Whistlepig news - and mandolin lessons

Fred Keller (left), mandolinist with the Whistlepigs String Band of Minnesota, was in Ireland last autumn with his wife Missy, seeing, hearing, and making a good deal of music, mostly in the west - at the first Balla Bluegrass Festival, among other events. Fred sends some welcome news, including good work by the Whistlepigs:

My band's been playing some: a mid-winter festival at a hotel in Minneapolis was a highlight. We didn't play; we ran the Grass Seeds Kids Academy. We taught some 40 kids of varying degrees of proficiency a whole lot of bluegrass in three short days. We've done it once before and it is one of the most rewarding musical experiences you can imagine. Seeing a young person go from looking like a deer in the headlights to playing a newly learned song on stage in front of an audience is pure magic...

Fred is also working up a solo career: he has developed a body of work for solo mandolin (some bluegrass, old-time, originals, and string-band blues), and is scheduling gigs and working on promotional materials - website, recordings, pictures, etc. He is now giving lessons over the internet.

... I have been taking students via webcam. If you have a good internet connection, a reasonably fast computer, a webcam, and Skype, you're all ready to take lessons. My specialties are Monroe-style bluegrass, old-time, pre-war string-band blues/ragtime... My YouTube site has some examples of my playing and my teaching. The lessons I post to YouTube merely enhance the webcam experience. The primary lesson is an in-person, live, one-on-one webcam lesson.

Contact Fred via his website, where there is a starter page for lessons, or by e-mail. The mandolin in the picture is his 2004 Brentrup 23V Maestro Model.