Instructors
Instructors
Instructors
Below was our instructor lineup for 2024.
Banjo
Kristin Scott Benson
The Grascals
Kristin Scott Benson is the six-time International Bluegrass Music Association’s Banjo Player of the Year and recipient of the 2018 Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass.
Since 2008, she has been a member of Grammy-nominated and two-time IBMA Entertainers of the Year, The Grascals. Kristin is one of the nation’s top bluegrass banjo players, exhibiting impeccable taste, timing, and tone. With an attentive ear to back-up, she is known and respected as a true team player among her peers.
Kristin’s latest solo album, entitled Stringworks, on Mountain Home Records, was released in July of 2016. It debuted in the top-ten on Billboard’s Bluegrass album chart and the self-penned opening track, Great Waterton, was nominated for IBMA’s Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year. The record is a mixture of styles, reflecting her tastes, and features original and traditional instrumentals, as well as vocal songs, all showcasing her banjo playing.
Kristin has been featured on The Grascals’ albums since 2008, including the latest release, Before Breakfast, which topped The Bluegrass Unlimited Album Chart, holding the #1 slot for 8 consecutive months. As part of the Grascals, Kristin’s media performances include The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Fox & Friends, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and CBS’ The Talk, among others. The band has also performed for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as accumulating nearly 200 performances on The Grand Ole Opry.
Kristin plays a 1930 Gibson TB-3 banjo. After 13 years in Nashville, Kristin relocated back near her original home in the Carolinas, where she lives with her husband and son.
Frank Evans
The Slocan Ramblers
Frank Evans is a highly acclaimed banjo player and musician, widely regarded as one of the most accomplished musicians in his field. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Evans was drawn to the banjo from a young age, and sought every opportunity to surround himself with the Appalachian music of the United States. He won the youth banjo contest at the Clifftop Appalachian String Band Festival when he was 13 and later placed second overall.
Evans studied privately with some of the most renowned banjo players of his time including Chris Coole, Adam Hurt, and Jayme Stone and went on to be the first banjo player to be accepted into the Humber College of Music where he met the musicians that formed his band, The Slocan Ramblers.
Their first album, Shaking Down the Acorns (2012) gained attention worldwide and led them to open for Steve Martin at the Toronto Jazz festival in 2013. The band’s second album, Queen City Jubilee (2019) garnered a Juno Nomination, and for their latest release, Up the Hill and Through the Fog (2023) won the Ensemble of the Year award at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
In 2020, Evans moved to Nashville, TN and within a few months was invited to perform at the Ryman Auditorium with the Old Crow Medicine Show. Since moving to Nashville, Evans has been in demand as a session player, performer and in March of 2023 was invited to be a member of the International Bluegrass Music Association Leadership Program at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Evans has recorded several critically acclaimed albums over the course of his career, each showcasing his incredible musicianship and unique approach to the banjo. His most notable projects include the duo album with fiddler Ben Plotnick, Madison Archives (2022), which won the CFMA Traditional Album of the Year Award, as well as earning a Juno Nomination. He is featured on two albums with Natalie McMaster, Sketches (2019), and her most recent album with Donnell Leahy, Canvas (2023).
Evans tours the US, Canada and Europe, and has played on some of the most prestigious stages including Rockygrass, Merlefest, and Jacob’s Ladder Folk Festival in Israel. His exceptional ability as a teacher has resulted in invitations to teach at some of the most acclaimed camps including The Nashville Acoustic Camp, RockyGrass Academy, and Midwest Banjo Camp.
Frank has become known for his distinctive style which blends traditional folk music with contemporary influences, creating a sound that is uniquely his own.
His striking vocal stylings distinguish him as an original and captivating performer, both live and in recordings. Whether he is performing on stage or in the studio, Frank Evans is a true master of the banjo and a musical icon in his own right. His contributions to the world of folk music and beyond will undoubtedly continue to inspire and influence generations to come.
Jayme Stone
Jayme Stone is a musician, composer, instigator, producer and educator. On any given day, you might find him in his studio reworking a little-known hymn learned from a field recording, producing a session with musicians from Bamako or New York, creating experimental soundscapes, or tucking his kids in on time so he can get back to writing the next verse of a new song.
Stone, a “consummate team player” (Downbeat), has developed a process of trawling for understudied sounds in the more arcane corners of the world to see how they’ll land in his musical universe.
