Words can hardly capture the extraordinary experience of jamming with fellow musicians. It’s a unique blend of connection, inspiration, and musical growth.
Group Classes & Workshops
Bluegrass Jamming (FULL)
Beginning - Intermediate
Taught by David Thiessen & Michaela Mae
Bluegrass is one of the few genres where beginners and seasoned players can jam together, learning from and inspiring one another. In this class, you'll build foundational skills or refine existing ones, expanding your repertoire, improving soloing, playing at different tempos, and gaining confidence in leading songs. Whether you're just getting started or looking to take your jamming to the next level, this course will help you develop the skills to play in a group setting and fully enjoy the magic of a bluegrass jam.
Course Goals:
Create a welcoming space for playing in an ensemble
Lead songs with confidence
Foster supportive backup playing
Develop melodic solos with clarity
Expand your song repertoire
Qualifications:
Ability to transition between basic chords smoothly on one of the core bluegrass instruments (guitar, upright bass, fiddle, banjo, dobro, mandolin)
Interest in learning bluegrass jamming or related musical genres
When: April 16th - June 4th
8 week course (plus end of session jamboree)
Time: Wednesday evenings 6:30pm-8:00pm
Ages: 18 years +
Folk Jamming (adult class)(FULL)
Beginning - Intermediate
Taught by Michaela Mae & Ryan Harlin
This folk jamming class is designed for musicians who already have some experience on their instrument but want to develop their skills in a group setting. Through a collection of folk, country, celtic, bluegrass, and Americana songs, you’ll learn how to listen, complement other players, and even step into soloing with confidence. Playing in an ensemble is one of the fastest ways to improve your musicianship—while having a great time and building a strong musical community along the way.
Course Goals:
Foster a communal environment for playing and singing together
Expand your repertoire of folk songs
Qualifications:
Ability to transition between basic chords with relative ease
When: April 15th - June 3rd
8 week course (plus end of session jamboree)
Time: Tuesday evenings 6:30pm-8:00pm
Ages: 18 years +
Folk Jamming (youth class) - POSTPONED
Beginning - Intermediate
Taught by David Thiessen, Jesse Fichman, & Michaela Mae
This exciting new class is designed to introduce 5th–8th graders to the joy of folk jamming! Led by an exceptional team of experienced music educators, this course will immerse students in the tradition of playing and singing together in an ensemble. Through a collection of folk, bluegrass, and Americana songs, students will develop foundational skills on their instruments and voices, learn how to play in a group, and even take their first steps in soloing. More than just a music class, this is an opportunity to build confidence, friendships, and a lifelong love of making music in a supportive, fun-filled environment.
Course Goals:
Create a welcoming space for playing in an ensemble
Lead songs with confidence
Foster supportive backup playing
Develop melodic solos with clarity
Expand your song repertoire
Qualifications:
Some basic knowledge of one of the following stringed instruments: guitar, violin, cello, bass, mandolin, banjo, dobro, or viola
Owning a stringed instrument is recommended, but not required
When: April 16th - June 4th
8 week course (plus end of session jamboree)
Time: Wednesdays 4:30pm-6:00pm
Ages: 5th-8th Graders
Bluegrass Banjo (Summer Course)
Taught by Andy Davis
Beginning - Intermediate
This 6 week course is designed to help you learn how to develop clear, crisp banjo rolls to play melodies and backup for bluegrass songs using the basics of Scruggs style picking. In each class we will learn a collection of bluegrass songs and tunes.
Course Goals:
Find support and inspiration within a community of like minded instrumentalists
Develop effective right hand picking technique
Learn basic bluegrass rolls as the building blocks for playing melodies
Improve left hand slides, pull offs, and hammer ons to express melody
Develop stronger timing in the interest of rhythmic and melodic expression
Learn a small repertoire of songs as a basis for working up your own banjo arrangements.
