Rhode Island’s Rock Hearts have named their newest member. Young Austin Scelzo has joined this group of veteran grassers on fiddle.
Hailing from Connecticut, Austin teaches fiddle and violin, and heads up the Bluegrass, Country, and Roots Youth Club in Ridgefield, CT where he teaches and coaches young musicians in their craft. In his own early years, he was able to attend the initial Berklee String Camps, studying with greats like Billy Contreras, Jason Anick, Casey Dreissen, Jeremy Kittel, Andy Reiner, Bruce Molsky, Mark O’Connor, and Christian Howes. He also teaches Pete Wernick Jam Camps in Connecticut, and has a YouTube channel where he offers instruction in a variety of styles.
Guitarist and vocalist, Alex McLeod, says that Scelzo is a great addition to the group, not just musically, but personally as well.
“All of the guys in this band, from the original founding members to the current members (Monty McClanahan, Pete Kelly, Danny Musher, Joe Deetz), along with newer members Billy Thibodeau and Rick Brodsky, have been the most outstanding people…. not just fabulous musicians, but truly wonderful guys who bring talent and ability and leave their egos at the door. That’s been a winning formula for the band, and Austin fits the bill perfectly.”
The band will be performing at this weekend’s Podunk Bluegrass Festival in Goshen, CT. You can get a look at all the Rock Hearts show dates on their web site.