His many collaborators have included Margaret Glaspy, Moira Smiley, Tim O’Brien, Julian Lage, Dom Flemons, Bassekou Kouyate, and more. He has made a surprise album every two or three years—seven total. Albums like Africa to Appalachia, a polyrhythmic tale of two continents; the Lomax Project, which re-imagines songs collected by American folklorist Alan Lomax; and AWake, where Stone breaks new ground as an experimental indie-pop songwriter and producer.
Career highlights include winning two Juno Awards, three Canadian Folk Music Awards; being featured on NPR, BBC, and the CBC; and performing thousands of concerts at places like the Lincoln and Kennedy Centers, Library of Congress, Bumbershoot, Rockygrass, Celtic Connections, Vancouver Folk Festival, Lotus Festival, Chicago World Music Festival, Montréal Jazz Festival, and more. As an educator, Stone has taught workshops and masterclasses at universities and music camps and has been on faculty at Rockygrass Academy, Banjo Summit, Midwest Banjo Camp, Targhee Music Camp, Silk Road Global Musician Workshop, and more.
Bass
Charles James
The Slocan Ramblers
Charles James is a bass player and composer based in Toronto, Canada. His musical versatility has allowed him to share the stage with acclaimed artists across a wide variety of genres, and made him a fixture in some of Canada’s most reputable recording studios. His emotional depth and melodic approach to the bass have thrilled audiences all across Canada and the United States, as well as the U.K., Australia, Greece, Denmark, and Sweden. Charles has played/recorded with many notable artists including David Crosby, Sylvia Tyson, Jim Cuddy, Skydiggers, Michelle Willis, Tim Baker, Snowblink, and The Slocan Ramblers.
Eric Thorin
Eric Thorin is a highly regarded musician/bassist living on the front range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. He can be found on stage in 2024 in The Matt Flinner Trio with Ross Martin, on the road with the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, Bonnie Paine, Tony Furtado and Celtic supergroup, The Bow Tides.
Owner of Ethoriole Music, Eric is honored to have performed on two Grammy nominated recordings: Calling You From My Mountain with The Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band and Man On Fire by Danny Barnes.
Eric remains active in the studio as producer and performer, has written hundreds of compositions as a member of The Matt Flinner Trio, orchestrated songs for Elephant Revival with the Colorado Symphony and Colorado Music Festival Orchestra and mixed, mastered and produced the debut recording release of Take Down the Door, Live in Lyons.
Teaching is a big part of his presence in 2024 including the Spanish Peaks Celtic Festival and serving as adjunct faculty in the Folk and Bluegrass program at the University of Northern Colorado.
Vickie Vaughn
Della Mae
A Western Kentucky native, Vickie Vaughn stomped into Nashville with a fistful of original material and a desire to play bass and sing with the best of them. In 2015, Vaughn released her debut EP under the production of Bluegrass royalty Ronnie McCoury before heading out on the road singing background vocals with Patty Loveless. She has been sighted sharing the stage of the Bluegrass fan favorite festival, ROMP, singing in a trio with fellow Kentuckians, Ricky Skaggs and Patty Loveless. Three Grand Ole Opry appearances later, Vickie now tours with Grammy-nominated Della Mae, who frequents the stage with greats such as Billy Strings and comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short. Vickie is also proud to be the 2023 International Bluegrass Association’s Bass Player of the Year.
Dobro
Billy Cardine
Billy Cardine is a slide guitar pioneer, taking the dobro with him into somewhat unchartered territories and helping make them feel like home. Bluegrass Unlimited says “Billy Cardine proves to be one of the new generation of resonator guitar players who truly understands the possibilities of the instrument.” His patchwork of diverse musical influences contributes to his chameleonesque ability to fit in with whatever collaboration he joins on the stage, or in the studio. Billy was lucky enough to grow up near Mike Auldridge, his first teacher and mentor.
Billy’s distinct sound has lead him to collaborations with Edgar Meyer and Mike Marshall in the Porous Borders of Music, alongside Jerry Douglas (and many ResoSummit instructors) on Tut Taylor’s Tribute album, Southern Filibuster, and with Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones.
Billy’s unique stylings and expertise attracted innovative analog music mogul, Moog Music. During 2010, he helped design their first electric slide guitar which he debuted at MoogFest that same year.
Amongst Billy’s own recording projects, his “Six String Swing” helped bring the Dobro into the world of Swing Jazz.
