The Central Texas Bluegrass Association, incorporated in 1978 as a Texas non-profit, tax-exempt corporation, invites all bluegrass friends, fans, and pickers to become active members.
Here is a list of bluegrass instructors. If you would like to take lessons from any of these folks, contact them directly using the information below. Please do not contact the CTBA for lessons.
If you are an instructor, and would like to be added to this list, please email us and provide the following information:
Name
Contact information, (e.g.) phone, email, webpage (if applicable)
Teaching location, (e.g.) studio location or "will come to your home"
Ages taught
Experience levels taught
A short description of your experience, (e.g.) "10 years experience in a bluegrass band, have been teaching for 15 years." Please keep it brief though.
NAME |
CONTACT |
LOCATION |
AGES/LEVEL |
INFORMATION |
---|---|---|---|---|
Billy Bright |
512-699-8979 |
|
All |
Mandolin/All Levels |
Eddie Collins* |
512-873-7803 |
South Austin Music, and North (183 and IH-35) |
All ages, Beg/Int/Adv |
Banjo (bluegrass only) Mandolin, Guitar (flat pick and Travis style) |
Cara Cooke* |
512-280-9104 |
Southwest, or will come to your home |
All ages, Beg/Int/Adv |
Harmonica, especially Bluegrass Harmonica; Upright Bass; Guitar; Mandolin; Singing, especially harmony. 35 years a musician, teaching as called up most of that time. One of the very few Bluegrass Harmonica players in the country who specializes in playing fiddle tunes. |
Katy Cox* |
347-385-4774 |
|
All ages, Beg/Int |
Fiddle - teaching for 18 years. I play professionally in 2 nationally touring bands. Shotgun Party and The Maybelles. I've been a professional touring musician for the last 10 years. I teach both Classical and Bluegrass. |
Darcie Deaville |
12-280-2671 |
South |
Ages 12-80, be able to play a little |
Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin, and how to play in a band. Lots of teaching material on the web site. |
Shawn Dean* |
208-420-1907 |
|
Beg/Int/Adv |
Fiddle - Country, Swing, Bluegrass and other Styles (I play with the Asylum Street Spankers) |
Matt Downing* |
512-535-8103 |
|
Ages 8 and up |
Bluegrass Banjo/All levels, Bluegrass Guitar/All levels |
Jon "Randy" Field* |
512-868-2925 |
Georgetown and Austin |
9 to 90, Beg/Int/Adv |
Mando, Guitar, Fiddle, Bass, Vocal. Bluegrass/old time country, recording/sound engineering. Randy's Rangers band. Since 1974. Emphasis on practical theory application. Learn why you play what you play and how to build on your knowledge. |
Jane Gillman |
512-658-1909 |
Fiddler's Green Music Shop |
All Ages, All levels |
Guitar, Mountain Dulcimer, Hammer Dulcimer |
Jerry Hagins |
512-632-7926 |
Fiddler's Green Music Shop |
All ages, All levels |
Oldtime Clawhammer Banjo - Jerry Hagins has been playing oldtime 5-string Banjo for over 30 years. He currently plays Banjo in the Big Ernie Barn Dance Band, the Rising Gorge Boys, and Christy and Her Plowboys |
Michael Harris |
512-906-0691 |
24th and Longview (near UT), or Parkfield Dr. near Payton Gin (north central) |
7 and up (younger if motivated), Beg/Int |
Guitar, Mandolin, Bass, Fiddle, Theory - over 30 years experience teaching at UNT, St. Stephen's School, Austin Guitar School, Childbloom, and private studio |
Mary Hattersley |
512-873-8925 |
North (Rundberg) |
All ages |
Fiddle - Folk, Country, Bluegrass; Suzuki |
Jenn Miori Hodges |
281-682-8174 |
Fiddler's Green Music Shop |
All Ages, All levels |
Beginner and Intermediate Guitar, Vocal and Harmony |
Erik Hokkanen |
512-707-1030 |
South |
All ages, Int/Adv |
