Because the kids have school, we stick mostly to playing the summer and winter festivals. We also play at a restaurant in Burlington called Trendz on Thursday nights. It's a semi-acoustic thing. And that's where we met our harp player, Alishan "Alex" Hagopian. He heard us playing, asked to join in one night, and he's been playing with us ever since.

What's Alex's background?

Alex used to play in a three-piece heavy blues rock band in the '80s, but decided to retire after figuring there was no market for them at the time. He came out of retirement to be a part of The Bluesers and we couldn't be happier.

The guy knows his music and his influences range from Sonny Boy Williamson II to Paul Butterfield, so he brings his talent and an appreciation for the history of the music into the fold.

Tell me a little more about the rest of the band.

Well, why don't we let them speak for themselves? Take it, Mike.

Okay, Mike, what's your story?

[Laughs] I'm Mike Branton, I'm 32, play guitar, sing, I grew up in bars...

Seriously, though...

I am serious! I've been playing for a long time and have always been in three or four bands at any given point. But the Bluesers, this is my favorite band. We have such a great foundation here.

I love playing with these guys because we keep each other on our toes.

Mikey, our drummer, is so talented. The thing with him is he plays with a maturity that exceeds his age and experience. Chris, he's got drive and is really getting into it, but he needs to "shape up and get it together". [Mike laughs and, in the background, Chris laughs, too.]

It's so fun to play with people who appreciate great music and are inspired by my idols. I'm getting them into Mike Bloomfield, Peter Green...

So, you're their music mentor?

I'm just sharing the music! But then again, that's what I do for a living.

As a professional musician, you mean?

There's that, but I'm also a school teacher at a private school these days.

What grade do you teach? What sort of program is it?

I teach grades 4-8. The neat thing about being at a private school is I've been given the opportunity to take the music lessons in all sorts of directions. I include music history, dig into different styles, take a look at various artists, you name it. The challenge is my students are super hip to music already. The area where I teach is pretty wealthy and these kids were raised to appreciate good music through the private school music programs. Again, that's one of the benefits of teaching here. In public schools, the music programs are always the first to go when budgets are cut.