“The swing music Billy Cardine is tackling on the resophonic guitar on this project is some of my all time favorite music, and in his hands, the music itself takes on an all new meaning to me. It all sounds so natural to the resophonic guitar that one is almost forgiven for not realizing that this is pretty much impossible to pull off so convincingly.” — Mike Auldridge
His newest release, Concrete Garden, features musicians from around the world and groupings of instruments maybe never heard before. And next years release, Old Crooked Mountain, poises the acoustic Dobro alongside drums, bass, horns, and more, in a Covid fueled exploration of new sounds.
As an engineer and producer, Billy’s distinctive voice shines through any instrument he plays, song that he composes, and album that he produces. His works have won national and international awards and recognition including Indie Acoustic Music Project’s Roots Album of the Year, Apple’s playlist of the year, and Chicago Tribune’s Best Bluegrass records of the year. His memorable compositions and emotive playing have been featured on Television productions such as The History Channel’s “Our Generation”, BBC World’s “Destination Music”, and PBS’ “RoadTrip Nation”.
In addition to his busy touring schedule with a variety of lineups, Billy has been teaching workshops throughout Europe, India, Canada and the USA, as well as taking part in cross cultural programs thru the US State Department.
Billy ‘the farmer’ is in year six of building a permaculture food forest on his land outside of Asheville NC where he lives with his amazing wife Mary, 2 boys Bodie and Julian, and 2 of the best dogs ever.
Justin Konrad
Justin Konrad has played music professionally for over thirty years, starting out on rock guitar before discovering funk, jazz and Afro-Cuban music while studying music and philosophy at Harvard University. Upon moving to Colorado he fell headlong into bluegrass and eventually found his way to the squareneck resophonic guitar, winning the Rockygrass dobro instrument contest in 2016. Justin joined Colorado bluegrass phenomenon Bowregard just before they won the 2019 Telluride Bluegrass Festival band contest.
He spent the next two years with the band honing his chops while sharing the stage with the likes of Sam Bush, The Lil Smokies, Town Mountain, and Trout Steak Revival; his dobro playing is featured on their debut album, Arrows (produced by Nick Forster of Hot Rize and eTown fame).
Justin was also a founding member of All Wheel Drive, an all-star group of musicians that performs a live re-creation of the classic Bela Fleck album “Drive”. Justin can now be found onstage with perennial Colorado favorites Rapidgrass (winners of the 2015 Rockygrass band contest), as well as staying busy as a session musician and sideman on resophonic guitar, Weissenborn and lap steel.
Fiddle
Stuart Duncan
Stuart Duncan is a master fiddler whose virtuosity has made him one of the most sought-after musicians. He has earned four Grammy awards, many Academy of Country Music Awards, and nine titles as the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Fiddle Player of the Year.
His career is marked by his adaptability which can be heard on the hundreds of recordings where he is featured. His extensive discography boasts a myriad of session work, enriching albums across the musical spectrum.
Duncan is a founding member of the Nashville Bluegrass Band and his most recent collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile is titled the Goat Rodeo Sessions.
Kimber Ludiker
Della Mae
Kimber Ludiker is part of a 5-generation fiddling family from Spokane, WA now living in the DC area. She started learning on the lap of her grandfather at age 3, and went on to win three National Fiddle Championship titles. She is the founder of Della Mae, a GRAMMY-nominated, service-driven, all-woman string-band that has traveled with the US Department of State to over 20 countries spreading peace and understanding through music.
Kimber was awarded Mentor of the Year at the 2022 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards. She has been mentoring kids, artists, and up-and-coming bands for quite some time and is the Director of California Bluegrass Association’s Youth Academy, Ashokan Bluegrass Camp, and co-director of IBMA’s Kids on Bluegrass.
While not on tour or running/teaching camps, Kimber can be found in a pottery studio making functional ceramics- many with fiddle and other instrument themes. See her work and music schedule at www.fiddleparty.com.
Natalie Padilla
“Exacting attention to detail… and an infectious energy”
-Strings Magazine
Born into a family of acclaimed roots musicians, Natalie Padilla was immersed in fiddle and violin music at a very young age. She initially studied Texas-Style fiddle under the tutelage of her mother, award-winning fiddler Nancy Padilla, and began winning contests on her own at the age of 6. Along with the traditions of Old-Time and Bluegrass Fiddle music, Natalie also has deep roots in classical violin. In 2011 she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Northern Colorado and can still be found sitting in the violin section of an orchestra.
