Val Mindel & Annalee Koehn and Friends

Val Mindel is a longtime musician, teacher and workshop leader, known for bringing the best out of singers across the country and abroad. She’s a regular at a number of music camps, including Ashokan Music & Dance Camps, the Augusta Heritage Center, Sore Fingers (in England) and Allegheny Echoes. She is a founding member of California-based Any Old Time String band (see Arhoolie Records’ 50th anniversary book and CD compilation, “They All Played For Us”) and has recorded two CDs with daughter Emily Miller, “Close to Home” (2013) and “In the Valley” (2007).

Val’s book, So You Want to Sing Folk Music, came out in 2017. It’s part of the “So You Want To Sing” series published by Rowman & Littlefield and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She lives in Elkins, West Virginia.

Annalee Koehn is a Chicago-based singer and musician. Her original gig playing guitar in an old-time string band has evolved into a long-term relationship with traditional, bluegrass, gospel and early country music, playing and delivering heartfelt ballads and soulful harmonies.

Annalee has taught harmony singing at The Augusta Heritage Center with Val Mindel. She is a founding member of Blackest Crow, and her ongoing musical journey includes musicians and groups such as Dust Devils, Sweet Fern, Ship of Fools, and Sweeter Gift Trio. She can be heard on recordings by Mark Dvorak, Old Town School of Folk Music Songbook and Blue State Cowboys and has written and recorded with honkytonk singer Urban Djin. Blackest Crow videos and recordings can be heard at www.blackestcrowmusic.com and www.anniekane.com.