Jade Thorneberry – Jamming +
Gretchen Priest – Fiddle & Jamming
Born in Indiana; lived in Nashville, TN since 1995. Gretchen Priest is founder, & director of the Musical Heritage Center, aka Fiddle & Pick where she teaches Old-time, Irish, Bluegrass fiddle and other styles through private lessons, classes and hosts inclusive Traditional music jams and sessions.
She recently released a new record, “Roadside Distraction”, with mandolinist Emily Wilson (Old-time, Irish & wacky tunes). She also currently plays with The Nashville Irish Trio (Eamonn Dillon, Robert Johnson) and Erinn Peet-Lukes, and her long-time band, PLAIDGRASS. She has been on staff at many music camps, toured with Ceili Rain, Crucial Smith, played the Grand Ole Opry, and for many Nashville Artists; and played for the Pope!
Keith Yoder – Jam Class
Keith Yoder is a talented musician and instructor with an unconventional approach to music education. With over four decades of experience playing and performing on all the bluegrass instruments, Keith enjoys sharing his love of music through lessons and camps. He has taught bluegrass music full time since 1994 on guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, dobro, and fiddle. He teaches private and group lessons in Maryville, TN and online.
Additionally, Keith has been teaching at music camps across the United States and Canada since 2007. His extensive knowledge of bluegrass, hands-on approach, and ability to provide individualized instruction for all skill levels contribute to his excellence as a teacher. As a student noted, a camp with Keith provided “the most comprehensive study of acoustic music” they’ve experienced. Keith shares the theory and techniques of how and what to play in any music setting.
Since their move to the foothills of east Tennessee, Keith and his wife Sarah have also hosted numerous private acoustic music camps. During these camps, small groups (2-5) of like-minded musicians enjoy learning new techniques, tunes, and experiencing the music and beauty of the region. They hosted 15 camps in 2019. As a student, expect to play a lot and learn skills immediately applicable to your playing. If you’ve played music with Keith, you know you can expect great musicianship and a whole lot of fun.
Let’s Jam with Keith Yoder – If you are brand new to jamming or would like to feel more confident in a jam session – this class is for you. Open to all levels of players of guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, dobro, and fiddle. Expect to play a lot and have a great time as we learn together. Learn your role in a bluegrass jam. We will cover etiquette, dynamics, backup, and playing in a way that supports the music. My job is to help you be as comfortable as you can be while learning to play with others at a higher level. Looking forward to a great time!
Wil Maring – Songwriting / Bass
Robert Bowlin – Guitar / Fiddle
Bowlin started playing ukulele when he was one, and by the time he was five years old he had picked up the guitar.[1]In 1978, Bowlin won second place in the National Guitar Flat Pick Championship at the Walnut Valley Festival, in Winfield, Kansas. The next year, in 1979, he won first place in the festival’s Finger Style Guitar Championship. In the 1980s, Bowlin was a sideman to artists like Maura O’Connell and Kathy Mattea, the latter whom he appeared with on the popular television program, “Austin City Limits“. In 1993, Bowlin was chosen to fill the fiddle spot in Bill Monroe‘s Bluegrass Boys. This job would last until 1996. The band played the Grand Ole Opry, and a few months later, Monroe died.Following Monroe’s passing, Bowlin turned to recording sessions with Tom T. Hall, the Osborne Brothers, Boxcar Willie, and Hank Thompson, among others. In addition, Bowlin has toured with artists such as Ray Price, Bobby Bare, Faron Young, and Ricky Van Shelton.At one point, he was a member of the swing band The Time Jumpers, a band that often plays The Station Inn and currently features Vince Gill.
In 2007, FGM Records, the recording arm of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, released his debut CD, “Six String Soliloquy”, which features sixteen instrumentals played on acoustic guitar with a flatpick.From 2004 through present, Bowlin left the road with the major country and bluegrass stars and chose to perform with singer-songwriter Wil Maring [1]. In this duo formation, he is able to feature his own original songs and guitar instrumentals.In 2008, Bowlin won first place in the Fiddle, Flatpicking Guitar and Mandolin categories at the Uncle Dave Macon Days Festival in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
He is an accomplished instructor, teaching a semester in the bluegrass program at East Tennessee State University, and he has held workshops at music camps and stores across the United States.
Scott Napier – Mandolin
A native of southeastern Kentucky, Scott Napier picked up a mandolin as a teenager and has hardly set it down since. Scott began his professional career in 1996 as mandolinist with bluegrass legend Larry Sparks. There were many highlights in his ten years as a Lonesome Rambler, including a tour of Japan, The 4th of July Celebration at the Washington Monument, a Prairie Home Companion taping, “Alison Krauss and Friends” special on G.A.C. TV, a mandolin endorsement from Gibson, several album recordings, and many performance appearances on The Grand Ole Opry. After leaving the Lonesome Ramblers, Scott spent a year touring with International Bluegrass Music Association award-winning female vocalist Dale Ann Bradley and appeared on her 2006 release “Catch Tomorrow.” Around the same time, Scott was also a member of the house band for many episodes of the PBS series Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour in Lexington, KY. Scott was then recruited by Grammy award-winning artist Marty Raybon to tour the country as part of Marty’s band, “Full Circle.” Scott appeared with Marty for his album “This, That, and the Other” in 2009. Following the death of The Lost and Found band’s mandolinist, Dempsey Young, Scott received a phone call from bandleader Allen Mills asking if Scott would fill in Dempsey’s absence in the group. Scott was honored to take on the role of helping The Lost and Found complete their 2009 album, “Love, Lost and Found,” on which Dempsey had recorded half of the material, and Scott finished the rest. Scott continues to play with The Lost and Found today, as traveling allows.
