• Genre :: Bluegrass
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The Student Loan is a four-piece band that tests audiences’ perceptions of bluegrass and newgrass music. Their eclectic style mirrors their name—The Student Loan draws from many genres to produce distinctive, diverse musicality. Mixing traditional bluegrass and folk with elements of rock, jazz and blues, The Student Loan’s sound defies genre and is both familiar and new. With original songs and a vast library of covers from groups as diverse as Bill Monroe, The Beatles, Phish and Sublime, The Student Loan presents music set in the grass roots tradition.

While touring with The Rhythm Road, The Student Loan will share with audiences the nostalgia and the human emotion present in Appalachian music. This is The Student Loan’s first tour with The Rhythm Road. Originally from Bowling Green, Ohio, ensemble members now live in Portland, Oregon.

Liz Chibucos (guitar, violin and vocals) was classically trained on piano at a young age. Chibucos earned a bachelor’s degree in World Music and was exposed to many new sounds, including bluegrass and folk music. She analyzed American music extensively while in school, including her study of ''Grass Roots Politics: Bluegrass and Newgrass Aesthetics as Expressions of Political and Social Activism," presented at the Midwest Society for Ethnomusicology conference in 2008. Her contributions to The Student Loan include guitar, violin and vocals, and she served as recording and mixing engineer for both of their albums. She has also written several songs for the band, including "Don't Bring Me Down" and "Rufus," from the band's debut album, Wake Up to The Student Loan, and "Insomnia" off of their sophomore release, A New and Different Life.

Mark Gerolami (banjo, guitar and vocals) received a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at S.U.N.Y. Potsdam as well as a bachelor’s degree in history from the College of Arts and Sciences at S.U.N.Y. Potsdam. He completed a master’s degree in ethnomusicology at Bowling Green State University focusing his research on issues of class and music. Gerolami has traveled to Ghana where he studied traditional West African drumming and dance. His performance credits include work with such groups as the BGSU Afro-Caribbean Dance Ensemble and the Balinese Gamelan Ensemble, the Crane School of Music Symphonic Band, Concert Band and Jazz Band, the Finger Lakes Community College Symphonic Band, the Jazz trio Avogadro and the Moles and the folk music group Norton and the Anthologies.

Julio Appling (bass and vocals) was born in Bakersfield, California and raised in Tacoma, Washington. Appling plays double bass, bass guitar, classical guitar, trombone and piano. Recently, he has played with the jazz fusion group Macumba Macamba, the rock band Oneiria and The Harlequin Jazz Quartet, his jazz trio. In addition to his work with The Student Loan, Appling has appeared alongside artists, composers and performers of all styles and genres including singer-songwriters Joel Smith, Megz Small and Jordan Ross; bluegrass artists Larry Keel, Mark Schmick and Jason Flournoy; and jazz artists Ron Stout, Clay Giberson, Gary Hobbs, Dave Tippett and Gene Parker. Appling holds a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Redlands in California, he recently completed his master’s degree in musicology from Bowling Green State University.

Chad Kimbler (mandolin and vocals) was born and raised in West Virginia. Around the age of 10, Kimbler started composing music for both garage bands and classical ensembles. Since then, Kimbler has received two degrees in music composition, a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University, and a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University. Kimbler composes music in both classical and vernacular styles.