JAMESTOWN -- Trace Hybertson started playing classical violin at the age of four, eventually discovering the Colorado bluegrass scene and falling in love with it. He started going to bluegrass festivals and jams, becoming interested in playing the fiddle.
Not only did the festivals and jams mean that he got to stay up later, but they also allowed him to develop his fiddle skills. He hasn’t put the instrument down since and has been playing for 24 years now.
Adam Baerd took some piano lessons as a kid before switching to classical guitar lessons. He got into the American fingerstyle scene through artists such as Trace Bundy and Andy McKee, and has since also performed in a cappella groups and rock bands.
He’s played in styles such as gypsy swing, bluegrass, and traditional Irish music (or “trads”) by himself and with others. For him, all of these influences have blended together as he has developed his own style of playing.
The two musicians met at an enchanted forest-themed party, where many other musicians played. They jumped in and performed together, and in particular, Baerd realized their connection created the kind of music he most wanted to listen to and play.
Both musicians sing in other projects or on their own, but in their duo arrangement, they focus solely on original instrumental music. Instrumentals stick out to the duo because the resonance of an instrumental piece is often universal, and if composed thoughtfully, it can convey a full emotional journey with no words.
Voice memos are particularly important to the writing process of the duo. Typically, the duo will record ideas on their own, work on ideas together, or improvise ideas together to form a fully fleshed piece. In their live shows, they’ll even challenge themselves to improvise a song on stage without telling the audience that it’s improvised.
The duo finds music easier to write than lyrics, as it can take a long time scrutinizing the right words even after a song is released, while focusing specifically on music allows instincts and emotions of the progression to kick in.
The two love playing in a duo capacity because they can bounce ideas and connect to each other more closely in a more flexible arrangement than a larger group.
The duo hopes in some way that their instrumentals connect to their audience in some way, whether it’s listening to their music in the background or taking the time to focus on the musical journey. They compose their instrumentals with the intention of making them complex, engaging, and approachable.
The two sometimes worry mid-performance whether or not their pieces will be seen as just two people playing random notes onstage. However, a statement from an audience member at the end of an Arvada Center performance on June 12th reinforced how the duo feels about their instrumentals: “You guys made me feel like I was home.”
You can see Trace and Baerd performing live at the Jamestown Mercantile, located at 108 Main Street in Jamestown, on Thursday, July 3, 2025, starting at 7 p.m. Their debut album Elevation is available on all platforms, and to learn more about the duo and find their music and social media, head to their website at traceandbaerd.com.
