Photo from The Petersens' website 

MEET THE BAND 

Ellen Haygood

• Director of Marketing, Banjo Player, Patreon Manager
• Ellen is the second oldest Petersen sibling and banjo player for the band. 
• In 2014 she auditioned for American Idol for fun as its bus tour went through Branson and she ended up making it to the top 48 on Season XIV.
• Ellen has an MBA with a graduate certificate in marketing at Missouri State University. 
• In January of 2020 she married Michael Haygood of The Haygoods, another performing family in Branson. 
• The best way to make Ellen smile is a bouquet of fresh flowers.

Katie Petersen

• Musical Leader, Fiddle Player, Songwriter
• Katie is the oldest Petersen sibling and is the musical leader of the group.
• Katie graduated from College of the Ozarks in 2014 with a bachelors degree in Chemistry and Spanish. After graduation, Katie moved to Oxford, England to study C.S. Lewis and the Psalms through the Summit Ministries Oxford program.
• Katie’s love of traveling took her to Nicaragua to teach music and English at a school through Project Hope.
• Katie enjoys teaching fiddle and piano lessons to students and, of course, bluegrass with the family.
• The best way to Katie’s heart is through a cup of coffee.

Matt Petersen

• Guitar Player, Band Manager, Branson’s Most Eligible Bachelor
• Matt graduated from College of the Ozarks in 2017 with a bachelors degree in Business.
• Matt runs most of the business aspects of the band including outside bookings and the technical side of the Branson show.
• He manages schedules and logistics which is no easy task when it comes to traveling with this amount of people and gear!
• He enjoys running, cycling, leading a small group for boys at our church,
• A sure way to make Matt's day is a vinyl record. He enjoys playing them in the office while working.

Julianne Petersen

• Mandolin Player, Eye Roller, Dimple, Vlog Specialist
• Julianne Petersen is the baby of the family and has been the full-time mandolin player since 2017.
• Julianne started off playing the fiddle and clogging on stage when the band started
• Julianne even ran sound and lights for the band at the young age of eight!
• Julianne documents the bands travels and produces a vlog.
• Julianne currently attends John Brown University and is studying English Literature.
• The easiest way to make Julianne your friend is through chocolate.

Emmett Franz

• Dobroist, Composer, Musical Genius, Adopted Brother for Matt
• Emmett Franz is the newest member to The Petersens and fits perfectly with the band with his values and musical style.
• Emmett grew up playing music with his family, The Franz Family, touring professionally with them for 20 years.
• Emmett started playing the dobro at the age 14 and has since become one of the most accomplished dobro players in the country.
• Emmett began playing with The Petersens in 2017.
• When not playing music, Emmett is usually found dominating on the volleyball courts.

Karen Petersen (aka "Get It, Mama")

• Bass Player, Mother, Band Chaplain
• Karen Petersen is the mother of the Petersens. Karen is from Mountain Grove, MO and music has always been a part of her life. 
• She played the trumpet through her school years and received her Masters in Music Education from Oklahoma University. 
• She met her husband, Jon, through Campus Crusade for Christ and followed him around in the Air Force for over 23 years.
• Her comprehensive knowledge of music helped all of the family as they began learning to play instruments, sing in tune, and sing harmony parts. 
• Karen began as the band’s mandolin player but switched to bass when Julianne started to learn in 2017. 
• She helps Katie chart out the songs for band rehearsals and pick out harmony lines. 
• Back in her mandolin days, audience members began a fan club for her called “Get It, Mama!” 
• When not playing groovy licks on the bass, you can find Karen reading a book and drinking hot tea.

Lt. Col. (R) Jon Petersen

• Piano Player, Founder of The Petersens, Doctor, Pilot
• Grew up in Charleston, West Virginia, and started taking piano lessons at age seven. 
• He has played various instruments throughout his life including saxophone, guitar, and bass. 
• Another lifelong passion is aviation. His dad, Dan Petersen, taught him how to fly and they both earned their flight instructors ratings together. 
• He joined the Air Force in 1983 and two years later married the lovely Karen. He served on active duty for over 23 years and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2007. 
• He went to medical school midway through his career and completed a residency in Family Medicine. After residency, he attended the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine to train as a flight surgeon for the Special Forces. 
• Following that he did a second residency in Preventive Medicine at Johns Hopkins University
• He currently plays piano in the Wednesday gospel shows 
• His favorite song is an original they wrote as teenagers called "My Daddy’s Got A Gun."

Among their originals

• Falling for You
• The Ring Song
• We Don't Need Anything This Year
• Sherwood
• Thunder Ridge (Emmett Franz)
• Silly Girls
• My Ozark Mountain Home

Cover Songs

• Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
• When You Say Nothing at All
• Dreams
• More Than a Name on a Wall
• Southern Nights (featuring Reina del Cid)
• Joy to the World