Phil Banaszak joined the CMS faculty in 1993, teaching fiddle, violin and mandolin. He was appointed chairperson of CMS’s Instrumental Department in 2012. Phil is a 2005 inductee of the North American Fiddlers’ Hall of Fame, a former New York State Fiddling Champion, and a three-time Erie County Fiddle Champ. He has been performing and teaching in Western New York for more than 20 years. Phil and his wife, Gretchen, currently make up the City Fiddle Band, mixing bluegrass, Celtic and original music. He is a charter member of the Canal Street String Band, blending fiddle tunes, sea shanties, western swing, and other eclectic styles and harmonies. The group entertains around upstate New York and Pennsylvania. Phil is also a member of Creek Bend Bluegrass Band, performs with Kathy Moriarty and the Fieldhands, and Mountain Run.