Bluegrass Ambassadors: How one band is bridging cultural divides through music

By Evan Dawson,

Published July 28, 2026 at 2:40 PM EDT

Four men holding instruments stand in front of microphones in a recording studio: a man far left has long brown hair and a brown beard, is wearing a grey plaid suit, white button-down shirt and red tie, and holding a mandolin; a man near left has a dark ponytail, is wearing a navy suit, blue button-down shirt and blue tie, and is holding an upright bass; a man near right has long dark hair and a dark beard, is wearing a grey suit, light blue button-down shirt and navy tie, and is holding a guitar; a man far right has long brown hair and is wearing a grey suit, lavender button-down shirt and purple floral tie, and is holding a banjo.

1 of 2 — Jake Howard, Jon Goldfine, Chris Dollar and Ben Wright on "Connections"

Jake Howard, Jon Goldfine, Chris Dollar and Ben Wright on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Tuesday, July 28, 2026

David Griffin / WXXI News

Five men wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a man front left has long dark hair, a dark beard and is wearing a grey suit, white button-down shirt and black tie; a man front right has a long grey ponytail and is wearing a dark suit, dark blue button-down shirt and blue patterned tie; a balding man at center is wearing a bright blue button-down shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers; a man back left has long brown hair and is wearing a grey suit jacket, lavender button-down shirt and purple floral tie; a man back right has long brown hair, a brown beard and is wearing a grey plaid suit jacket, white button-down shirt and red tie.

2 of 2 — (foreground) Chris Dollar and Jon Goldfine, (background) Ben Wright and Jake Howard with host Evan Dawson on "Connections"

(foreground) Chris Dollar and Jon Goldfine, (background) Ben Wright and Jake Howard with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Tuesday, July 28, 2026

David Griffin / WXXI News

"Diplomacy isn't just for diplomats."

That's according to the bluegrass band, the Henhouse Prowlers. The band has traveled to more than two dozen nations through its non-profit arm, the Bluegrass Ambassadors.

The goal is to use the common language of music to promote cross-cultural collaborations, breakdown misconceptions and misunderstandings, and create a more empathetic world.

As the band passes through Rochester, they join us on "Connections" to discuss the impact of their work and to play some music.

In studio:

Ben Wright, banjo and vocals for the Henhouse Prowlers
Jon Goldfine, upright bass and vocals for the Henhouse Prowlers
Jake Howard, mandolin and vocals for the Henhouse Prowlers
Chris Dollar, guitar and vocals for the Henhouse Prowlers

"Look Up to the Sky" and "Gospel in Review" appear courtesy of Dark Shadow Recording.