2018 featured guest coaches
Camp Coaches
Fiddler Byron Berline, Featured Guest Coach 2018
Three-Time National Fiddle Champion
From ByronBerline.com: "Byron's professional career reads like 'Who's Who' in the music business as he has performed with or recorded with so many notables including Bill Monroe/The Band / The Byrds / The Eagles / The Rolling Stones / Manhattan Transfer / Bob Dylan / Elton John / Vince Gill / Arlo Guthrie / Emmylou Harris / Kris Kirstofferson / Willie Nelson and numerous symphony orchestras. He has been touted as 'one of the most inventive fiddlers ever …' His skill, versatility and artistry continue to be recognized by his peers, the press and audiences world-wide. He is a witty, charming personality and his music is evidence of that."
Guitarist Denny Breau, Featured Guest Coach 2018
From DennyBreau.com:
"Denny Breau's rhythmically flawless and dazzlingly clear style allows him to do amazing and stunning things with a six-string guitar. He first draws in an audience with a finely arranged melody and then slides effortlessly into scorching fingerwork that sets ears aflame. The lighting fast guitar lines that seem almost humanly impossible to accomplish are balanced with those that have a quiet intimacy and wrap tenderly around his carefully crafted songs. He mixes genres with ease — folk, Delta blues, country and jazz. Denny, who has a passion for teaching, is happy to show anyone how to get there. This is especially true when demonstrating the guitar style of Chet Atkins, who was a family friend and major influence. His older brother, the late Lenny Breau, is considered a jazz guitar giant."
Coaches from 2017
Shana Aisenberg mandolin, guitar, ukelele
Shana Aisenberg is a nationally recognized multi-instrumentalist, playing, composing, recording, and teaching diverse acoustic roots styles from traditional southern Appalachian and Celtic, to eastern European Klezmer, bottleneck blues and jazz. She has been a national flatpicking champion.
Bob Amos banjo, guitar, songwriting
For 15 years Bob was the front man, lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for the internationally acclaimed band "Front Range" and is now part of the Vermont hot bluegrass band "Catamount Crossing" featuring stellar vocals and rock-solid instrumentation where Bob's banjo playing provides a driving force for the group. Bob offers workshops in banjo, guitar, and songwriting.
Melissa Caron (Bragdon) fiddle, Irish
Melissa Bragdon's interest lies in the fiddling styles of Celtic music and she has performed Irish music around New England and in Ireland. She is a member of the bluegrass band "Jerks of Grass" and has taught general music, beginning strings, and high school orchestra.
Susie Burke vocals, guitar
Susie Burke has a vocal style that is at once stunning and heartfelt. "Burke displays a gift for pulling honest emotional chords--all too rare in these clever and cynical times." (Scott Alarik, Boston Globe)
Bruce Carlson pedal steel guitar
Bruce adds strong jamming skills to the mix, plus he plays the elusive pedal steel guitar (lessons provided also). We let one electric instrument squeak in because he's Ellen’s brother!
Darrell Carlson Country, Bluegrass, Swing, Rock guitar, vocals
Darrell has been playing guitar and singing since he was nine years old. He started a band when he was twelve and his sister Ellen and brother Bruce joined in along with some neighborhood kids. Not only has he played with bands in Connecticut and New Hampshire, but he jams into the wee hours playing everything from country to rock to blues welcoming players of all levels.
Ellen Carlson fiddle, hamboning
Fiddler Ellen Carlson has a strong grasp on several musical genres. She has played with bluegrass, swing, western swing, country, Irish and square dance bands. Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine gave her a coveted highlight review for her solo album "People I Play With" as well as three excellent reviews for her band High Range, calling her "a talented musician." She teaches at numerous festivals and workshops including Fiddle Hell, Grey Fox, Joe Val, and Pemi Valley. She started and leads the NH Fiddle Ensemble (featured on WMUR's Chronicle) with over 80 members. She is a member of the NH State Council on the Arts Teaching Roster.
