Scott Sweet
Scott Sweet is one of St. Augustine's few autodidactic musicians, equipped with his very own musical mixture of acoustic rock, folk, and his signature progressive bluegrass.
St. Augustine's Scott Sweet is a self-proclaimed chameleon and also claims to be one of the only two known Puerto Rican banjo players in the nation, as he was born there while his fathered was stationed as a military serviceman. Scott delivers to audiences today a body of work that stretches the mind and rounds out the corners of rooms. A progressive fusing of traditional and contemporary bluegrass, folk, and original acoustic rock, Scott's on-stage aura is comedic, warming, and often nostalgic. Featured on St. Augustine's collaborative profile album of singer-songwriters, Local Honey, and assisting countless local musicians by owning his own luthier company, Sweet Lutherie, Scott has become a hometown hero and living legend.
It all began around age 6 for Scott, with the experience of playing clarinet in middle school and his older sister's liking of Peter, Paul, and Mary and popular folk music of the 60s. He was 12 when he decided to take on the task of teaching himself the guitar when he realized that the clarinet was "not getting the girls to turn their heads." He decided on electric and studied on his own until age 16. It was at this age that Scott was invited to his first bluegrass festival. He was exposed to live performances by John Hartford, Newgrass Revival, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and The Dilliards, also known as the Darling Family Band on The Andy Griffith Show. After this festival Scott sold his electric, bought an acoustic, and never looked back.
