Phil Fernbach
Phil Fernbach is a bluegrass fanatic and professor of marketing at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder. By day, he is a cognitive scientist who studies how people think, and he applies insights from his research to improve public discourse and help consumers and managers make better decisions. He also teaches data analytics and behavioral science to undergraduate and Masters students.
His 2017 book, The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone, was chosen as an Editor’s Pick by the New York Times and explores why we think we know so much more than we do, and the profound implications for individuals and society. He has also written popular press articles for outlets such as the New York Times, Quartz, MarketWatch, and Harvard Business Review, and he regularly gives public talks about his research. He has a Ph.D. from Brown University and an undergraduate degree in philosophy from Williams College.
Phil is a fixture in the Colorado bluegrass scene and has been lucky enough to play bluegrass music throughout the United States and Europe.
Tony Watt
2024 IBMA Momentum Mentor of the Year award winner Tony Watt has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and on the Grand Ole Opry. He has toured with Alecia Nugent, Leigh Gibson, Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, and his performance, jamming, and teaching videos on YouTube have over 1.5 million views.
Tony is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, teaching bluegrass within the Ensemble Department and the American Roots Music Program. He is a graduate of IBMA’s Leadership Bluegrass and is the Vice President and Education Co-Director of the Boston Bluegrass Union. He has organized and taught at various camps, including his own NE Flatpicking Camp. Tony is also the director of The Bluegrass University, which presents JamVember, a weekend-long bluegrass jamming “non-festival” held the weekend before Thanksgiving. He is also the host of Bluegrass Tuesdays at Lily P’s in Cambridge, MA, which is one of the longest-running and most successful bluegrass nights in the country.
Tony currently teaches lessons, classes, and jam sessions throughout the Boston area and anywhere in the world online via Zoom.