She has recorded three albums of original folk music, maintains a large studio of fiddlers and travels near and far to teach and perform. Natalie’s love for sharing music and community remains her biggest inspiration.
Guitar
Chris “Critter” Eldridge
Punch Brothers
As a member of Punch Brothers since the band’s inception, guitarist Chris Eldridge has been at the vanguard of acoustic music for over a decade. Although initially drawn to the electric guitar, by his mid-teens Chris Eldridge had developed a deep love for acoustic music, thanks in part to his father, Ben, a banjo player and founding member of the seminal bluegrass group The Seldom Scene. Eldridge later gained in-depth exposure to a variety of different musical styles while studying at Oberlin Conservatory, where he earned a degree in music performance in 2004. During his time at Oberlin, Eldridge studied with legendary guitarist Tony Rice.
After graduating he joined the Seldom Scene with whom he received a Grammy nomination in 2007. In 2005 he founded the critically acclaimed bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters. At the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association awards Eldridge and his Stringdusters bandmates won Emerging artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year for their debut album, Fork in the Road.
Meanwhile, in 2005 he had caught the attention of mandolinist Chris Thile, who enlisted him, along with banjoist Noam Pikelny, violinist Gabe Witcher, bassist Greg Garrison (and later, bassist Paul Kowert) to start working on an ambitious side project. Soon after they decided to focus all of their collective energies into band and Punch Brothers was born. The band has since released 6 critically acclaimed albums, won a Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2018 and toured the world.
Eldridge also plays in a duo with guitarist Julian Lage. They have released 2 full length records and an EP. Their most recent, Mount Royal, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album in 2017.
In addition, Chris Eldridge has worked with a diverse cast of musical luminaries including Paul Simon, Renée Fleming, John Paul Jones, Marcus Mumford, Justin Timberlake, T-Bone Burnett, Jon Brion, Fiona Apple, The War and Treaty, Jerry Douglas, I’m With Her, and Del McCoury.
In 2019, Eldridge was named Instrumentalist of the Year by the Americana Music Association.
Eldridge was the house guitarist on the public radio show, Live From Here (formerly known as A Prairie Home Companion), from 2016-2020. He is currently Visiting Associate Professor of Contemporary American Acoustic Music at Oberlin College.
Tyler Grant
National Flatpicking Champion Tyler Grant is an internationally recognized guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and leader of the band Grant Farm® (currently on hiatus). His latest album, Tryin’ To Have A Good Time (Americana Vibes, 2022), is a tribute to his late father. Tyler has appeared at most major US festivals and performed thousands of concerts and guitar workshops worldwide. He was an original member of the Emmitt-Nershi Band and was a sideman for Abigail Washburn, April Verch and Adrienne Young. He has produced five solo albums and six releases by Grant Farm on his own Grant Central Records. His 2018 collaborative release, Kanawha County Flatpicking, reached #14 on the US Folk DJ chart.
The latest Grant Farm album, Broke In Two, released June 2019, is an ambitious concept album which furthers the stories of characters and archetypes introduced on the previous release, Kiss The Ground. Tyler was also host of the Meeting on the Mountain® LIVE Broadcast, a radio-style musical program based in Fort Collins, CO, from 2015-2018. The “Great Pause” of 2020 brought Tyler back to the outdoors, where he became involved as an entertainer and raft guide on RiverWonderGrass Expeditions through Adrift Adventures Dinosaur on the Green and Yampa Rivers in Dinosaur National Monument. Outdoor leadership has blended well with his musical endeavors, and River Life has permeated his music.
In addition to the National Flatpicking Championship at Winfield in 2008 and Merlefest Doc Watson Guitar Championship in 2009, Tyler has also won the Rockygrass, Wayne Henderson, and the New England Flatpicking Championships. He has been featured in Acoustic Guitar, Flatpicking Guitar, Fretboard Journal and Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine. Tyler has been an instructor at CalArts, Kaufman Kamp, Rockygrass Academy, Sore Fingers UK, Augusta Heritage Center Bluegrass Week, Grand Targhee Bluegrass Camp, Julian Family Fiddle Camp, Nimblefingers, and St. Louis Flatpick among others. Tyler’s Flatpicking Academy on ArtistWorks.com is his primary instructional site, and he is also a regular contributor to online guitar instruction sites Jamplay.com & Truefire.com.
