Wisconsin native and East Troy Bluegrass Festival founder Melissa Sherman was recently named Composer of the Year at the 2009 Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards. The band which Sherman writes for and helps manage, Ontario-based Hard Ryde, won nearly all the instrumental player of the year categories, picking up awards for Banjo, Fiddle, Bass, Guitar and Mandolin.  Hard Ryde’s front man, Doug de Boer was named the Entertainer of the Year.

“I was extremely proud to represent Wisconsin as I accepted my award,” Sherman told SWBMAI shortly after the awards ceremony. “My heart has never left Wisconsin and I truly miss and adore my Bluegrass family there!”

“I founded and still direct the East Troy Bluegrass Festival 17 years ago,” Sherman said. “I have been writing music since I was 16. Since living with my partner Doug and having this wonderfully talented band Hard Ryde in my life, I have finally found the right group to make my songs come alive!  As a family we live the Bluegrass life. We have 5 family festivals here in Canada , along with my festival in East Troy. We host a winter series in the spring from Feb-April and produce the Bluegrass awards for Central Ontario. Hard Ryde is on the road constantly playing festivals both in the US and Canada.”

Watch Hard Ryde perform one of Melissa Sherman’s songs, “Turkeyville Road”