Today we reveal the three winners of our Big Bluegrass Getaway: dobro player Kelley May, acoustic guitarist Chris Pohlson and banjo player Johnny Shayne Carter. Congrats!

These three musicians will join us at the ArtistWorks studio in Napa, CA on March 26, for a full day of jamming, meet and greets, one-on-one instruction plus a virtual masterclass and more with bluegrass heavyweights Noam Pikelny (banjo), Andy Hall (dobro) and Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar). They’ll also receive a full studio tour, a fully-loaded swag bag from our partners, and a 1-year VIP membership to ArtistWorks.com. 

“I can't wait to meet the guys and pick up as much as I can to make me a better player,” shares Kelley, who hails from Monroe, LA. “I have never been in a studio so that will be a learning experience in itself.” Kelley has been playing dobro for 10 years, and has a long history with music; both of her parents sang in gospel groups throughout her childhood, and plays piano, trumpet, bass and guitar. 

A Sioux Falls, SD native, Chris comments, “To hear and see those three play in person will be a treat. To think I'll be able to say I've jammed with them is really a dream come true.” Chris grew up playing piano, guitar, and singing. He attended Berklee College of Music with voice as his primary instrument, and plays professionally in and around Sioux Falls.

Johnny of Oklahoma City, OK is a current student at ArtistWorks and has taken several of our courses. “I had already signed up for all of the Noam Pikelny informational emails and have been impatiently waiting for the spring start to his courses,” he says. “To get a chance to meet with him and get a bit of a head start learning his perspective on modern banjo will be absolutely amazing.” Johnny’s wife is a singer and was previously enrolled in Jeannie Deva’s ArtistWorks course. Together they play in their church band every Sunday.

We look forward to hosting these lucky winners! You can be part of the festivities as well — tune into the live stream on Thursday, March 26 at 3 p.m. PST via the ArtistWorks Facebook page where Noam Pikelny, Andy Hall and Bryan Sutton will jam, answer questions, and much more. 

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