When he is indoors, Tyler hosts a Monday Night Playalong Bluegrass Jam for all levels on his Youtube channel.
Darryl Poulsen
The Slocan Ramblers
Darryl has performed at music festivals across Canada, USA and the UK, from MerleFest, The Grand Ole Opry, to RockyGrass, won an IBMA Momentum Award (Band of the Year), 2 Canadian Folk Music Award (Traditional album of the year, Ensemble of the year) and been nominated for multiple Juno Awards. Darryl has taught classes and workshops at Rockygrass Academy, NimbleFingers, Pagosa Folk ‘N Bluegrass, Northern Lights Bluegrass and Old Time Festival, the Old School Bluegrass Camp in Ontario, Wintergrass, Midwinter Bluegrass, and Selkirk college. He is currently teaching online courses with Caffe Lena.
Avril Smith
Della Mae
Avril Smith an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, widely recognized as a highly accomplished electric and acoustic guitarist and mandolin player.
Avril currently plays lead guitar in the Grammy-nominated band Della Mae.
Her mastery of a wide range of styles makes her a sought-after on-stage and studio performer. She has been featured in Flatpicking Guitar Magazine and has reviewed guitars for Acoustic Guitar Magazine.
She has performed at top venues and festivals including the Grand Ole Opry (Nashville), the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival (Oak Hill, NY), the Birchmere (Alexandria, VA), Rockygrass (Lyons, CO), the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage (Washington, DC), the Rock-n-Roll hall of fame (Cleveland, OH), and on the south lawn of the White House.
Avril has played with Emmylou Harris, Steve Martin, Pete Seeger, Hazel Dickens, Tom Morello, the Indigo Girls, Billy Strings, Darol Anger, and John Kadlecik, among others.
Mandolin
Adrian Gross
The Slocan Ramblers
Adrian Gross was born in Montreal, lives in Toronto, and has been playing music all his life. As one of Canada’s most sought-after mandolin players, he’s developed a reputation for his inventive playing and unique voice on the instrument, always with one eye to the tradition and one looking forward. As one quarter of The Slocan Ramblers, Adrian has performed at The Grand Ole Opry and music festivals across North America, from MerleFest to RockyGrass, won the IBMA Momentum “Band of the Year” award, and been nominated for a Juno award.
An experienced teacher, Adrian has taught mandolin at Concordia University in Montreal, and camps like NimbleFingers, RockyGrass Academy and Old School Bluegrass Camp. He keeps busy as a booking agent for several acts, and spends his rare free time in town practicing on the banks of the river that flows across the street from his house.
Tristan Scroggins
The son of a National Banjo Champion, Tristan Scroggins’ legacy is formed by musical traditions. As a sought after side person, Tristan has toured extensively both domestically and internationally and has performed at both the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium sharing the stage with bluegrass legends including Missy Raines, Sister Sadie, Dailey and Vincent, Molly Tuttle, Chris Jones, and Sierra Ferrell. In 2021 he was nominated for a GRAMMY Award for his participation in the John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project Vol. 1.
That same year Tristan was nominated by the International Bluegrass Music Association for their Mandolin Player of the Year award and was awarded Writer of the Year for his contribution to print media. With over a decade of experience as a teacher and workshop instructor, Tristan has gained a reputation for his ability to explain concepts using experience, ample resources, and a relaxed, encouraging presence.
John Reischman
John Reischman and Old Acoustic
The grand master of the mandolin returns with an exciting new quartet - John Reischman and Old Acoustic - to celebrate the music of his latest solo album ‘New Time and Old Acoustic,’ nominated for both a Juno Award and Canadian Folk Music Award. From his days in the early ’80s with the original Tony Rice Unit, John has dazzled audiences across the globe with dozens of mesmerizing original compositions played with great power, taste and gorgeous tone on his rare and mighty 1924 “Lloyd Loar” Gibson mandolin. In addition to touring more than 20 years with his ongoing bluegrass band The Jaybirds, John has collected a Grammy award and three Juno nominations for his outstanding recording output, including seven Jaybird albums, four solo instrumental albums, and many other projects and sessions with John Miller, Todd Phillips and other top players.
