Instructors - 2019
Greg Cahill
We are happy to welcome Greg Cahill to the Weiser Banjo Camp instruction team for2020. Chicago born and bred, Greg has been playing bluegrass banjo since the early 1970s. He co-founded The Special Consensus in Chicago in1975 and has continued to tour nationally and internationally with the band ever since. In 1984, he created the Traditional American Music (TAM) Program to introduce students of all ages to bluegrass music. Greg has instructed at many of the finest bluegrass camps in the country
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Bill Evans
We welcome Bill Evans back to the Weiser Banjo Camp in 2020. Bill is an internationally recognized five-string banjo life force. As a performer, teacher, writer and composer, he brings a deep knowledge, intense virtuosity and contagious passion to all things banjo, with thousands of music fans and banjo students from all over the world in a music career that now spans over thirty-five years. Bill is the author of Banjo for Dummies, the most popular banjo book in the world and has been a mainstay at many banjo and bluegrass camps over the years including Weiser.
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David Miles Keenan
Dave Keenan is a full-time musician and teacher in his home town of Seattle, Washington. Dave has been teaching banjo since high school and performing since the age of 11. He is a member of several bands in Seattle, teaches privately and at the Dusty Strings Music School. He has been a teacher at many music camps in the U.S. and Canada. Dave is a member of the bluegrass band “The Downtown Mountain Boys” whose new CD “Hey John” was thefeatured CD in Bluegrass Unlimited’s June 2018 issue.
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Greg Boyd
Greg Boyd has loved music and musical instruments since he was a young child. Growing up in a musically active family nurtured his interest. In 1980, Greg graduated from University of Montana with a degree in Wood Science. This formal training has been invaluable in understanding various woods and their tonal properties, when evaluating instruments or discussing their attributes. In 1997 Greg opened “The House of Fine Instruments”, in Missoula, Montana and the store is still in business today. Greg’s music store has shipped instruments and accessories all over the world. At Weiser Bluegrass Banjo Camp, Greg will teach sessions on banjo setup and maintenance.And he will bring a selection of fine banjos, guitars and mandolins and accessories for sale.
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Jason Homey
Jason Homey is one of the founders of the Weiser Banjo camp. He and Gary Eller created the camp with a vision of providing an intimate learning environment great instruction. He has played five-string banjo since 1989 and is a two-time first place winner of the Western Canadian Bluegrass Banjo Championships and the Weiser Banjo Contest and a long-term member of the Bluegrass/Celtic/Rock-band 'The Clumsy Lovers'. In addition to performing, recording, and teaching one-on-one banjo, guitar, and mandolin lessons, Jason has (for many years) hosted beginner and intermediate Bluegrass jams in Boise that have vitalized a strong bluegrass community.
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CLASS OF 2019
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CLASS OF 2018
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CLASS OF 2017
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CLASS OF 2016
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Previous Camp Instructors
Alan Munde
Alan Munde began his long career in bluegrass music with the 1968 recording of Poor Richard's Almanacfeaturing Sam Bush and Wayne Stewart, followed by a traditional grounding in bluegrass music as a member of IBMA Hall of Fame member Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys. In 1972 Alan Joined his college picking friend Byron Berline in the forward-leaning bluegrass group Country Gazette. Alan continued as the anchor of the group for 21 years. Along the way, he recorded many highly regarded albums including Banjo Sandwich, and the Festival Favorites series. Alan participated in the 2001 IBMA Instrumental Album of the Year, Knee Deep in Bluegrass. His most recent recording is a duo CD with mandolin player Billy Bright titled Bright Munde. He taught in the Bluegrass Music Program at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas for 20 years. Alan has also published many instructional books for Mel Bay, instructional DVDs for Texas Music and Video, and participated in music workshops and camps both in America and Europe. For more info check the Al Munde's Banjo College.
