The Carolina PineCones

…Are a youth bluegrass band (ages 15-19) based in Raleigh, NC and mentored by Durham, NC musician Jef Walter. Jessica Lang (guitar), Sam Stage (fiddle), Aidan Buehler (mandolin), and Anthony DeCesaris (banjo) met through the summer bluegrass camps and year-round youth jams offered by PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music. The Carolina PineCones play a mix of traditional and contemporary bluegrass, including original songs written by band members Jessie Lang and Sam Stage.

The Carolina PineCones have performed all over the state, including at the IBMA Wide Open Bluegrass Festival, the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival, the Carolina in the Fall Festival, Motorco Music Hall, Fletcher Theater, the Raleigh Times, Muddy Creek Music Hall, The Pour House, and many more venues. The 2017-2019 version of the band recorded a self-titled CD project released in summer 2018!

More than “just a youth band,” The Carolina PineCones are true youth ambassadors for bluegrass, sharing their passion for the music with audiences of all ages and demonstrating what the next generation of bluegrass musicians has to offer.