Jessica Lang is a gifted 16 year old singer-songwriter and flatpicker. As lead singer and guitarist for The Lang Sisters, her band has been invited to compete in the esteemed band contest to be held at MerleFest in April of 2018. Growing up listening to bluegrass, folk, and Appalachian music, she was intrigued by Doc Watson and his flatpicking guitar skills. Excited to learn guitar at age 9, she attended local jams in the Piedmont area of North Carolina and then truly blossomed when she joined the Junior Appalachian Musicians program in Chatham County, NC. While there, she also studied mandolin and voice, and quickly proved to be a talented vocalist and skilled flatpicker with a keen ability to learn music by ear. In the past 6 years, this young lady has won awards for guitar, vocals, mandolin, duet, and band ensembles at multiple music festivals throughout the southeast. As the lead singer and guitarist for both the Lang Sisters duet and band, her band took 2nd place in the Got to Be NC Statewide Bluegrass Band competition in May 2017, competing against 7 adult bands. Her band also performed on the nationally syndicated PBS Song of the Mountains television show in July 2017.
At the young age of 14, she recorded her first CD, Coming Home, with her duet partner and older sister Chloe. She also performs with the elite Kids on Bluegrass ensemble, sponsored by IBMA each year at the international convention held in Raleigh, NC. Jessica has studied guitar with Bryan Sutton, as well as many regional performing artists from the southeast. At Kaufman Kamp and the Swannanoa Gathering, she has had the good fortune to study with some of her favorite artists such as Tim May, Josh Goforth, Mark Cosgrove, Wayne Taylor, Courtney Hartman, Doug Yoemans, Tyler Grant, Greg Ruby and Peppino D’Agostino. She also writes original songs, one of which recently took 3rd place at The Carolina in the Fall songwriting competition, and has co-written songs with Rick Lang, IBMA Songwriter Committee chair.
Jessica also plays guitar with her high school jazz band, sings in her choir, and is a member of the a cappella club. Jessica loves mentoring youth and has assisted teachers at the annual PineCone summer bluegrass camps in Raleigh, NC and serves as a choral assistant with the Wake Forest Community Children’s Choir. Her band has performed throughout the southeast, including WoodSongs Dalton, GA, IBMA, RenoFest, NC State Fair, PineCone Music of the Carolinas series, Midtown Bluegrass and Pickin’ in the Plaza series, the Eno River Festival, City of Raleigh First Night, Artsplosure festivals and many other venues throughout North Carolina.
Jessica enjoys performing as a solo artist, as well as, duet and band leader for the Lang Sisters. She also serves as the lead guitarist and is a founding member of The Carolina PineCones bluegrass band, and collaborates with a number of talented musicians for special performances.
Jessica hopes to study music in college, and is considering either music therapy, education or performance degree programs.