a bluegrass experience.
MEET THE MITES
RICKY ELLIS, MANDOLIN MAN + BLUEGRASS PHENOM
Ricky Ellis is basically a mythical bluegrass creature- except that he's very much real! :P He's the kind of guy you'd hear tales of having bionic hearing well enough to hear a flat G string from a quarter mile- could this be true? *gasp* ;)
Picking up the mandolin as a young kid, Ricky began playing by learning tunes from his Uncle Brady and absorbing just about every bit of bluegrass he could along the way. At 14 years old, Ricky won his first title as World Champion Mandolin Player.. and went on to win that same title a whopping 4 more times over the years! That's right, he's a 5-Time World Champion!!!! 🏆
His bluegrass story isn't a solo one, Ricky and his brothers learned to play together and traveled for years with their family band B.G. Express! During the 70's and 80's, B.G. Express could be found anywhere from Maine to Florida sweeping competitions and playing festivals! 🥇🥈🥉🏅🎖 The band had years of success but as the boys grew older, each found a new direction in life. Bluegrass never failed to be the direction Ricky was born to take. Carrying on the tradition, Ricky formed Common Ground Bluegrass Band in the early 90's and that, too, was a family affair with his son Jeff on the upright bass. Though the band names and members have varied over the years, one thing that has never wavered is his love for bluegrass being rooted in family. Teaching his daughters to play at young ages- Amy, and then Laura, also took their places in the band as their love and interest in music grew. Today he still teaches music in Moneta at his shop, Ricky's Bluegrass Connection, and somehow puts up with all of our wild Banjo Mite craziness! ;) I feel as though I could probably continue this and write a whole encyclopedia about him, but there just aren't enough characters on facebook to properly explain the incredible man that he is. He's a good sport (has to be to deal with Dave :P ), a hell of a musician, the best father in the ENTIRE world, and just about the nicest guy you'll ever meet.Man, The Mites are lucky to be able to play with such a living legend like himself!!!!!
DAVE OWENS, GUITAR GURU + TOKEN HIPPIE
Where do you even begin with such a colorful character like Dave Owens? Do you start things off by directly addressing the fact that 98% of this man's wardrobe consists of tie dye t-shirts? Or do you start by mentioning the obvious obsession he has with fishing on Smith Mountain Lake? OR perhaps we talk about the magical menagerie of musical talent just coursing through his veins? You know, there's a reason he was nicknamed The Fishin' Musician (aside from the fact he thought it was cool and gave himself that nickname..).
Dave Owens is a peacock. A clown fish. That one surprise tater tot you find in your order of french fries. Dave is.. one of those things that is NOT QUITE like all the others. And you know what? That's what makes him so perfect for The Banjo Mites! And it would also explain why he's the mastermind behind almost everything Banjo Mite! In fact, Dave was the first human to witness one with his own mortal eyes! So it makes sense that only he would truly vibe on the same frequency as the mites! If you've enjoyed the rollercoaster of Banjo Mite discoveries, you have him to thank for that. 😉
If you've been to Smith Mountain Lake and enjoyed any local music- I would just about guarantee that you've heard Dave Owens. This man is a guitar guru, a jive cat, a soul brother, he's got the music in him! This Fishin' Musician has been living at SML for 38 years now, that's right.. he's a Charlottesville transplant! WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN?! *gasp*. He's been picking the guitar for 50 years and performing publicly for 45- we're not sure what all went on within those first 5 years but we're offering a high reward for any footage of Baby Dave learning guitar, mwahaha. It wasn't until 2019 when Dave truly got bitten by the Banjo Mite and started to fall madly and irrevocably in love with bluegrass! It all began when Ricky restarted his Friday Night Jams in Moneta, Dave popped in for a jam session and we haven't been able to get rid of him since. He's brought his unique style to our bluegrass roots and together something pretty darn magical has been created! Dave's influences include The Beatles, Grateful Dead, and Bob Dylan among others- so you can see who's really infused the band with those rock and blues tunes you've come to love so much. 😉
With Dave, there is never a dull moment. Whether we're all hangry and trying to get through a recording session, hyped up and ready to throw down some tunes at the next gig. or goofing off like the goof balls we are- Dave is the glue that holds us all together! He likes to say, "there's nothing you can do to make me NOT love you." and boy, is that true! Because we've been pushing his buttons since day one and somehow, ole Dave O. has stuck with us! If you're a friend of his, you already know.. but Dave Owens is top notch, y'all. The cream of the crop, the guitar strum to the mandolin chop. The hippiest dippiest dude you'll ever meet. And the feeling is mutual- because there ain't much that could make us NOT love Dave Owens! 😘
LAURA ELLIS, FIDDLIN' FOOL + EMCEE EXTRAORDINAIRE
Laura's talent was obvious from a young age, she always had an interest in the music! From a little girl flatfooting in what she once called her "ass-kickin boots" 🥾 (am I right, aunt Nancy?), to the cool chick fiddling on stage in her slightly more kick-ass boots- to say bluegrass is in her blood would be a vast understatement. While she learned to play different instruments as a young child, fiddle was actually not the first thing she mastered! She didn't pick that up until she insisted she wanted to be in the band.. Dad said, "Well, the only thing we don't have is a fiddle, so you better learn to play the fiddle then."