Songwriting
Celia Woodsmith
Della Mae
Celia Woodsmith is a GRAMMY Nominated performer, vocalist, percussionist, and songwriter. With a style that can be described as “one of a kind: gritty, muscular, folksy and intimate sometimes all at once” (Bluegrass Situation) she has been a fixture of the New England Roots Music scene since 2005.
For the last 12 years, Woodsmith has performed predominantly with the Americana string band, Della Mae. In 2014 Della Mae was nominated for a Best Bluegrass Album GRAMMY for their record “This World Oft Can Be”. Their 2020 album “Headlight” has been described as “…powerful writing, soaring vocals, and moving musical unity — challenge us, energize us, and touch us as they light the way. This is an album on which you can feel the emotions of the group in each song as they evoke anger, sadness, hopelessness, and joy”. (No Depression)
The all-female Della Mae has performed in over 20 countries with the US Department of State’s cultural diplomacy program “American Music Abroad”. Woodsmith spoke about her experiences with travel and music at TEDx Piscataqua River in Portsmouth, NH in a talk called “A Soft Drink and a Song in the Hills of Pakistan”.
In 2016 Woodsmith took a hiatus from touring to write, listen, and reflect about her years on the road. During that time she bicycled 2,000 miles from Geneva, Switzerland to Vlorë, Albania. Post hiatus, she released her solo record “Cast Iron Shoes”. The all-original album combines raw, roots-rock with heart-searing songs like “Sicily” which paint a solemn picture of the global refugee crisis. When not on the road with Della Mae, Woodsmith performs with roots-rock band Say Darling and with them has released two albums of original music.
She currently lives in Kittery, ME with her husband and dog. Amidst touring full-time with Della Mae, she teaches songwriting, singing, stage craft and guitar.
Vocals
Stephen Mougin
Sam Bush Band
Stephen Mougin has been a vocalist and guitar player for the Sam Bush Band since 2006. He owns and operates Dark Shadow Recording, an independent record label and recording studio, where he produces and engineers albums for clients and label artists including Becky Buller, Rick Faris, The Stillhouse Junkies and more.
He holds a degree in vocal music education from the University Of Massachusetts, Amherst and has taught music professionally from Kindergarten to college. Mougin continues to bring his music-ed background to camps, private workshops, and occasional in-person lessons.
Instrument Building
Marcus Engstrom
Lead Luthier
Marcus Engstrom developed a love for music and instrument making and repair early. He started working on instruments at 13 and soon was doing small repairs for a Music Store in Falun, Sweden, and built his first guitar in shop class when he was 15.
Initially, Marcus trained as a Machinist for 3 years. Then, after graduation, he went to Norway to a 4 year instrument building school, the Music Instrument Academy. As the final portion of his education at MIA, He went to Markneukirchen, Germany, (Where CF Martin the first trained and emigrated from,) and earned his degree as a Journeyman Stringed Instrument builder/repairman.
Near the end of his study at MIA, Marcus traveled to Los Angeles, CA to attend the National Association of Musical Merchants show with instructors from the Academy.
While attending the show, Marcus requested of Santa Cruz Guitar Company production manager Daniel Roberts, to be accepted to come and do a 3 month apprenticeship. After being accepted and receiving a visa, Marcus came and studied with Dan, first for 3 months, then later, worked side by side with Dan at the SCGC repair and R&D facility for another two years.
Next Marcus moved to Bozeman, MT and worked for Music Villa doing their repair and new instrument setups for a number of years. When finally opening his own shop in Bozeman, Marcus became the Martin warranty repairman for the area and continued to do repair for Music Villa as well as having developed a personal client list of discriminating top tier players. Marcus’ career as an instrument builder and repairman is only limited by his time spent playing in multiple bands in the Bozeman area.
Daniel Roberts
Luthier
After studying Fine Arts and English Literature at Montana State University, Dan accepted a position with Flatiron Banjo and Mandolin Company building banjos. By then Gibson had purchased Flatiron and soon they decided to build a new acoustic guitar factory right there in Bozeman, Montana and begin building acoustic guitars again. It didn’t take long for Dan to be offered positions running the shaper room, then the neck line and finally to be Rear Plant manager responsible for everything from resaw to delivering completed white wood guitars to the finish department.
