Blue Birds On A Wire

Blue Birds On A Wire (BBOAW) is a California based Bluegrass Band that came together for the first time in May of 2023 when the original members, Joselyn Sky, Henry Strid, and Scott Conroy, filled in, last-minute, on the main stage at the Parkfield Bluegrass festival. It was clear at that very first gig that something magical had been born.

As far as they know, BBOAW is the only bluegrass band with a lead singer on the pedal harp. At just 15 years old, singer-songwriter Joselyn Sky is perhaps the first classically trained harpist to cross over into the world of Bluegrass, bringing her 40-string harp with her. Mandolinist Jasper Manning’s impressive skill and vocals take the band’s sound to new heights, while Bass player Scott Conroy masterfully holds down the low notes, blends in vocal harmonies like butter, and keeps us all smiling. You can catch them playing all around California and at Bluegrass Festivals.

Joselyn Sky

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Joselyn’s journey into music began at age 4 in a group piano class for preschoolers, where on the very first day of class she began picking out the melody of “We Will Rock You” by ear. The teacher asked her mom if they had a piano or keyboard at home and upon hearing that they had neither responded, “Keep this one in music.” Joselyn is now sixteen, and her main instruments are harp and mandolin, but she also plays piano, guitar, ukulele, and clawhammer-banjo, as well as writes her own songs. She has performed with Michael Franti five times, and stood in with her bluegrass heroes Aj Lee & Blue Summit, and Della Mae. She is an award-winning harpist, and has played with San Luis Obispo’s Orchestra Novo. A few years ago she fell head over heels in love with bluegrass, and is so grateful to the California Bluegrass community. She is so thrilled about this band, Blue Birds On A Wire, and the opportunity to mesh the worlds of bluegrass and harp. <joselynsky.my.canva.site>

Jasper Manning

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Jasper is very excited to play mandolin with Blue Birds On A Wire. Growing up in a family of musicians/fiddle teachers, Jasper’s immersion into bluegrass music began even before he was born. He started his musical journey on the fiddle at age 2, but eagerly switched to mandolin at the age of 9 and never looked back. Jasper has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with David Grisman, Laurie Lewis, Peter Rowan, and many other prominent figures in the California bluegrass community. He has performed at festivals including Hardly Strictly, High Sierra, and DelFest, among many others. At the heart of Jasper’s music is a profound appreciation for the traditional elements of bluegrass, which he innovatively blends with the harp to forge a unique sound that honors and revitalizes the genre’s rich heritage.

Scott Conroy

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Scott is the upright bass player and bus driver for Blue Birds On a Wire. A multi-instrumentalist, it’s not unusual to see Scott playing upright bass, guitar, banjo, mandolin, violin, ukulele, or singing (lead, tenor, baritone or bass). Scott’s bluegrass journey began whilst a student studying European classical music theory and jazz performance at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz. He attended a bluegrass jam at a coffee shop, and the course of his life was inexorably altered. Scott was drawn to bluegrass because of the aural tradition, improvisational nature, musical virtuosity, and group-oriented nature of the genre. He likes to say that bluegrass is his “favorite sport”. Scott runs his own music studio, SLO Music Lessons, where he caters to aspiring musicians by providing private lessons, group lessons, and a diverse suite of online learning materials. Scott is overjoyed at the opportunity to collaborate with his bandmates and help people find joy through experiencing live music performance. <www.scottconroymusic.com>