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Category: 2026 Festival

Meet the Team of Jurors Shaping the 2026 Festival

Every year, the strength of the Festival begins with the people who help shape it. Our 2026 jurors bring a depth of experience, perspective, and passion that reflects the high standard artists and collectors have come to expect. Tasked with reviewing hundreds of applications from across the country, they look not only for technical excellence, […]

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Ashley Smith and the Random Occurrence

Some have said this music is a bit bluesy pop folk, others have opined it is old soul with an indie feel. To all of the above, I say YES. This music is a bit of everything I love from jazz to blues, funk to folk. This music is me.
As far back as I can remember, sounds would mesmerize me. As a short haired girl freckled from head to toe, I would sit in the kitchen for hours just singing along with the constant hum of the refrigerator. As my red hair grew longer, so did my longing for art, for song.
Having been a part of great groups of musicians before, I have had the privilege to play in front of presidents, prime ministers, and foreign leaders both in the US and abroad. These were wonderful experiences and I am truly grateful to have had them.
But something was missing.
(Queue The Random Occurrence)

At the end of 2016, a chance encounter reunited me with a couple of longtime friends and musicians John Soler & David Diaz. They too have been in other bands and were working on their own unique & refreshing sound.
Immediately, I knew we had something special.
Something refreshing. Something real. Nick Ewing joined us shortly thereafter to provide a beautiful dynamic of ideas and talent with his violin and bow.
My hope is that, through this music, you feel me come alive. Come, share the pieces of my soul l leave scattered in song. Share a piece of me.

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Tone I.E.

I like to write songs about mfs who break my heart so I’m like Taylor Swift except I’m Black and Better. Set the (Tone). Be the Example (I.E)

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Tha Banned

Tha Banned is a jazz band consisting of Alejandro “Chach” Coronado (Trumpet), Malachi Elmore-Davis (Trombone), Kingsleyiii (Bass), Jeremiah “Yogi” Warren (Drums), Lincee St. Amand (Vocals) and Johnny Champagne (Keyboard). As a collective of Tampa based musicians and songwriters that started as a jam band in an auto shop, they are committed to spreading the spirit of live music and community.

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Wülfgang Amadeus

Wülfgang Amadeus is a band that hails from Tampa comprised of poets. They blend music and spoken word to create an intense brew. As they self-describe:
“A Poet and Drummer meet at a bar and Wülfgang Amadeus is born! Now united, the Wülfgang is finally ready to shred their bohemian rhapsody across the ages with their timeless lyricism, classic riffs, inspiring Melodie’s, dynamic sound and talents that span multiple genres of performance art.”

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Mountain Holler

Mountain Holler is the cavernous alternative-folk project of Seattle, WA based musician Mark Etherington. The music of Mountain Holler is a meditation on nature, the shadowed side of the human experience and the dream-like music born from explorations through his own mind. There is a very heavy influence from Tolkien lore, Led Zeppelin and Eastern spiritualism. Mountain Holler’s live show consists of multiple acoustic guitars in unusual alternate tunings, electronic drones and powerful vocals that provide the listener a sweet invitation to join in on one human’s experience of this world and our shared connection to nature.

Etherington moved from St. Petersburg, FL to Seattle, WA in 2021 after spending over half his life cutting his teeth in the Tampa Bay area music scene. Still watering his deep Florida musical roots by returning multiple times a year to perform , a Mountain Holler show is not one to miss. The Tampa Bay Times says of Mountain Holler ,” Refreshing and unpretentious, his music is spacious and etheral, conjuring visions of wide-open spaces, actualized through open tunings and a sea of reverb.” (Aaron Lepley). The Stranger writes that Etherington “murmurs, moans, belts, and croons ethereal yet powerfully-charged melodies that sound as if they were hewn from some rocky outcropping before their journey to the heavens.” (Leilani Polk)

He has since been steadily releasing new music to his bandcamp and self released his two newest singles ‘Trying to Connect’ and ‘Rolling Thunder’ on all major platforms in early 2024.

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Nelson Mariscal

Born in Brazil from Bolivian descent, Nelson grew up in Tampa and began musical performance at the age of seven. Starting with piano, drums, trombone and tuba in middle school, he finally ventured into the world of guitar at 13.  After a year in training, Nelson auditioned and was immediately accepted to Blake High School of the Arts.  There, he entered classical guitar instruction with esteemed educator John Michael Parris.  In 2004, Nelson won the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts’ Merit Recognition Award.  He graduated to study classical guitar at Florida State University’s College of Music under Professor Bruce Holzman.  While at FSU, he began exploring jazz composition with Joel Johnson and Leo Welch.  In 2005, Nelson attended New York University’s Guitar Intensive Program to further explore jazz theory.  He began teaching private lessons during his senior year and, in 2008, earned his BA Music degree.  Nelson came back to Tampa to continue teaching and has delighted venues around the region with his solo classical guitar, ceremonial ensembles, acoustic guitar duo/trios, and full electric bands. 

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Tim Balajadia

Tim Balajadia was born and raised on Guam, USA. Tim has been writing, composing, and performing original music since 2001. His laid-back acoustic vibes with powerful alternative vocal tone fit him right into the progressive reggae scene. Tim holds firm to the essential values of Positivity, Peace, Equal Rights, Unity and Love. With people playing cover songs on Guam, Tim Balajadia left the tiny but mighty Pacific island inspired to create more conscious and impactful music.

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RJ Howson

Fire branded in the Chicago blues circuit, roots rocker and bluesman RJ Howson picked up his skillful guitar chops & powerful vocals performing and sharing the stage with blues icons and fellow musicians at Buddy Guy’s Legends, Rosa’s Lounge, Kingston Mines, BLUES on Halstead and many other clubs in the Windy City and playing countless shows all over the Midwest.

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Discord Theory

Somewhere between just enough and way too much, Discord Theory blends honest introspection, raw pop punk energy, and gritty post-hardcore intensity with breakdowns designed to move the room. Formed in sunny Tampa, FL in 2017, the band is led by Ecuadorian frontman Luis Giler’s commanding vocals and subversive songwriting, alongside Anthony Rogue’s groove-heavy bass, Sydney Reinfrank’s razor-sharp guitar, and Tyler Austin’s hard-hitting drums.

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Geri X

Bulgarian-born Geri X is a composer, a musician and a singer hard to put a label on. Fans and critics spotted it from the moment she broke onto the Tampa Bay music scene: Geri is an artist with a singular sound you have not heard before.  What started with a classical training in piano, guitar and voice, evolving out of a broad and eclectic blend of influences, has become wonderfully her own.  

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Have Gun, Will Travel

Much like the kids walking along the train tracks in the 1986 film Stand By Me (the initial inspiration for the band’s name), the members of Florida’s HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL set out on a life-defining journey of growth and discovery. Principle songwriter and singer-guitarist Matt Burke enthusiastically leads fellow bandmates; brother and bassist Daniel Burke, guitarist Scott Anderson, keyboardist Edward Stork and drummer Sam Farmer through a catalog of songs that run the gamut from foot-stomping front-porch spirituals to strum-punk rave-ups, hill-country historicals and indie-rock anthems. With six full-length studio albums under their belts, the “Silver Sounds” ep was released May 23, 2022 on silver 10” vinyl and the companion “Voyager Golden” ep on gold 10” vinyl released Dec 5, 2025, so HGWT show no signs of slowing down. In December 2022, the band’s hometown of Bradenton, FL awarded Matt Burke and Have Gun, Will Travel the key to the City of Bradenton for their contributions to the arts in their community.

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