Heartistry Music » Artists TrueGrass

TrueGrass!®
Below, you'll find photos and bios for our band.

Tom Draughon Tom Draughon originally formed TrueGrass! as part of a multimedia theatre show he created about the rural roots and history of bluegrass music. Tom is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, primarily playing guitar and fronting lead vocals. He also plays clawhammer banjo and old-time fiddle (and occasionally ukulele too). He is a music educator and taught at Northland College for many years, and through the Northwoods Strings, as well as giving private lessons.

Jed Malischke Jed Malischke has been producing concerts, festivals, and fairs for fifty plus years, first as a kid in his hometown of Milwaukee, and then as a professional with his own production company CM Management. For the past thirty years with the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association he has created five annual music festivals and several concert series. His premier event, the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival has been nominated by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in Nashville as Event of the Year five times!

And all this while performing and touring throughout the US and Europe with groups like Java Jam, Radio Bluegrass, Dick Kimmel & Co, and the Mill City Ramblers. Jed plays a vintage 1927 Gibson arch-top banjo, Martin D-35 guitar, Dobro resophonic guitar, and stand-up bass fiddle. He has lectured and taught on the history as well as the performance of bluegrass music, served on the board of directors of the IBMA and the Foundation For Bluegrass Music (FFBM). No wonder that Wisconsin Public Radio host Tom Martin Erickson dubbed him "A Friend of Bluegrass."

Carol McDowall Trained in the classical music tradition, Carol McDowall has been playing the violin since 1966. Both her parents came to America from Italy and settled in the Northwest side of Chicago. Growing up in Chicago led Carol to attend Roosevelt University’s Chicago Musical College as a violin performance major and perform with the North Side Symphony Orchestra. She was also introduced to jazz, folk and rock traditions as a teenager and plays many varieties of music including old time fiddle tunes.
Also a vocalist, Carol has sung with many groups including The Ela Singers of Lake Zurich IL, Tres Chic, a three part female singing group, and Reminisce, a five part mixed group. She moved to Trego, WI in 2010 and has been heavily involved in the music scene in Northwest Wisconsin as a member of Layne Yost Music’s John Denver shows, hosting two monthly Open Mics, and now as a member of The TrueGrass!

Bruce Qualey Bruce Qualey is a classically trained bass player who enjoys performing all kinds of music. In learning the instrument, he studied with the assistant principal bassist of the Minneapolis Symphony and attended the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan, for five summers. Over his decades of music making, he has performed in many types of ensemble groups and in many musical styles.

He played in the Rochester (MN) Symphony Orchestra for twenty years while at the same time playing in a traditional bluegrass group. After moving to northern Wisconsin in 1995, he was the long-time bass player in three popular Northland groups: Duck for the Oyster, an old-time dance band; the Namekagon String Band folk group and The Dean’s List big band. Bruce is excited to be contributing to the vocal and instrumental possibilities of TrueGrass!

Invite Us To Your House
TrueGrass can perform in a variety of configurations to fit your venue and budget, including a "Tom & Jed", the "TrueGrass Trio," or with additional guest musicians. Want to put on your own concert production or outdoor mini-festival? We can find other complimentary groups to join us and provide PA, MC, and stage management for a large concert venue or small outdoor festival, all for one set price. Plus we help advertise and promote your show with press releases, social media, and Enews. Put us to work at your house this coming year!

Video: TrueGrass! and friends on YouTube at
Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua:

This page updated 4/23/2025

Tom Draughon	Tom Draughon originally formed TrueGrass! as part of a multimedia theatre show he created about the rural roots and history of bluegrass music. Tom is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, primarily playing guitar and fronting lead vocals. He also plays clawhammer banjo and old-time fiddle (and occasionally ukulele too). He is a music educator and taught at Northland College for many years, and through the Northwoods Strings, as well as giving private lessons.
Jed Malischke	Jed Malischke has been producing concerts, festivals, and fairs for fifty plus years, first as a kid in his hometown of Milwaukee, and then as a professional with his own production company CM Management. For the past thirty years with the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association he has created five annual music festivals and several concert series. His premier event, the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival has been nominated by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in Nashville as Event of the Year five times! And all this while performing and touring throughout the US and Europe with groups like Java Jam, Radio Bluegrass, Dick Kimmel & Co, and the Mill City Ramblers. Jed plays a vintage 1927 Gibson arch-top banjo, Martin D-35 guitar, Dobro resophonic guitar, and stand-up bass fiddle. He has lectured and taught on the history as well as the performance of bluegrass music, served on the board of directors of the IBMA and the Foundation For Bluegrass Music (FFBM). No wonder that Wisconsin Public Radio host Tom Martin Erickson dubbed him "A Friend of Bluegrass."
Carol McDowall	Trained in the classical music tradition, Carol McDowall has been playing the violin since 1966. Both her parents came to America from Italy and settled in the Northwest side of Chicago. Growing up in Chicago led Carol to attend Roosevelt University’s Chicago Musical College as a violin performance major and perform with the North Side Symphony Orchestra. She was also introduced to jazz, folk and rock traditions as a teenager and plays many varieties of music including old time fiddle tunes. Also a vocalist, Carol has sung with many groups including The Ela Singers of Lake Zurich IL, Tres Chic, a three part female singing group, and Reminisce, a five part mixed group. She moved to Trego, WI in 2010 and has been heavily involved in the music scene in Northwest Wisconsin as a member of Layne Yost Music’s John Denver shows, hosting two monthly Open Mics, and now as a member of The TrueGrass!
Bruce Qualey	Bruce Qualey is a classically trained bass player who enjoys performing all kinds of music. In learning the instrument, he studied with the assistant principal bassist of the Minneapolis Symphony and attended the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan, for five summers. Over his decades of music making, he has performed in many types of ensemble groups and in many musical styles. He played in the Rochester (MN) Symphony Orchestra for twenty years while at the same time playing in a traditional bluegrass group. After moving to northern Wisconsin in 1995, he was the long-time bass player in three popular Northland groups: Duck for the Oyster, an old-time dance band; the Namekagon String Band folk group and The Dean’s List big band. Bruce is excited to be contributing to the vocal and instrumental possibilities of TrueGrass!
Invite Us To Your House TrueGrass can perform in a variety of configurations to fit your venue and budget, including a "Tom & Jed", the "TrueGrass Trio," or with additional guest musicians. Want to put on your own concert production or outdoor mini-festival? We can find other complimentary groups to join us and provide PA, MC, and stage management for a large concert venue or small outdoor festival, all for one set price. Plus we help advertise and promote your show with press releases, social media, and Enews. Put us to work at your house this coming year!