In 2010, Scott recorded and released his first full-length solo album, “All Out Front,” showcasing twelve tracks, ten of which are Napier originals. “All Out Front” was well-received and featured a stellar back-up band of Michael Cleveland, Kent Blanton, Clay Hess, and Josh McMurray, with special guests Bobby Osborne, Dale Ann Bradley, Marty Raybon, Don Rigsby, and others. In 2012, bandleader Mike Scott of Mike Scott and The Nashville Band as Scott to join them for a twelve-day tour playing bluegrass music in Israel; Scott notes this as a highlight moment of his career, and it remains one of his favorite travel experiences thus far. In 2014, Scott accepted a full-time teaching position at Hazard Community and Technical College’s Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music (KSBTM) in Hyden, KY, where he is still employed today as Associate Professor. At the KSBTM, Scott teaches classes in bluegrass music history, songwriting, and ensemble directing, as well as private lessons on both mandolin and guitar. Working closely with Bobby Osborne through the KSBTM, Scott started the Bobby Osborne Mandolin Roundup in 2017, an annual one-day mandolin camp bringing two-dozen students of all ages from around the country to Hyden for the opportunity to learn personally from Bobby, Scott, and other guest instructors.
In 2018 and 2020 Scott was nominated by the International Bluegrass Music Association for their Mentor of the Year award. In addition to his busy teaching schedule, Scott continues to freelance as a player, filling in with various bands for both in-person appearances and recording projects. He also offers private lessons and continues to write songs almost daily. Scott is endorsed by Gibson mandolins, Weber mandolins, GHS Strings, and BlueChip Picks.
Dave Polston
Dave was fascinated by banjo but didn’t start playing til later in life. As a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, he now plays and teaches banjo, guitar, and dobro.
His love of music leads him to volunteer to teach Tucson’s Desert Bluegrass Association’s weekly, free workshops on bluegrass jamming techniques. As president of the Association, he works tirelessly to make their Bluegrass Festival (held in Marana) better each year.
Dave is a founding member of the 7 year old 2 Lazy 2 Ranch Band. The band currently has 3 CDs out, the latest of which is “Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch”.
Jimmy Hefferman – Dobro
Jimmy Heffernan is a highly respected Nashville session player, sideman, and producer. He’s a versatile multi-instrumentalist, and one of the true masters of the resonator guitar. Jimmy also happens to be an outstanding music instructor who loves to teach, and has a real gift for it. Over the years Jimmy has played with Bill Keith, Red Allen, Bill Grant and Dehlia Bell. In 1980 Jimmy joined Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers which he toured with for two years. 1988 was a momentous year for Jimmy, he played electric guitar for Doug Kershaw for a year, and then joined Joe Diffie’s band, where he stayed for nine years. Jimmy reflects fondly on this time: “We toured every major venue and appeared as a members of the Grand Ole Opry. We played lots of television, including The grand Ole Opry Live, Regis and Kathy Lee, The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, and Hee Haw, to name but a few. Joe sold over eight million records during this time. Upon leaving Joe Diffie’s employment, Jimmy stayed in Nashville, producing albums and working with new artists before finally joining Brad Paisley’s band in 1999. He toured with Brad for two years as well as playing Dobro on Brad’s second ARISTA album, Grammy nominated “Part Two”. Since leaving Brad Paisley’s band, Jimmy has been playing with Mark Cosgrove (The Jerry Douglas Band) and producing records for new artist. During this time he has also toured with the Charlie Louvin and Lucinda Williams. These days, Jimmy Heffernan is shifting gears (getting too old to play on the road), devoting more time to one of the things he loves best, teaching up-and-coming players. Jimmy has conducted his highly popular Dobro Workshops here in the USA and also at “Sore Fingers” in England and in Munich. www.jimmyheffernan.com
Beth Mead – Banjo / Jamming
Beth is a Banjo player and teacher currently based in the Philadelphia Area. She studied and taught Banjo and Bluegrass Music at South Plains College, and continues to host jams and teach private lessons on banjo, guitar and ukulele. She is also Kitty Starr, Kitty Starr and the Whereabouts, a band born at Camp Bluegrass! She performs throughout the US and has recorded with Alan Munde, Anne Luna, Chris Sanders, Dede Wyland and her east coast band, Tookany Creek featuring Ray Duffy, John Catterall and Larry Cohen. As a writer and vocalist, she has just finished a collaboration with Alan Munde on a volume of American Popular Songs arranged for the 5 string banjo.
Beth’s skills and topics covered in her banjo and jammingclass.
1. Hits from the American Popular songbook: learn Blue Skies and Bye Bye Blue
2. The big 3 movable chord shapes and how to use them
3. Magic D tricks to use in backup and soloing without retuning
4. Two Chord Songs: Waltz Across Texas and Take me back to Tulsa
5. Learn to accompany, sing and play a break for the 3 most popular sing
along songs: Country Roads, You are my Sunshine and Hey Good Lookin’.
6. Learn a melody break for Country Roads, You Are My Sunshine, Hey Good Looking
7. Banjo accompaniment for folk singing: Last Thing on my Mind, This Land is Your Land
8. Learn to play in open C The old spinning wheel
9. Warm up and scale exercises for everyone.
10 . Learn the alternating thumb roll and how to use it for accompaniment
Songwriting
Songwriting
Wil has become a highly acclaimed songwriter, a winner of the prestigious Merlefest songwriting competition and a Kerrville NewFolk finalist. She has performed on the Grand Ole Opry and NPRs Whaddya Know program, in addition to touring extensively in Europe and Japan.