"Valerie Smith and her amazing band are a breath of fresh air. Onstage, they present visually beautiful and exciting performances with exceptional musicality. Offstage, they are like family and best friends to everyone, always willing to share that which makes them so very special-their music, their hearts, and their souls."
- Gabrielle Gray, Executive Director International Bluegrass Music Museum, Promoter of ROMP.
"Valerie Smith has a storyteller's sensibility and timing and a singer's soulful vocals that leave her audience waiting to hear the next song."
- California Bluegrass Association, CBAontheweb.org
"Excellent stage act Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike are known for their lively and impressive concerts!"
- Erin Spurling, Maverick Magazine, England
"What a night! What a band! Valerie and her wonderful band played a stormer! We have enjoyed the very best of bluegrass before at Brookfield...or so we thought."
- Loudon Temple, Music Journalist and Scotland Promoter
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Rebekah Long - Bass/Vocals
Born in Lincolnton and raised in the Classic South Region of Georgia, Rebekah A. Long was exposed from birth to the rich bluegrass heritage of South Georgia. In College, Rebekah became a music student majoring in percussion at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. After three years, Rebekah transferred to Glenville State College in West Virginia to combine her study of percussion with bluegrass music under the tutelage of Buddy Griffin, one of the former Virginia Boys playing backup to Jim and Jesse (McReynolds). Prior to transferring to Glenville State College, Rebekah moved her primary residence to Nashville, TN. In the summer months, she began assisting Ben Speer, renowned southern gospel singer, in the direction of the Ben Speer’s Stamps-Baxter School of Music and his publishing company Ben Speer Music. Rebekah graduated with a B.A. in Music Education and a B.A. in Bluegrass; the first bluegrass degree awarded at Glenville State College or anywhere. During her final semester, Rebekah was selected as the Outstanding Teacher Intern. Along with returning to play bass for Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike, Rebekah also works as studio engineer and graphic art designer for Tom T. and Dixie Hall's Good Home Grown Music Publishing and Blue Circle Records. She has engineered for some of Bluegrass's finest and upcoming bands and artists.
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Brandon Bostic - Guitar/Mandolin
Brandon Bostic of Milton, Florida, began playing guitar at age thirteen. Gaining an interest in bluegrass from his dad, and soon began playing other instruments. Brandon is a member of Blue Moon Rising where he sings lead and baritone, as well as playing mandolin and guitar. Brandon is no stranger to Liberty Pike, upon graduating from high school he began touring with Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike, then in 2008 departed from the band, so he could continue his education at Middle Tennessee State University where he studies Business Administration. Brandon will be making guest appearances on Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike's 2012 Winter and Spring Tour, lending his talents on vocals, guitar, and mandolin.
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Meredith Goins - Fiddle
Meredith Goins began performing and playing the violin at the age of three. She began studying the violin at UTC’s Cadek Conservatory, and throughout the years also studied at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music and East Tennessee State University. A two time National Champion of Country Music Beginners at the Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree and is the First Place Band Winner of the 2011 Galax Fiddlers Convention. In 2003, she performed on the Grand Ole Opry with fiddle extraordinaire Aubrey Haynie, Vassar Clements, and Daniel Carwile at only the age of 14, and since then she has performed as guest with The Boxcars, Roland White, Vassar Clements, Buddy Spicher, Wayne Henderson, Melvin Goins, Darrel Webb to name a few. She has been a member of the ETSU Pride Band, Bluetastic Fangrass, Lou Wamp and Swingshift, OverDrive, Grayson Highlands Bluegrass Band, Pleasant Hill Bluegrass Band, Cumberland Gap Connection, and Full Pull. She also was a member of the Chattanooga Youth Symphony and Philharmonic and was a special guest with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra. Meredith graduated from ETSU in May of 2011 with a degree in Microbiology and a minor in Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music, and is certified to teach Mark O’Connor’s instructional violin method.
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Richard Ciferský - Banjo
Richard born in Bratislava, but his home is in Pezinok, Slovakia. He happened to come into contact with bluegrass music in a scout troop where he also learns to play the guitar. Richard got a guitar, his first instrument, at the age of 13 as a Christmas present from his father. When he was 15, he got fascinated by banjo and he spent his first earnings for purchasing this instrument.
Since 1998 Richard has been organizing bluegrass nights called “Bluegrass Session” in Pezinok. In 1999 he co-founded the Slovak Bluegrass Association (SkBMA) and from 2000 until 2005 he was its president. In 2001 Richard founded his own agency Velvet Music which helps bluegrass bands release their recordings. Till now the agency has helped in realization of 15 projects.
On the basis of the SkBMA inquiry Richard received the prize for the best banjo player in 1999 and 2000 and the band of 29 Strings, in which he played, was proclaimed to be the best bluegrass band in the same years. In 2004 the Fragment band receives “European Group #1” at the EWOB Festival in Holland. Richard will be guest touring with Valerie Smith for her 2012 Winter and Spring Tour, as he did with her on her 2006 European Tour.
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