Alan Epstein mandolin
Alan was the founder of the modern day "Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra" in 2002 and has studied gypsy mandolin under the great Charley Rappaport. He lives in upstate New York and teaches many workshops on bluegrass jamming using the Wernick bluegrass jamming technique. Alan excels at helping students master fundamentals and techniques in a highly positive way.
Paul Hubert guitar
Paul Hubert has performed extensively as a solo artist on classical guitar and as a singer/songwriter. He is the guitarist extraordinaire with the NH-based band The Buskers, featuring tasteful fingerstyle guitar to blues-to-the-metal rock licks. He has produced three solo recordings and is featured on several other recordings and has an ongoing relationship with the New Hampshire Very Special Arts program.
Amanda Kowalski bass
Amanda Kowalski was the original bassist with the bluegrass band "Della Mae" and has been on many a national stage. In addition to playing fabulous bass she sings lead and harmony vocals and has taught at Augusta Heritage Center and other camps.
Jim Prendergast guitar, Irish
Jim is a Nashville transplant and has recorded and played with many of the "A" list session musicians in Nashville. You can find him playing Irish music with some of the best in the northeast and his swing guitar playing turns heads of some of the finest guitar pickers around. He owns Mill Pond Music Studio in Portsmouth.
Woody Pringle old-time banjo
Woody is both a musician and educator of old-time banjo, fiddle and mandolin. He is a performing artist with the NH Humanities Council "NH To Go" and Global Banjar, as well as a performing artist with the NH State Arts Council in Education.
Steve Roy bass, mandolin, fun-meister
Steve Roy has toured on bass with bluegrass fiddler Laurie Lewis, Hit and Run Bluegrass and was a member of High Range. He currently plays with the Stowaways and Erica Brown and leads the bluegrass jam in Dover.
Kathy Sommer fiddle
Kathy plays fiddle and mandolin with the pop/folk/jazz band The Buskers and with northern NY jazz, folk and classical musicians in Yellow Moon and Northern Lights Orchestra. You can catch her performing across state lines, or maybe giving a workshop at a bluegrass festival or at the NYS Old Tyme Fiddlers' Association.
David Surette guitar, mandolin
David Surette is considered one of New England's finest guitarists, and has distinguished himself among North American Celtic guitarists by his use of Breton and French materials. He also plays mandolin and bouzouki. He is sought after as an accompanist in New England contra dance circles, recording with Rodney Miller, and is head of the folk department at the Concord Community Music School.
Coaches and Back Up Musicians From Previous Years
David Greely Cajun Fiddle
Andrea Larson Swedish
Andrew VanNorstrand Fiddle, Mandolin, Guitar
Carter Logan Banjo, Dobro
Jason Anick Fiddle, Mandolin
Erica Brown Fiddle
Matt Glaser Fiddle
Darol Anger Fiddle
Joyce Andersen Fiddle and Vocals
Harvey Reid Guitar and Vocals
Matt Shipman Guitar, Bass and Mandolin
Rodney Miller The Great Contra Dance Fiddler
David Surrette Folk and Bluegrass, Guitar and Mandolin
Shana Aisenburg Guitar, Mandolin and Fiddle
Ryan Thomson Fiddle, Accordion, Penny Whistle and Dance
Donna Hebert Fiddle
Liza Constable Guitar and Vocals
Paul Bourgelais Guitar
Nancy Harrowitz Vocals
Bob Kordas Banjo and Resonator Guitar
Diane Kordas Bass, Vocals and Song Writing
Todd Jones Guitar, Banjo, Vocals and Song Writing
Skip Gorman Mandolin and Cowboy Historian
August Watters Guitar, Bass, Mandolin and Vocals
Steve Roy Bass and Fun
Dave Talmage Banjo and Fiddle
Sue Hunt Piano, Accordion and Calling
Peter Stillwagon Guitar
