We’re excited and proud to announce that we’re celebrating 10 years of bluegrass here at ArtistWorks!

In 2011, we welcomed Grammy Award-winning guitarist Bryan Sutton, bluegrass mandolin icon Mike Marshall, upright bass virtuoso Missy Raines, and legendary fiddle player Darol Anger to our faculty of instructors. Alongside world-renowned banjo player Tony Trischka, this amazing group of master musicians made up our ArtistWorks “Academy of Bluegrass.”

While we no longer use the “Academy of Bluegrass” name, every one of these world-class instructors still teaches bluegrass music lessons here at ArtistWorks. In fact, we’ve even continued to expand our roster of bluegrass master teachers to include: Andy Hall (prolific dobro and lap steel guitarist and co-founder of the Infamous Stringdusters), Michael Daves (Grammy-nominated vocalist), Noam Pikelny (Grammy Award-winning banjoist and co-founder of the Punch Brothers), and a few exciting new instructors coming soon…

To celebrate this wonderful ten-year milestone, we’re going to be giving away weekly prizes, hosting live-stream events, and more!

GIVEAWAYS: 

Week 1: Signed SWAG Pack (3 Winners)

- Signed vinyl, CDs, and custom ArtistWorks pins/picks

- ArtistWorks Bluegrass Hoodie

- Digital/downloadable backing track bundle

Week 2: VIP Membership (3 Winners)

- 12 months, all-access with the artist of your choice

- Lessons, Video Exchanges, backing tracks, PDFs, and community

- PLUS, each winner receives an ArtistWorks Bluegrass Hoodie

Week 3: Instrument Giveaway (3 Winners) 

- 1 x Deering Goodtime 2 Banjo

- 1 x Martin X1AE Acoustic-Electric Guitar

- 1 x Epiphone MM-40L “F” Style Vintage Sunburst Mandolin

- PLUS, each winner receives an ArtistWorks Bluegrass Hoodie

Week 4: Fall 2021 Big Getaway! (3 Winners)

- Join us in-studio for jamming, in-person lessons, and performances

- Watch these icons are they record and collaborate in Napa, CA, October 2021

- Airfare and hotel paid, plus VIP SWAG pack

- PLUS, 12 months, all-access to the course of your choice

Click here and ENTER TO WIN!

MEET OUR MASTER BLUEGRASS FACULTY:

TONY TRISCHKA:

For nearly 40 years, Tony Trischka has been an inspiration for countless bluegrass and acoustic musicians. Tony made his recording debut with the band Country Cooking in 1971. Since then, he's recorded numerous solo albums, collaborated with artists like Peter Rowan and Stacy Phillips, and produced Steve Martin's Grammy-nominated album Rare Bird Alert. His 2004 album Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular also received a Grammy nomination and multiple IBMA awards. He has continued to push boundaries as one of the world's top banjo players, lending his expertise as music director for the documentary "Give Me the Banjo.” Tony has taught online banjo lessons at ArtistWorks since 2009, building a global learning community around his Video Exchange library.

BRYAN SUTTON:

Bryan Sutton is arguably the best flatpick guitarist since the late great Doc Watson. During his eclectic career, he has appeared as a leading session guitarist on albums from Dolly Parton, the Dixie Chicks, Rhonda Vincent, and more. He has also played in the legendary bluegrass bands Kentucky Thunder and Hot Rize. Bryan picked up the guitar from his dad at the age of 8 and won his first Grammy award in 2007. He's received IBMA's ‘Guitarist of the Year' ten times. Bryan joined the ArtistWorks family in 2011, bring his online guitar lessons to students around the globe.

