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TERRI POWELL
Terri is a self-described, aging hippie chick; lover of all music. She played Ukulele (Hawaiian music) at 6; Viola (Classical) at 12, and Guitar (Folk and Flower Child, The Beatles) at 13. She picked up a bass over 20 years ago, and she fell in love all over again. Terri plays for the joy of it, performing in local/regional bands for almost 20 years, always keeping her day job. She is glad to be playing with such a talented group as the guys in 5 String Theory.
JESSE PENA
Born in the Panama Canal Zone, Jesse grew up playing different styles of music: blues, R&B, jazz, country, bluegrass, classical and Latin. He travelled extensively before moving to Tennessee to play guitar and mandolin for various country, rock, blues and gospel artists. During his time in Nashville, Jesse worked as a studio musician/arranger on demo and custom recordings. He also has performed at the Grand Ole Opry as a band leader and backup musician. He is now a studio musician and teacher in central KY. Jesse teaches guitar, mandolin and bass in addition to composing music and performing.
TOM ADLER
A versatile bluegrass banjoist and singer, Tom Adler grew up in Chicago and has been a key member of many bluegrass and other string bands in Indiana and Kentucky since the 1970s.
He is also a Ph.D. folklorist, trained at Indiana University’s Folklore Institute, with extensive academic knowledge of American folk music (including Appalachian string bands, bluegrass, blues, regional and ethnic music, and more). Likewise, Adler is known widely as a bluegrass music historian: his book-length history of Bill Monroe’s music park in Indiana was published in 2011 in the University of Illinois’ prestigious “Music in American Life” series. He has taught classes in folklore and bluegrass music at the University of Kentucky and served for a time as the first Executive Director of the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro. As a musician and singer living in Kentucky, he is now retired from the University, but still performs frequently with a variety of other musicians, as both a regular band member and as a “go-to” musician playing improvisationally with other top string musicians in public performances featuring bluegrass, old-time music, blues and swing. He knows hundreds of traditional and progressive bluegrass songs and is always delighted to play for audiences small or large.
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