical MPR’s Class Notes, bringing bilingual programming to schools and community centers across the state.
2:00 PM
Alma Andina
Andean and Latin American music
Facebook: @AlmaAndinaOfficial
Alma Andina (Soul of the Andes), is a Minneapolis-based ensemble that shares the rich musical traditions of the Andes and Latin America, inspired by a love of folklore and cultural storytelling. An ASL interpreter will be present for this performance.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