After some time at Gibson, Dan realized that his real interest was building custom guitars and so sometime around 1990 he accepted a position as production manager with the Santa Cruz Guitar Company. SCGC was small enough that Dan would be able to work building guitars, build the SCGC archtops, do some of the repair, and do design and tooling as well as his management duties so it was a perfect fit. Dan worked with owner Richard Hoover and SCGC for almost 18 years, working with the likes of Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen, David Crosby, Janis Ian, Tony Rice, Norman Blake and many more before leaving in 2008, after 25 years in the industry, to start his own Company, Daniel Roberts Stringworks.
Since starting his own company about 13 years ago,Dan had a constant flow of repair as well as new builds. Since 2009 Dan has built Guitars for Dave Stewart, Brian May, Waddy Wachtel, John Jorgenson, Eric Clapton, Ronnie Wood, Brent Mason, Don Everly, Joe Walsh, Stevie Nicks, David Frizzell, Sonny Curtis, Vince Gill, Amy Grant. He is currently building for TBone Burnett,Carlos Santana, Kevin Kastning, as well as countless other wonderful musicians. Dan loves to build instruments and has had many apprentices through the years. He really enjoys sharing his talents with the builders every year at Rockygrass!
Mark Monroe Gibson
Luthier, Songwriter
Songwriter, recording artist and recovering attorney, Mark Monroe Gibson will be joining the mandolin building faculty. This will be Mark’s fifth time building at the Academy.
William Classon
Luthier
William Classon is a former geologist and current aspiring luthier, with experience making instruments and instrument parts at a premier CNC machine shop. I was also privileged to complete a full-time, 6-month apprenticeship under Dan Roberts in 2022, where I learned instrument building, repair, design, and much more.”
Cabot Metz
Luthier
Cabot Metz is originally from Southern Oregon. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2017 with a degree in Classical Composition. While attending Berklee he developed a deep love and devotion to American Roots music, spending years studying with Woody Mann, Paul Rishell, and Annie Raines. After returning to the west coast he eventually landed in Bozeman, building guitars for Gibson for the last 2.5 years. It is there he developed an interest in lutherie and started working on his own instruments. Cabot plays pedal steel, banjo, and guitar in many bands in Southwest Montana. He is known to frequent the shops of Dan Roberts and Marcus Engström in hopes of pursuing more skills and knowledge from two distinctive masters of their craft.
Kid’s Camp Instructors
Leslie Ziegler
Kids Camp Lead Instructor
Leslie Ziegler is a bassist and singer with experience performing and teaching across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. After graduating from Western Michigan University with a degree in Music Education, she focused on becoming an orchestra director in Michigan and worked with string students on traditional repertoire and also sprinkled in alternative styles such as bluegrass and jazz.
After her time in Michigan, she moved across the country in 2009 to direct orchestras for Boulder Valley School District in Boulder, CO. Here, she met talented musicians at various jams in the area and played with Colorado’s most talented acts, began teaching at Bluegrass Camps for kids and became a founding member of The Railsplitters.
Playing in The Railsplitters led her to perform full-time in 2015, providing exciting touring opportunities across the United States, Canada, and overseas to Europe. Two years later, she parted from The Railsplitters to pursue teaching K-12 music abroad in China, and then, Japan, where she currently teaches orchestra, choir, MYP and DP music today.
Justin Hoffenberg
Jake Leg
Originally from Northern Illinois, Justin Hoffenberg currently makes his home in Boulder, CO. Growing up in a musical household, he attended many concerts as a child and was drawn towards music. At 10 years old Justin joined his 5th grade orchestra, where he played the violin for one year before beginning Suzuki lessons, which he pursued until graduating high school. The summer between 5th and 6th grade proved a fateful one, as a family friend recommended attending the Rockygrass festival in Lyons, CO, as well as the camp that precedes it. Justin ventured to the camp not knowing anything about Bluegrass, but was immensely changed by the experience.
After spending the week with such fiddlers as Jason Carter (Del McCoury Band), Justin never looked back.
Justin has been performing in bluegrass bands professionally since he was 13 years old. While a senior in high school, Justin helped form Long Road Home, mainstay of the Colorado bluegrass scene to this day. His current project, Jake Leg, is currently touring and preparing to release this debut album this summer. You might even catch him on radio stations across the country as a guest eTone on the eTown radio show (where he appeared with such acts as the Indigo Girls, Tim O’Brien, Graham Nash, Big Al Anderson and the North Mississippi All Stars).
