Deborah Payne is a fiddler from Berea, Kentucky, a small town at the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. Deborah’s music is strongly infused by some of the region’s most beloved musicians with mentorship by artists such as Jean Ritchie, the McLain Family Band, and Michael Cleveland. Deborah has maintained the traditions of the region playing for folk dances, teaching children’s dance, and providing lessons for area students. Deborah has played and toured both locally and internationally with numerous bluegrass and old time bands including the Berea College Bluegrass Ensemble, CaneBreak, and Sugar Tree. She has appeared on the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, Red Barn Radio, and Hillbilly Solid with Silas House. Deborah is part of the original cast of the folk opera, “In These Fields,” a production by award winning author Silas House and songwriter Sam Gleaves. She has provided music for touring folk dance groups in Italy, Denmark, Scotland, Ireland, England, and China. Whether she is teaching fiddle lessons to local Appalachian students or sharing song and dance with international communities, Deborah’s passion for building community through traditional music has been a common thread woven through her life.
Haselden (Hasee / "HAY-zee") Ciaccio ("see-AH-ko") is a performer and educator residing in Johnson City, Tennessee. Born and raised on the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Hasee made her way to the Mountain South in 2010 to pursue a study in traditional Appalachian music. Touring around the United States and beyond for the last eight years, she has performed at such notable venues as New York City's Lincoln Center, the Grand Ole Opry, and PBS’s Song of the Mountains. Sharing the stage with artists among the likes of Vince Gill, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Nickel Creek’s Sara and Sean Watkins, Jim Lauderdale, Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Molsky, Brittany Haas, Sierra Hull, and Darol Anger, Hasee moves listeners at festivals, in concert halls, and intimate venues alike. Her debut album "HAY" will be released in Fall of 2018, featuring traditional stringband music, and top performers of the Oldtime realm. Touring this summer and fall with Molly Tuttle, Laurie Lewis, and Laura Cortese, Hasee drives the upright bass with honed skill and conviction well beyond her years, and brings Appalachian Flatfoot Dance to the stage with sincerity behind every step. An old soul at heart, she is passionate about delivering Southern song and dance with the genuine warmth and compassion her culture is so deeply steeped in. While off tour, you might find her caning chairs, canning preserves, or sitting on the porch at her house in east Tennessee. For more about Hasee and her music, visit
https://www.haseeisland.com/