Stuart Whitford and Tres Seaver

Given a trumpet by his uncle, a high school band director, Stuart Whitford began playing music in elementary school. His interests branched to guitar and folk music by high school and college. Through the 1970s and early 80s, he sang and played guitar, mandolin, and dobro in various bands throughout North Carolina, California, Florida, and Tennessee. This part of Whitford’s performing career culminated in a three year stint with Our Gang, the unofficial house band of the renowned Down Home Pickin’ Parlor in Johnson City, Tennessee.

After moving to Fredericksburg, Stuart has performed widely as a solo act and with the groups Vertical Land, Woodpile, Stony Man, and most recently, Joshua Road. Stuart was a finalist in the New Folk Competition at the 2001 Kerrville Folk Fest. He has performed at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage and several times at the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion.

Tres Seaver has been playing music all his life, and writing songs as he goes. He still owns and plays the first guitar he bought in high school

By day, Tres is a "mild-mannered software developer," while pursuing his love of old blues and country tunes as a not-so secret identity. He plays weekly with the Jazz Ensemble at St. George's Church, and makes pilgrimmage most years to the Blues Week at the Augusta Heritage Center in Davis, WV.

In 2012, he began talking with Bob and Lou Gramann about the future of the Fredericksburg Songwriters' Showcase, and as of 2014 has taken over running it. Tres also convenes a monthly songwriters' circle at Pickers', and enjoys getting a new song together to workshop each month.

Stuart and Tres began playing together at Shrinemont in Orkney Springs, and dicsovered a shared love for acoustic music steeped in the deep wells of American roots music.