The Ludington Area Center for the Arts (LACA) will host, progressive string band, the Westbound Situation Friday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Westbound Situation blends the precision of classical chamber music, the rhythmic drive of bluegrass, and the colorful expression of jazz into a new style of chamber music—"chambergrass.” The quartet—comprised of Grant Flick, violin; Jake Howard, mandolin; Zach Brown, cello; and Jacob Warren, bass — mixes composition and improvisation seamlessly into their entirely memorized arrangements.

Tickets to the Westbound Situation concert at LACA are on sale now in LACA’s gift shop ‘Art Shop 107 by LACA’ or online at www.ludingtonartscenter.org and can be purchased for $15 in advance or $20 at the door.

The group formed out of the Acoustic Music Seminar (AMS), a program run by multi-instrumentalist Mike Marshall. The program accepts 16 talented string players under the age of 22 from around the world to participate in a week of intense improvisation, composition and performance training. All four were two-time participants, an honor that not everyone is able to receive. Some notable AMS alumni include Paul Kowert of the Punch Brothers, Alex Hargreaves of Turtle Island String Quartet, and Xavier Foley, winner of the 2014 Sphinx Competition.

 Westbound Situation has a strong commitment to music education. The group’s combined experience in classical, bluegrass, jazz, and original/improvised music is something not typically offered in the standard curriculum found at most schools and colleges (at least not all at the same time). These styles, among others, give each student the chance to make their own music, and through this process valuable lessons in creativity, listening, and leadership are achieved. Each member of the group maintains a private studio, and all have been invited to provide workshops and masterclasses at schools and festivals across the country.

Westbound Situation’s exciting and diverse concerts feature a set of unique original repertoire colored with recognizable standards from many genres. With bluegrass, classical chamber music and jazz all coming together in the group’s concept of “chambergrass,” a Westbound Situation concert is dazzling musical journey not soon forgotten.

The Ludington Area Center for the Arts is located at 107 S. Harrison St. in downtown Ludington. Visit www.ludingtonartscenter.org for details on upcoming exhibit, workshops and concerts.