Created by professional mandolinist Brian Oberlin, this site is a wealth
of knowledge for
the beginner to advanced mandolinist. Be sure to go
to the Lesson Hub for free
PDFs of chord shapes, chord charts, and
exercises. This site is also the home for ALL of Brian’s
performance
and teaching events.
FULL CORD: ANOTHER MICHIGAN BLUEGRASS POWERHOUSE
“This Michigan band has emerged as a bona fide bluegrass powerhouse with
serious chops and stellar songwriting. And it’s clear that their magical journey
has just scratched the surface.” – John Sinkevics, LocalSpins.com.
When it comes to movers and shakers in the bluegrass world, Full Cord is a super-
group on the rise.
After winning the prestigious 2022 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition in
Colorado, the Michigan-based group followed that with another much-coveted
honor when the International Bluegrass Music Association named Full Cord its
“Momentum Award Band of the Year.”
While mandolinist Brian Oberlin notes the band’s music “is new and fresh to the
ears of seasoned bluegrass fans,” the bluegrass traditions in Full Cord have deep
roots.
The group’s players – Oberlin, guitarist Eric Langejans, bassist Todd
Kirchner, fiddler Grant Flick and vocalist Katie Kirchner – boast decades of musical
artistry, with experience in popular performing bands from Michigan to Oregon.
And with the recent addition of award-winning, Colorado-based banjoist Ricky
Mier, Full Cord is poised to take the next step in its journey as a bluegrass
powerhouse: The band’s debut album on Nashville’s Dark Shadow Recordings is
set to drop in 2023.
Full Cord’s songwriting has reached a new “tipping point,” Katie Kirchner
suggests, enhanced by the group’s vast repertoire and robust experience in
numerous band projects over the years.
And Oberlin insists the band is “just hitting its stride” – ready to follow in the
footsteps of fellow Michigan bluegrass icons Billy Strings and Greensky Bluegrass
as yet another star in the making.
