Justin Branum is a fiddler, mandolinist, and guitarist from Kirkwood, MO.  Justin started playing the fiddle at age 12 and became hooked on fiddle music after hearing records of Benny Thomason and Kenny Baker.  After playing Texas style and old-time fiddling for about three years Justin heard the fiddling of Western Swing legends Johnny Gimble and Keith Coleman and slowly began changing his focus towards Western Swing and Swing Jazz.

     Justin has won or placed in the top of many fiddle contests throughout the U.S., including a second place finish at the National Old-Time Fiddler’s Contest in Weiser, Idaho, 1^st place at the annual Branson Downtown Main Street Association fiddle contest in Branson, Missouri, and first at the Ozark Heritage Arts Center fiddle contest in “”, Arkansas.  Justin holds an A.A. degree in music from East Central College in Union, Missouri, where he studied jazz guitar and taught through the college’s continuing education program.  Justin is currently studying at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri where he is finishing his undergraduate degree in jazz violin performance.  Justin has performed in a wide variety of situations as a solo artist and with different groups, and currently plays fiddle, viola, mandolin, and guitar with the acoustic string band “Swing De Ville”.  Justin is also active as a teacher and clinician in the St. Louis, Missouri region.