THE 14TH ANNUAL
STEAMBOAT MOUNTAIN
MUSIC FESTIVAL
July 4-6, 2025
2025 FESTIVAL
Save the dates - July 4 - 6, 2025!
SUNDAY WORKSHOPS
2025 ARTISTS (confirmed to date)
... PLUS MORE TO COME!
ARTIST BIOS
Valdy
Born Valdemar Horsdal in Ottawa, Canada, Valdy has been part of the fabric of Canadian pop and folk music for almost 40 years. A man with a thousand friends, from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island to Texas to New Zealand, he’s a singer, guitarist and songwriter who catches the small but telling moments that make up life. He is remembered for Play Me a Rock and Roll Song. Valdy has sold almost half a million copies of his 13 albums, has two Juno Awards (Folk Singer of the Year and Folk Entertainer of the Year), a total of seven Juno nominations and four Gold albums to his credit. Valdy | Lunar Productions
Mark Lorenz
Mark Lorenz is a seasoned Country Recording Artist with over 30 years of experience performing and touring across North America. With a passion for storytelling through music, Mark has released seven albums, and 12 national and international radio singles, earning widespread recognition in the country music scene. Mark’s career has also been marked by the release of eight captivating music videos, as well as cameos in several other artist videos, TV and film appearances. Throughout Mark’s extensive career, Mark has had the privilege to performing for crowds from 50 - 75000 people, solidifying his reputation as a dynamic and engaging live performer. Mark’s dedication to his craft continues to resonate with fans old and new, making him a respected figure and well sought after artist in the country music industry. Mark Lorenz
Ethan Askey
Ethan has been an instructor of blues harmonica on and off for 30 years. Originally a trumpeter and guitar player, Ethan learned music theory in the middle school system and applied this understanding to what he calls "the most mysterious of all instruments", the 10-hole diatonic harmonica aka the "blues harp". He most recently instructed at Canada's top blues camp, the Hornby Island Blues Workshop 2024, and for the Kootenay Blues Society in Nelson, BC. As a skilled and versatile musician he plays many styles of music including reggae, country, rock, folk and funk with the harp being used for soloing and accompaniment, vamping like an organ, and adding accents like a horn section.
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WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
The 10-hole diatonic harmonica surely is the most mysterious of instruments. No strings, keys, buttons or pedals are in sight, but air goes in and out of the instrument and sound is produced. Anyone can make sounds on it, right out of the box... and on a neck rack the harmonica played simply can add some nice colour to a guitar player's performance. However, it is capable of producing so much more music with some insight, practice, and skill. The tiny instrument is something of a paradox; originally it was designed to play simply, with built-in chords, but innovators over time discovered that sounds not designed into the instrument could actually be created, making for much more varied, complex and colourful music. These "hidden" sounds, once accessed by a skilled player, offer the characteristic blues harp bends, moans, and semi-tones that make it such a great add to the sound of a song and a band. This workshop will help to demystify the instrument and provide insight to the playing styles and techniques of some of the greatest of all time. We'll introduce the concept of "modal playing" and playing with other musicians. If you have one, please bring a blues harp in the key of C to participate. www.ethanaskey.com