Award-winning recording artist, Broadway singer and actress, journalist, educator and critically-acclaimed powerhouse vocalist, Susie Glaze has been called by Bluegrass Unlimited “...an important voice on the California Bluegrass scene”. As an educator, Susie has led singing workshops at major Southern California festivals and in private instruction, specializing in the production of a capella singing she calls “The Art of the Unaccompanied Voice.” For FAR-West, Susie helped establish the beginnings of this FAI region, served in the chairmanship of the Roz and Howard Larman Scholarship fund for several years, produced fund-raisers and video tutorials for the FAR-West website, and served on the Board as both Secretary and Vice President. As an artist, Susie has appeared in Official showcases and served as MC for venue stages. Susie is pleased to be serving now as the President of FAR-West and will strive to keep standards high for professional programming, organization to serve the membership, and maintain an energetic working environment that is inclusive, mutually-supportive and effective for the future of FAR-West.

Artist manager, music, community & professional board service. Clients: Current-Ryan Shupe & Rubberband, Chris Daniels & The Kings, Mark Oblinger, Chuck McDermott, , Jodi Siegel, Siobhan OBrien Former--Walt Wilkins , Eric Andersen, Cidny Bullens, Cliff Eberhardt, Casey Neill, Mickey Harte, Kila,Small Glories, Black Feathers Current: MMF-US Board , Intl rep, IMMF Global Director –Folk/Roots / Americana, Far-West Board V-P, Chair-Sandpoint Historic Preservation Commission. Panelist & moderator/mentor at conferences: FAI, SXSW, Far-West, NERFA, SERFA, AMA, Durango Songwriters Expo, Midem, Reeperbahn, CMW, Eurosonic. Former: AMA- Founding Council / Board, Swallow Hill Board Chair, POAC Board , Chair- Historic Panida Theater Board, Producer -Americana Renegades-Nashville & Austin, WCUW-Acoustic Music Director, Leadership Sandpoint. Deep belief in collaborative community building, teamwork, board & institutional evolution. Participated as mentor, speaker, moderator or panelist in 50+ US, Canadian & European my music conferences. Manager from Pacific NW, with broad demographic & geographic experiences, highly experienced on relevant boards and leadership.

Marlynn began volunteering in the folk community soon after moving to California and was Official Showcase co-coordinator for the 2019 FAR-West conference. She has worked in advertising, video production and software development and has been busy with FAR-West Campfires, virtual conferences and communications teams since retiring from her paying jobs.

Arielle Silver is a performing songwriter, essayist, podcaster, and teaching artist. She was raised on folk festival fields and synagogue pews, in woodsy and watery places up and down the Atlantic Seaboard. Now based in Southern California, Arielle lives just a traffic jam away from the Pacific Ocean and teaches Creative Writing at Antioch University Los Angeles, is producer/host of the podcast Tomes & Tunes, and co-owns Bhavana Flow Yoga, where she teaches daily Zoom yoga and leads retreats with her sweetheart, the composer/songwriter Darby Orr. After a decade hiatus from performing, in 2020 she released A Thousand Tiny Torches and has been touring across the US "as the world opens up." Her next studio album is slated for 2023.

Born and raised in the heart of Silicon Valley, Gaby Castro is a folk/Americana singer-songwriter with the soul of a mountain songbird. On the board, Gaby works on programming, youth outreach, and the Code of Conduct. Her goal is to provide career resources, community, and support to fellow folk artists.

Gail Lynne Dreifus is an East Coast transplant and ended near Yosemite National Park where she created a family musical program that she performed for years and won a Interpretive Arts Award from the National Park Service. Gail created and directs Yosemite Songwriting Retreat which is now in its tenth year . She plays guitar and ukulele , writing songs from the heart and with humor. Gail has performed in many bands and duos and is currently working on a new CD produced by Joe Craven.