And that she did. 🔥 She picked up the fiddle and began learning and playing in the band while she was still knee high to a grasshopper!! (Oh wait, she still is... 🤫)
Leaving a career in nursing to pursue music, bluegrass, and a family legacy- Laura is an award winning fiddle player, mandolin player, flatfooter 😉, and vocalist who eats, sleeps, and breathes music (just like her dad 💕 ). She has a passion for helping young people learn to play and loves teaching at the family run music shop, Ricky's Bluegrass Connection. If you've been to any of our shows, or met miss Laura, you'll know she's quick witted and silver tongued- this girl could talk your ear off and you wouldn't mind a bit! Our stage banter certainly wouldn't be the same without her trusty banjo jokes and Dave Owens jabs. 🤣 She runs the family music shop and does a mighty find job at being the jane-of-all-trades.. graphic designer, social media marketer, manager, director, video technician, chef, host, and teacher! All while being a farm-mama to her pig Sausage Patty 🐷 and her two adorable doggos, Newt + Bean 🐕.
The Banjo Mites are super proud to have such an incredible musician and person on board, and we sincerely hope that her flaming fiddle stylings do not cause the speakers in your car to suddenly explode or burst in to flames during her breaks on our upcoming album. 😇😘
CHRISTIAN QUESENBERRY, SWEET SING
Ah, our Bluegrass Noob!
Christian is new to bluegrass but it has quickly won over his heart! He began singing at age 5, picked up guitar around age 11, and at 16 he began learning piano and drums. Throughout school he was very involved in choir and theatre- going to District Choir, All States and All Honors Choir, and even landing the lead roll in all 4 musicals during his High School career! Basically, he's got the music in him!! 😉
But it wasn't until he met the Ellis family in 2017 that his interest and love for bluegrass began! After tagging along to fiddlers conventions and gigs for a year or two, he picked up bluegrass in 2019 while going to Ricky's weekly jams in Moneta. He went through the same beginner.. learning.. awkward stage that we all did, for a good portion of his start he was simply known as "The Guy Who Sings Wagonwheel At The Jam". 🤣 But just like flowers in the Spring, his talents (and tastes) have grown over the past year and he's become a hugely important member of Ricky + The Banjo Mites!
A lot of places we go, people are unfamiliar with the cajon OR seem to be under the impression that a cajon (or box drum) doesn't belong in bluegrass music.. But we're super psyched to have this bluegrass-underdog of an instrument in the Mites, AND we're lucky to have such a KILLER percussionist holding down that rhythm end! Christian is a part of what we fondly like to call The Wall of Sound. 🔥 If you're a skeptic, we promise that it'll only take you a few minutes to realize the Cajon Mite ROCKS. In addition to his phenomenal rhythm, Christian's lead and harmony singing brings yet another level of awesome to The Mites. This boy has some PIPES! Chill and laid back, he fits in well with this wild and crazy band and all of our shenanigans!
A man of many talents- he's a black belt in karate, an incredible chef in the kitchen, super handy, and is a man of style (can often be spotted in his tie-dye headband and banana shirt and most gigs 😉 )
TERRY MILLS, BANJO MAN BABY BLUE
This talented banjer picker has already brought so much to The Banjo Mites band! With an incredibly chill sense of humor, Terry's a go-with-the-flow kind of guy and somehow puts up with all of our crazy Banjo Mite shenanigans 🤣. Terry is retired from the U.S. Air Force and is now an ROTC instructor at Patrick Henry High School, as well as their team Golf Coach! 🏌️♂️ I foresee some Mite mini golf showdowns in our future ;)
When asked about The Banjo Mites, he definitely agreed that this is the wildest band he's played with- but we're so happy he's having fun with us, because man we're having fun with him! He's a team player and one of the nicest guys you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting!
AMY ELLIS, BASS BADASS
Picking up the guitar around the age of 10, Amy began singing and playing the bass at age 12 when she declared that there just weren't enough female upright bass players out there ;). Learning from her dad and older brother Jeff, Amy's continued the Ellis Family tradition of playing and singing bluegrass music! Amy began playing the bass and singing in the band at age 13 and loves the way that the band has evolved over the years- while traditional bluegrass music holds a close place in her heart, she does enjoy the out-of-the-box suggestions and songs that Dave Owens and the gang bring to The Mites! :D