Fiddle - Bluegrass, Country, Cajun, Folk, Swing, Gypsy, International, Blues, Theory, Improv, Phil |
Jake Howard* |
330-701-0005 |
Austin Area |
All ages, All levels |
Mandolin, Guitar (flat pick & old time), music theory, song writing - A graduate of Berklee College of Music with degree in Performance and minor in American Roots Music. |
Chojo Jaques |
831-246-0800 |
Fiddler's Green Music Shop |
Ages 9 & older, All levels |
Fiddle and Mandolin |
Molly Johnson |
512-537-5369 |
Central or North Austin |
All ages, All levels |
Oldtime Clawhammer Banjo, Voice, Harmony Singing, and Alexander Technique - Molly Johnson has been playing oldtime banjo, guitar, and singing in various bands for over 20 years. Her approach to banjo emphasizes learning to pick up tunes quickly at jams and to create variations on basic melodies. Her approach to teaching music is based in the Alexander Technique, which means that besides standard instrumental and vocal skills, you can learn to develop technique and posture that will help you perform better overall and reduce injury. |
Tony Kamel |
512-627-4317 |
Fiddler's Green Music Shop |
All Ages, All levels |
Guitar |
Carolyn Kendrick* |
209-986-4563 |
Austin Area |
All Ages, All levels. ESL and special needs students welcome. |
Fiddle - 7 years teaching experience. I am a Berklee College of Music grad. |
Mike McKinley |
831-331-1321 |
Austin Area, or at your home or mine |
All ages, All levels |
Mandolin - Specialty old school bluegrass in the style of Bill Napier (Stanley Bros.). Also coaching in performance, chord chopping, and singing at the same time with control and poise. |
Adam Moss |
217-766-6158 |
Anywhere in Austin |
All ages |
Fiddle - Bluegrass, jazz, classical |
Ben Sanders |
414-617-4105 |
|
All ages, All levels |
Fiddle - Traditional country, Bluegrass, Old-time; Mandolin - Monroe style |
Lisa Schneider |
North Central (Highland Mall area) |
Adult Beg/Int |
I teach basic, beginning Violin/Fiddle techniques and/or various Fiddle styles/tunes |
|
Devin Shawn* |
Online |
All ages, All levels |
Country & Bluegrass Guitar |
|
Beate Sieker* |
512-733-2857 |
|
All ages, All levels |
Rhythm Guitar, Bass, Vocals - 25 years of professional musicianship |
Rolf Sieker* |
512-733-2857 |
|
All ages, All levels |
Banjo - all styles, 40 years of playing and teaching, studio musician and professional Banjo player |
Korey Simeone |
512-636-2275 |
Austin School of Music-South |
5-100, Beg/Int/Adv |
Violin, Dobro, Mandolin - Austin Lounge Lizards - 5yrs touring, Asylum Street Spankers - 4 yrs touring, Box Car Preachers - Founding Member - 2 yrs |
Roy Wilhite |
512-797-1906 |
SW Austin, near West Gate and William Cannon, or near Far West and MOPAC |
All ages, Beg/Int/Adv |
I have been teaching (and performing professionally) for more than 30 years. I specialize in the practical applications of music theory, enabling my students to easily pick up on any tune and play it by ear and to know how to improvise on the melody or alter the chord progression. Students who are only taught riffs get stuck in beginner mode. My students understand the way music works, and are able to play anything at any time, in any key, or create their own music. I have assembled a bluegrass band to play a few CTBA festivals in the past, and I have played in several other bluegrass bands. |
Max Zimmet* |
South Austin (near Zilker Park) |
Ages 15 and up, All levels |
I'm the first dual guitar and mandolin performance principal graduate of Berklee College of Music. |
In addition to the instructors listed above, we'd like to draw your attention to the following resources.
homespuntapes.com and Musician's Workshop - Lots of educational DVDs