Phoebe Hunt
On the heels of 2021’s acclaimed “Shanti’s Shadow”, Phoebe Hunt released “Nothing Else Matters” in July of 2023 (Thirty Tigers). The album of solo fiddle and voice marks a departure for Hunt, whose previous projects have showcased her skill as a bandleader and collaborator. Yet it is also a joyful return to her foundations.
When the pandemic changed the world, Hunt, like all touring artists, was taken off the road. Feeling for the community of artists she had met over 15 years of touring, she realized that it would be beneficial for professional artists and music dabblers alike to experience community through dedication to the study of music.
She started a movement for people to “point their minds to practicing” during the lockdown. The result was 27 online courses serving over 200 students and offered 33 musicians gigs in 18 months.
She has also developed a program to help parents to Plant The Seeds of Music in their homes and communities called ukulele sprouts (ukulelesprouts.com).
Gina Marie Leslie
Colorado-raised songstress Gina Marie Leslie is a longtime RockyGrass Academy student, now living in New Orleans. Born into a family of musicians, she grew up in a culture of jamming that uplifts all players involved and creates a welcoming atmosphere. A multi-instrumentalist (guitar, fiddle, bass, voice, ukulele) and songwriter, Gina has the tools to guide a musician at any level to feel the joy and beauty of connection through music. She plays with Damn Gina, The Bad Bad Leslie’s, Mean Gina Jazz Band, and as a side musician for other projects.
Sam Leslie
Born in Evergreen, Colorado, Sam Leslie is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and sound engineer. After five formative years in Boston, Massachusetts studying at the Berklee College of Music, Sam now lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Growing up in a musical family playing bluegrass, old-time, country, and other roots music styles, Sam has since enjoyed exploring and studying other genres and musical avenues. As a performer, composer, engineer, and teacher, Sam loves finding how each of these fields can enhance and inform one another to shine the way to a holistic creative flow.
Brad Murphey
“Murph” first fell in love with bluegrass music while living in Chicago and immediately started studying it with the great Czech guitar player Slavek Hanzlik as well as Don Stiernberg and Greg Cahill. After living in Chicago he moved to Colorado and founded the band Slipstream which performed at many notable festivals such as Grey Fox in New York. He then toured the country performing with Nashville singer/songwriter Rorey Carroll and has performed with such bluegrass luminaries as Noam Pikelny, Matt Flinner, the Infamous Stringdusters, Crooked Still, Darol Anger as well as many others and has been an endorsed artist for Elixir Guitar Strings for 14 years. Currently Murph is living in Shanghai, China, performing with mandolin virtuoso Tom Peng and teaching guitar lessons while exploring as much of Asia as possible.
Like Dominick Leslie, this will be Murph’s 21st year in a row at Rockygrass. “It doesn’t matter where in the world you might find yourself, once you go to Rockygrass…you have to be there every year!” he proclaims. MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Chris Thile says about Brad Murphey: “a great lead guitarist….. and awesome rhythm player too!”
Bonnie Sims
Bonnie Sims has been a strong vocal and instrumental presence on the Front Range scene over the last fifteen years. From Colorado based projects with her husband and partner Taylor Sims (Bonnie & the Clydes, Bonnie & Taylor Sims) as well as international viral success with a sync licensing group together (Everybody Loves An Outlaw) to the supergroup Big Richard, Bonnie has become a mainstay of the Colorado music scene.
Guest Instructors
Will Scherer
Violinmaker
Will is our resident violinmaker and owner of Scherer Violin Shop in Louisville Colorado. During RockyGrass Academy, Will devotes his time to providing support to academy students and and instructors. Will grew up playing violin and developed his musical passion with fiddle music in its various forms. During college he found himself hanging out at violin shops and eventually decided to pursue violinmaking. In 2013 he entered the violin making world through the mentorship of Thomas Verdot in Columbia Missouri. Will was selected for the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program in 2015, funded by the Missouri Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. He continued his training as an assistant with Verdot and studied with Hans Nebel through the MCLA violin restoration program.
Scherer relocated to Louisville Colorado in 2018 where he opened Scherer Violin Shop. He provides high quality student and professional stringed instruments, accessories, repairs and rentals. During the week of RockyGrass Academy, Will is available for gluing seams, cracks or damage due to weather, bow re-hairs, setup work including carving bridges, sound posts and peg or tuner adjustments. He also comes stocked with strings, accessories and instruments for sale during the week. Will loves the process of making every instrument sound its best and enjoys helping players of all levels at RockyGrass each year.