Here is a nice sampler of Alan's playing from the 1975 album Banjo Sandwich:
https://search.aol.com/aol/video?q=alan+munde+youtube&s_it=video-ans&sfVid=true&videoId=45DFC8C3EC09B305108545DFC8C3EC09B3051085&v_t=client97_searchbox
Alan Munde began his long career in bluegrass music with the 1968 recording of Poor Richard's Almanacfeaturing Sam Bush and Wayne Stewart, followed by a traditional grounding in bluegrass music as a member of IBMA Hall of Fame member Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys. In 1972 Alan Joined his college picking friend Byron Berline in the forward-leaning bluegrass group Country Gazette. Alan continued as the anchor of the group for 21 years. Along the way, he recorded many highly regarded albums including Banjo Sandwich, and the Festival Favorites series. Alan participated in the 2001 IBMA Instrumental Album of the Year, Knee Deep in Bluegrass. His most recent recording is a duo CD with mandolin player Billy Bright titled Bright Munde. He taught in the Bluegrass Music Program at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas for 20 years. Alan has also published many instructional books for Mel Bay, instructional DVDs for Texas Music and Video, and participated in music workshops and camps both in America and Europe. For more info check the Al Munde's Banjo College.
Here is a nice sampler of Alan's playing from the 1975 album Banjo Sandwich:
https://search.aol.com/aol/video?q=alan+munde+youtube&s_it=video-ans&sfVid=true&videoId=45DFC8C3EC09B305108545DFC8C3EC09B3051085&v_t=client97_searchbox
Gary "Slim" Eller
Gary Eller has played American roots music since childhood and has played banjo for over fifty years. He has played in countless bands in West Virginia, Ohio, New Mexico, Washington and Idaho. He has won or placed in banjo and band competitions in several states. Currently, Gary leads The Storytellers band and plays banjo for the popular regional progressive bluegrass band Chicken Dinner Road. He also was a board member of the National Old Time Fiddle Contest . Gary is also the director of the Idaho Songs Project and started the Weiser Banjo Contest. Originally from West Virginia, Gary had a thirty year career in nuclear science and engineering at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He resides at Pickles Butte near Nampa, Idaho. Here's an example of Gary's playing from his Slim's Banjo Journey CD.
Gary Eller has played American roots music since childhood and has played banjo for over fifty years. He has played in countless bands in West Virginia, Ohio, New Mexico, Washington and Idaho. He has won or placed in banjo and band competitions in several states. Currently, Gary leads The Storytellers band and plays banjo for the popular regional progressive bluegrass band Chicken Dinner Road. He also was a board member of the National Old Time Fiddle Contest . Gary is also the director of the Idaho Songs Project and started the Weiser Banjo Contest. Originally from West Virginia, Gary had a thirty year career in nuclear science and engineering at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He resides at Pickles Butte near Nampa, Idaho. Here's an example of Gary's playing from his Slim's Banjo Journey CD.
Mark Thomas
Mark is a full-time instructor of banjo, guitar, upright bass, mandolin and fiddle - all the instruments needed for a bluegrass band. Mark frequents local and regional festivals and encourages his students to do the same. A mainstay of the National Old Time Fiddlers Contest at Weiser for many years, Mark was been a member of several regional bluegrass favorites including String Band Review, the Knott Brothers. Mark won the 1999 - 2000 Northwest regional Bluegrass Showdown, eventually finishing 3rd at the International Bluegrass Music Association.
Janet Beazley
Janet Beazley plays banjo and sings with the California bluegrass band Chris Stuart & Backcountry, and with the folk duo Chris Stuart & Janet Beazley. Janet also plays and teaches classical music and holds a doctorate in Early Music from USC. She teaches bluegrass banjo to students of all levels. She also teaches traditional and baroque flutes, recorders and whistles, beginning mandolin, beginning dobro, as well as viola da gamba.
Bill Evans
Bill Evans is an internationally recognized five-string banjo life force. As a performer, teacher, writer and composer, he brings a deep knowledge, intense virtuosity and contagious passion to all things banjo, with thousands of music fans and banjo students from all over the world in a music career that now spans over thirty-five years. Click here to visit Bill's website and see what he is up to.
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