Deborah Holland first rose to prominence as the singer and songwriter of the iconic trio Animal Logic (Stewart Copeland, Stanley Clarke), spawning decades of success as a solo performer, and member of folk supergroup The Refugees (Wendy Waldman, Cidny Bullens). She is currently performing, writing, and in production for the next Refugees album. She lives in British Columbia and is a dual American-Canadian citizen.

Lara Lavi is a singer songwriter, entertainment and new media attorney, producer, director, writer, mother, wife and mentor. She never sleeps.

Originally from Winnipeg Manitoba, Tamara Leger grew up moving around Canada, USA & Europe. Passionate about the influence of technology on film and storytelling she joined Softimage|Microsoft, received a “Ship-It 1.0” Award, and then moved to the West Coast. She’s worked for Larrivee Guitars, been a Showcase adjudicator, and served on the Board of Vancouver’s Rogue Folk Club. Since 2015, she has curated a musical concert series on top of a mountain in Lions Bay, BC.

Mary Anne Moorman, most often known as Auntmama, is a seasoned storyteller, radio DJ and festival emcee. Trained as a theatre major, she turned to corporate drama and launched one of the first woman owned businesses in Seattle,Washington (1980) winning Business Manager of the Year and City Club’s Business Leadership award. Baptized by the Civil Rights Movement, Moorman’s company developed Cultural Diversity, Affirmative Action, Multicultural Pluralism tests and training throughout the United States, Europe and South Africa. She turned to storytelling when the century turned, taught Strategic Storytelling, became a music host for KBCS.FM radio, launched the 15 year running Auntmama’s StoryTable and renovated a barn. The barn catapults Moorman into her next career as soon to be announced, President of Music Community Resources and Executive Director of Stage 3, a space for creatives. She can be found on Sunday mornings at KBCS.FM, on line at maryannemoorman.com or around social as Auntmama. Her first business began in 1980, her most recent in 2021 and her most treasured awards are as the City of Seattle and Northwest Folklife

Taran Schindler has worked with Grand Vision Foundation (GVF), an arts presenting nonprofit in San Pedro CA, as Artistic Director since 2008 and recently has been promoted to Artistic & Deputy Director.

Taran is GVF’s first Artistic Director and a founder of GVF’s Grand Annex music hall. She has grown the venue from a storefront meeting space into a respected listening room with an annual live music series featuring regionally, nationally and internationally recognized artists.

At present, Taran coordinates all aspects of creative programming at the Grand Annex and for Grand Vision’s events at the Warner Grand Theatre, manages rental use of the Grand Annex, coordinates volunteers and supervises student interns throughout the year.

Taran moved to California in 2005. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds an MA in History from CSU Fullerton with a focus on Western Americana. She has been honored by the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce as a "Woman Who Inspires Hope."

Karen grew up listening to her dad call square dances and so bluegrass and americana music is in her blood. She has sung with 100-person community chorus since 1995. After retirement in 2012, she got involved again in the folk music community and learned about FAR-West as a result. She is excited to be on the FAR-West board as it to moves toward the future in our virtual world.

Reese is a fourth generation Japanese American artist and activist; born on the island of O’ahu, raised between Hawai’i and Illinois, and migrated to Seattle in 2007. Her passion for music was ignited the moment she began playing the ukulele and has grown steadily through numerous instruments and genres. Reese is the Managing Director of Northwest Folklife, a Seattle-based cultural arts and heritage organization, whose mission is: “To create opportunities for all to celebrate, share, and participate in the evolving cultural traditions of the Pacific Northwest.” Since 2008, Reese has led the Rain City Jazz Orchestra, an ensemble uplifting the musical contributions of womxn and non-binary individuals in jazz. She is a founding member of the urban folkgrass group, Lavender Lucy, and most recently, created an EP with newest project, trashyQ panda, during the few days she left the house in 2020.

Playing multiple instruments and writing, Joel has credits on several hundred recordings, TV and film productions with artists from Jerry Garcia to Crazy Horse and beyond. He is a voting member of the Recording. In the 70s, he MC'd and co-managed the Monday night showcase programming at The Troubadour.

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