Transatlantic Bluegrass School brings top US musicians to Wales

Some of the best and biggest names in American bluegrass music, including performers from Nashville’s famed Grand Ole Opry, will be gathering in the small Pembrokeshire coastal village of Newport in 2008. They will be there not just to perform, but to teach the music that they themselves have done so much to popularise. With instructors widely regarded as being foremost exponents of their individual instruments, the Transatlantic Bluegrass School will present a rare opportunity for bluegrass musicians in Europe to learn from the very best contemporary and traditional musicians and vocalists. The residential course begins with a reception the evening of 7 May, followed by four days of bluegrass music classes, elective workshops, and two faculty concerts.

Teaching the fiddle styles, for which he is world famous, is Bobby Hicks. In a career spanning fifty years, Bobby Hicks has carved out a reputation as one of the true pioneers of the bluegrass and country fiddle. From his early days with Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys, where he cut a number of tracks that are today considered classics, to more recent work with Ricky Skaggs, Hicks has a reputation second-to-none among fans of the fiddle.

Teaching flatpick guitar is the multi-award-winning Kenny Smith, formerly of the Lonesome River Band, and teaching the vocal instruction class is Amanda Smith, who is currently with the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band, and received an IBMA nomination as a vocalist this year.

On mandolin, one of the leading innovators of bluegrass and acoustic mandolin, Emory Lester, will be teaching the class, and on string bass, Mike Bub, well known to many as the long-standing bassist with the Del McCoury Band, and recently performing with the awarded winning Dale Ann Bradley Band, will be showing students exactly how to set down and drive the rhythms upon which a bluegrass band depends so much.

No bluegrass event would be complete without the banjo and, in this case, banjo instruction is in the very capable (and fast!) hands of Ross Nickerson, who will be familiar to many banjo enthusiasts as not only an outstanding musician, but also as author of one of the very best instruction guides in print on the subject, The banjo encyclopedia.

The total cost for the course, elective workshops, faculty concerts, and all activities is £195. Demand is expected to exceed available spaces for the course, so early registration is suggested. For further information about the course, location and tutors, visit the school’s website.

For further information, please contact:
Nadine Highfield, Transatlantic Bluegrass School
Telephone:
01239 881334 (within the UK),
011 44 1239 881334 (from the US)
e-mail