MIKE MARSHALL:

For more than 35 years, Mike Marshall has set a new standard for American acoustic music, with a breadth of talent that spans mandolin, guitar, violin, and mandocello. At age 19, he left his native Florida to pursue music, eventually joining the David Grisman Quintet in the Bay Area. Since those early days, Mike's historic career has spanned hundreds of recordings and taken him on tour around the globe. He has also received numerous credits as a composer, producer, and featured musician. You can hear his iconic mandolin playing on the theme for NPR's 'Car Talk', as well as the San Francisco-based radio show 'Forum' on KQED Radio. Mike has been a member of our since 2011, and, today, he and his wife Caterina Lichtenberg both teach online mandolin lessons at ArtistWorks.

MISSY RAINES:

Missy Raines is the most decorated bass player in the history of the International Bluegrass Music Association. A First Lady of Bluegrass, she is one of the most popular bluegrass figures and a trailblazer in her field. Missy has toured and performed extensively all over the world for the last 25 years and has given bass lessons at dozens of workshops and music camps. Her rich pedigree reaches from legends such as Mac Wiseman, Kenny Baker, and Eddie Adcock to contemporary artists like Peter Rowan, Laurie Lewis, and Don Rigsby. Missy plays with her own band, The New Hip, bridging the genres of newgrass and jazz in the spirit of David Grisman. Missy has been teaching online bass lessons at ArtistWorks since 2011.

DAROL ANGER:

For over 40 years, Darol Anger has played on and produced scores of important recordings, and is a noted composer. Darol helped drive the evolution of the contemporary string band through his founding of pathbreaking ensembles such as Republic Of Strings, the Turtle Island String Quartet, the David Grisman Quintet, Montreux, and The Duo. A MacDowell and UCross Fellow, he is a featured soloist on several recordings and motion picture soundtracks. Darol is also committed to string education and helped found the String Resource Board for the International Jazz Educators Association. Since 2011, Darol has extended his love of music education by offering online fiddle lessons at ArtistWorks.

ANDY HALL:

Andy Hall graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA with a degree in Music Production and Engineering. Andy is a founding member of the acclaimed band, The Infamous Stringdusters, who in 2007 won 3 IBMA awards for their debut album, Fork In The Road. He has also released 3 albums of his own: Aquafier (2010), The Sound Of The Slide Guitar (2007), and Redwing (2004). Andy has played resophonic guitar with many legends in the studio and on stage with Dolly Parton, Earl Scruggs, Emmylou Harris, Zack Brown, Charlie Daniels, and more. Since 2012, Andy has brought forth a “new-generation” attitude with a remarkable passion for the traditional resophonic guitar in his online dobro lessons at ArtistWorks.

MICHAEL DAVES:

Michael Daves is a great talent with a very classic approach to bluegrass vocals. He's collaborated with legendary artists who include Chris Thile, Steve Martin, Rosanne Cash, Tony Trischka, and a whole lot more. His first album with Chris Thile (Sleep With One Eye Open) was recorded live to tape over the course of four days at Jack White’s famous Third Man Records in Nashville and was later nominated for a Grammy. The New York Times calls him “The leading light for the NY bluegrass scene.” Michael is also a talented guitar player and sought-after teacher, educating people of all vocal ranges and abilities on how to sing bluegrass. He has been teaching online vocal lessons at ArtistWorks since 2016.

NOAM PIKELNY:

Noam Pikelny has emerged as the preeminent banjoist of his generation. Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as the “pros’ top banjo picker,” Noam is a founding member of Punch Brothers, a string ensemble which The Boston Globe calls “a virtuosic revelation” and The New Yorker describes as “wide-ranging and restlessly imaginative.” In September of 2010, Pikelny was awarded the first annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. Noam's 2013 recording, Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe, was described by the New York Times as "a token of reverence, a feat of translation and a show of dominion”. The album is widely considered a landmark recording in acoustic music and was named “Album of the Year” at the 2014 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards. Noam is a two-time International Bluegrass Music Association ‘Banjo Player of the Year’ and in 2019, Noam, along with his fellow Punch Brothers, was awarded the "Best Folk Album" Grammy® for their release, All Ashore. Noam makes his home in Nashville, TN, and has been teaching online banjo lessons at ArtistWorks since Spring, 2020.

LEARN MORE:

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