Jared Bentley

Whether teaching, playing or encouraging others, Ryan Bernard is all about making the best music possible and keeping it pure and worthwhile.

The 8th Annual Meet the Mountains Festival presented by Visit Johnson City is kicking off Friday afternoon at Winged Deer Park Lakefront in Johnson City.

There are not many vocal groups with the history and resume of the Oak Ridge Boys. See them at ETSU August 28.

Justin Mychals grew up in Kingsport and it's immediately evident his hometown helped shape the man and writer he has become.

There are not many vocal groups with the history and resume of the Oak Ridge Boys. See them at ETSU August 28.

John Duttera has run sound at the Appalachian Fair for more than 45 years.

He has a new album coming out, his first attempt at solo recording, and it's definitely worth checking out - there are two songs on his Spotify page that give you a great idea what it has to offer. If you're used to seeing him play country classics, though, you may be in for a surprise.

A singer-songwriter with a loyal following, his songs tend to defy categorization, hopping from sad, angst-filled tearjerkers to funny, pun-filled knee-slappers with ease. He's got a good sense of melody and great sense of humor and he doesn't mind mixing his country with his soul. If you get a chance to see him, you should take it.

No stranger to the stage, she has played music since childhood and performed solo, in band and in ensemble stage shows - as long as the music is good, she seems to be up for the challenge. She seems to stay busy, so you should have plenty of chances to catch her playing in the area.

At Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, I'm looking forward to the reunions part.