Clay Russell

I am 15 years old* and live in Troutdale, VA. I play banjo in the bluegrass band ShadowGrass. I've been listening to bluegrass music all my life. I received my first banjo for Christmas when I was 4 years and have been playing ever since. I started competing in the banjo youth competitions in 2013 at the Ashe County, Fries and Galax Fiddlers Conventions as well as the youth competition at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Festival. In 2014, I competed at the Galax, Fries, Union Grove, Mt Airy, Elk Creek and Tazewell County Fiddlers Conventions. I have been lucky enough to win some of the competitions and place in all I’ve entered. I also won the youth division at the Blue Ridge Banjo Shootout in Galax, VA and was awarded the Houston Caldwell Most Enthusiastic Banjo Player award. The competitions are a lot of fun but the main thing is I've been able to meet and pick with many great young pickers and made many great friends along the way. In the Fall of 2013, I was ask to play banjo on the Close Kin, Our Roots Run Deep CD. The project had eleven youth performers from VA and NC and was released in the Spring of 2014. We have performed at the Lincoln Theater for a taping of Song of the Mountains, WAMU in Washington, DC for a live performance on the Katey Daley show, WSLS-10 TV, WBRF Blue Ridge Backroads radio show, Blue Ridge Acoustic Uprising, Houstonfest, Star Theater, Rex Theater and several shows at the Heartwood Center in Abingdon, Va. I am a member of Brookside Baptist Church. I love Bluegrass music and playing every chance I get. I also enjoy hunting, camping and riding my four-wheeler.

*2016