Mando & Banjo Week, June 29-July 5 2025
The annual pairing of Fiddle Week with Mando & Banjo Week is always a match made in heaven! We’re thrilled to have Joe K. Walsh as the new coordinator for this innovative program, whose staff for 2025 comprises top national and international artists representing a variety of styles. Our mandolin instructors will include David Benedict (also teaching octave mandolin), Alan Bibey, Sharon Gilchrist, Caterina Lichtenberg (classical), Mike Marshall, John Reischman, and Don Stiernberg (jazz and swing). Tabitha Agnew Benedict and Bill Evans will teach bluegrass banjo, while Laura Boosinger and Bruce Molsky will offer classes in old-time banjo. In addition, on-site repairs will be available once again from expert luthier Lynn Dudenbostel.
Mando & Banjo Week features classes in two of the instruments that are at the core of several of the most popular folk genres we offer, including bluegrass, old-time, Irish and Brazilian, as well as some of the more adventurous blendings of traditional and jazz flavors known as ‘new acoustic’ music. For the mandolin students, we also offer classes in improvisation, traditional swing/jazz, classical mandolin and more, while the banjo students can sample a variety of classes in the three-finger plucked bluegrass style, or two-finger and clawhammer old-time styles. Mando & Banjo Week has been paired with our Fiddle Week, offering classes in similar styles, to encourage students from both programs to jam with each other, and, with guitar classes in both programs to provide rhythm players, the possibilities for impromptu bands and jam sessions are rich indeed. There will be concerts throughout the week featuring our world-class staff, and the Student Showcase at week’s end will be an optional performance opportunity for those students who wish to show off what they have learned. Most classes are taught at the intermediate or advanced level, but we continue to offer a few introductory classes for students who want to gain confidence in learning and able to tune their instruments, keep time, play the principal scales cleanly, and know how to play a few tunes with confidence. This level is also appropriate for advanced players who would like to explore a style that is new to them, or for experienced players who need to get more fluent playing by ear. The advanced classes are designed to build on previous experience in the style. Advanced students should be able to easily learn by ear, have a basic repertoire in the style, and be comfortable playing in more challenging keys. During the last hour before supper, there will be a special class time for students of any skill level to form bands along with students from Fiddle Week, or participate in the Daily Bluegrass Jam, or visit our Luthier’s Exhibit featuring several luthiers, who will be demonstrating their craft and will also have finished works on hand to sample. Mando & Banjo Week runs concurrently with Fiddle Week, and students are free to take classes in either program.