[4] When his father hosted a bluegrass show on KRCL-FM in Salt Lake City, Flinner assisted in music selection.
[3] At age 12, Flinner joined the Peewee Pickers, who play bluegrass festivals and watched heroes perform, including the Osborne Brothers, Ralph Stanley, The Country Gentlemen, J. D. Crowe, and Doyle Lawson.
[4] Flinner won the Walnut Valley National Championship in Winfield, Kansas for bluegrass banjo in 1990[5] and the following year for mandolin.
Sugarbeat also featured lead vocalist and guitarist Ben Demerath (vocals, guitar), and Sally Truitt (bass).
[3] Flinner was a featured soloist with Trey Anastasio during the Nashville Chamber Orchestra's performance of Don Hart's "Concertino for Strings, Two Mandolins and Guitar" with guitarist Roger Hudson and mandolinist Carlo Aonzo.
[21] Flinner also occasionally performs and tours with Darrell Scott, Frank Vignola, David Grier, Alison Brown, Missy Raines, the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, and the Ying Quartet.