WORKSHOPS SCHEDULE AND DESCRIPTIONS

WORKSHOP LEADERS

Dale Adkins (Bend, OR) - Guitar, Banjo, Rock Ridge
Dale needs no introduction if you have dabbled in the Northwest traditional music scene in the last 30 years. He could be called a flatpicking legend if he wasn’t so darn young. And the guitar is only the start of his musical talents. If it has frets and strings, he plays it. Really well. He is also a renowned recording engineer, producer, and a fine singer. Just don’t get him started talking about studio recording equipment or flyfishing. Bands: Kate MacKenzie, Out of the Blue, Frontline, True North, Rock Ridge



Josh Adkins (Salem, OR) Everything we said about Dale: ditto for Josh who epitomizes the classic saying “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. Josh applies his considerable intelligence and talent to a certain creative mastery of any instrument he tackles whether it is guitar, bass, mandolin or ukulele. Just don’t give him a pennywhistle. Bands: Bluegrass Regulators, Grass Station, True North



 Clyde Clevenger (Salem, OR) - Kids Workshops
Clyde is a northwest hero and legend, and if you think Santa Claus stays up in the North Pole all year, you would be wrong… he is busy lending his generous talents to children’s workshops at Wintergrass and other festivals all over the northwest. He will kill you with his rendition of country and bluegrass standards and is a fine guitar and mandolin player to boot. One year he decided to build mandolins for the Fossil and other Kids workshops. That is the essence of Clyde. Bands: Blue River; Old Circle



Joe Ellingson (Corvallis, OR) - Mandolin
Joe is the one to watch. His soulful singing and mandolin/guitar playing harken back to the old days and belie his youth. He has an obvious passion for the “good music” played the traditional way. He recently moved to Corvallis for graduate school and maintains his sanity by getting out of town to play music as often as possible. Yup, Joe is indeed the one to watch. Bands: Warren G. Hardings



Paul Elliott (Seattle, WA) - Fiddle
Paul is one of those guys who achieves mastery at everything he tackles and fiddle is no exception. He is equally at home with all traditional American fiddle styles including bluegrass, old-time, swing and jazz. The legendary Sons of the Pioneers were lucky enough to discover him and add him to their lineup, much to the irritation of his Northwest music pals who don’t get to see him enough. Paul is a well-known recording engineer, producer, and slayer of friends at Bridge. Bands: Sons of the Pioneers, Downtown Mountain Boys


Kristen Grainger & Dan Wetzel (Salem, OR)- Kristen Grainger & True North, Songwriting Workshop
This legendary songwriting duo has been making audiences weep and laugh for many years with songwriting credits and awards too numerous to list. These well-loved folks are fan favorites in Fossil, and will be blessing the stage this year with the full band.
 

Carol Harley (Baker, OR) - Slow Jams
We all need to thank Carol for the very existence of the Wheeler County Bluegrass Festival. While Jay Bowerman is well known as the festival director and producer, it was the brainchild of Carol after she and her band at the time, Misty River, performed at a memorial for Jay’s famous father, Bill Bowerman, in 2000. Carol has moved on to her new life in Baker, Oregon, but we should all thank her for her wonderful vision and creative artistic direction for the first dozen or so years of the festival!

Linda Leavitt (Sisters, OR) - Jams, Non-instrument Workshops
Linda is a captivating songbird with enough grace and southern charm to bewitch even the most stalwart curmudgeon. Linda is a master of many trades too numerous to list, but highlights include creative genius behind Taborgrass in Portland and current editor of the Oregon Bluegrass Express. Besides being a talented singer and instrumentalist, Linda is a bluegrass “doer” who is creative director and music teacher at Banjos West. She always has great snacks and twinkle lights. Bands: Mountain Honey, Lois and Clark Expedition
 

Benji Nagel (Sisters, OR) - Skillethead, Resophonic Guitar Workshop
Benji is yet another reason why Sisters Oregon is the center of the Central Oregon music scene. Benji is equally adept on dobro, guitar, and is a fine singer as well. As much as we love his musical skills, we are also blessed with his organic farming skills. Benji runs an urban organic farm in Sisters, and if you are in town, you MUST stop buy The Stand to pick up some of the freshest veggies on the planet.




Tom Nechville (Sisters, OR) - Banjo, Other workshops
Tom is the Pied Piper of the banjo – wherever he goes, banjo players swarm. He is the originator of Heli-mount banjos and other inventive designs admired by banjo enthusiasts everywhere and built Minneapolis-based Nechville Musical Products into a world-renowned banjo company. Tom is a member of the Minnesota Country and Rock Hall of fame and currently consults, teaches lessons, and performs Luthier work from Banjos West in Sisters Oregon.  Tom will be the camp luthier and dispenser of banjo wisdom. Bands: Middle Spunk Creek Boys, The Lois and Clark Expedition.
 

Don Share (Seattle, WA) - Guitar, Vocal Harmony
Don is everybody’s best friend and one of the smartest people you will ever meet. He has a special gift of making people feel welcome always has something positive to say. He is also bluegrass groove-master, and his exquisite and powerful sense of rhythm helps define any band’s sound. He is an accomplished lead singer and a harmony singing ace. Don has taught harmony singing and guitar at music camps and workshops in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and appears on an instructional harmony singing series with Sue Thompson and Keith Little. Bands: Old Growth Quartet, The Debutones, and Downtown Mountain Boys.

Sue Thompson (Port Townsend, WA) - Vocal Harmony
Sue is a harmony wizard and master song finder, honing in on the deep traditions of American music with her repertoire. She developed a creative and simple method for teaching harmony singing that is featured at music camps all over the country and in Europe. As if that isn’t enough, she is a masterful flat-pick guitarist and soulful singer too. Her recordings include the late Mike Seeger’s GRAMMY-nominated Third Annual Farewell Reunion and the Western Music extravaganza Tall Boots. Sue is one of those musical treasures deeply rooted, firmly planted, and a joy to be around. Bands: Metro Luna, Sue Thompson & the Brandeis Band, Sue Thompson & Jack Dwyer.

Casey Willis (Bend, OR) - Fiddle
Hang on to your hats, batten down the hatches and hold on, Casey’s in town! Casey is the secret weapon we didn’t know lived in our midst until he blew into a jam one evening and wowed everyone with his masterful and charismatic fiddle playing. Check out these folks he’s shared the stage with: Dolly Parton, Craig Morgan, Johnny Russell, Jean Shepard and many more. He’s a two-time Oregon State fiddling champion and second place winner at the National Old Time Fiddling contest. And best of all, he lives in Central Oregon. Bands: Skillethead.