Louisa Branscomb

Called the "songwriter's songwriter," Louisa is one of the most awarded songwriters and performers in acoustic music, with 3 International Bluegrass Association Awards, another 6 nominations, two Grammy cuts (Alison Krauss and John Denver), 2014 Song of the Year ("Dear Sister," with Claire Lynch), 190 recorded original songs by artists including Claire Lynch, Krauss, Denver, Dale Ann Bradley, and others. Her classic Steel Rails, is to date the longest running chart hit in bluegrass (also a Billboard country hit), while "Dear Sister" topped charts in bluegrass, Americana, and folk music. Louisa is viewed as a "pioneer" in bluegrass as a woman performer, and in her role as a leading advocate for songwriters. She has refined her model of experiential teaching with over 26 years of workshops at her retreat, Woodsong Farm, where she has had some 1000 attendees. In 2015 Louisa formed the non-profit ScreenDoor Songwriter Alliance, which sponsors 3 Songwriter Festivals and year-round using songwriting with high risk children and adults. As an instructor and presenter, Louisa blends two lifelong callings - songwriting and her career as a transformational psychologist. She is currently recording her 12th album of original music. Engine 145 reports, "Louisa captures the full array of human emotions in all their flawed glory, like no other songwriter, an American poet, a national treasure."