Qualifications:
Some experience with a stringed instrument
Willingness to share your banjo successes and struggles within a community of learners
When: June 17th - July 22nd
6 week course (plus end of session jamboree)
Time: Tuesday evenings 5:00pm-6:15pm
Ages: 15 years +
Bluegrass Jamming (Summer Course)
Taught by Andy Davis and Michaela Mae
Beginning - Intermediate
In this 6 week summer class series, you'll build foundational skills or refine existing ones, expanding your repertoire, improving soloing, playing at different tempos, and gaining confidence in leading songs. Whether you're just getting started or looking to take your jamming to the next level, this course will help you develop the skills to play in a group setting and fully enjoy the magic of a bluegrass jam.
Course Goals:
Course Goals:
Create a welcoming space for playing in an ensemble
Lead songs with confidence
Foster supportive backup playing
Develop melodic solos with clarity
Expand your song repertoire
Qualifications:
Ability to transition between basic chords smoothly on one of the core bluegrass instruments (guitar, upright bass, fiddle, banjo, dobro, mandolin)
Interest in learning bluegrass jamming or related musical genres
When: June 17th - July 22nd
6 week course (plus end of session jamboree)
Time: Tuesday evenings 6:30pm-8:00pm
Ages: 18 years +
Meet the Teachers
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Michaela Mae
Founder & Multi-class Teacher
Michaela Mae is a professional singer, musician, and music instructor with over fifteen years of performance experience. She teaches harmony workshops, songwriting courses, family music classes, and private lessons in the North Bay Area and at music camps around California. Michaela has studied voice for over 25 years and has 45+ credits in Music Education. In her personal projects, she performs and collaborates with Wyld Iris and Miranda Mallard.
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Ryan Harlin
Multi-Class Teacher
Ryan is a music producer, songwriter, performer, and educator with feet firmly planted in American roots music. He has been a lead instructor at Walker Creek Music Camp and California Bluegrass Association’s Music Camp and collaborated with artists as diverse as dance music legend Paul Van Dyk and banjo icon Kermit the Frog. He is the Senior Creative Executive for Reason Studios and has earned tens of millions of views on YouTube.
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Mary Kussmaul (Felton)
Jamming Class Teacher
Mary is the California Bluegrass Association’s Regional Activities Director, coordinating jams and activities in Sonoma, Napa, and Lake Counties. An active bluegrass performer, she plays mandolin in the all-women’s band Bluegrass Holiday and often appears with the Bloomfield Bluegrass Band. Her musical journey began with classical piano as a child, and she transitioned to mandolin and bluegrass after attending a fiddle camp with her children. Even though she loves performing, the sense of community she finds through jamming is what brought her into bluegrass and is her favorite part of the genre.
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Dave Pascoe
Workshop Teacher
David Pascoe is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and touring musician whose music blends traditional folk with playful improvisation. He performs with multiple groups in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Late for the Train, Eric Long, and the Jimbo Scott Band. David also co-founded Every Folk, a camp for adults to explore traditional folk music and culture and is a lead teacher at the Pacific Songwriting Camp.
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David Thiessen
Multi-Class Teacher
From the moment David picked up the mandolin at age ten, Bluegrass and Americana music became an integral part of his life. Soon after, he formed a band with his twin brother and best friends that lasted for more than a decade. Since then he has played in countless bands around California including Windy Hill, One Grass Two Grass, and currently Mission Blue. He continues to play shows and festivals regularly. David has many years of experience teaching music to individuals and groups alike. It’s his belief that the first step to learning is being excited about the music and realizing that musical goals can be achieved through effective practice. His goal is to develop students into the musicians they want to be, while remembering that the main purpose of music is enjoyment, fun, and community.
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Jesse Fichman
Folk Jamming (Youth Class) Teacher
Jesse Fichman grew up in Santa Rosa, California, discovering bluegrass in fifth grade with The Mighty Chiplings under Chip Dunbar’s guidance. Attending the Grass Valley Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival deepened his passion, leading to lifelong friendships and six years with AJ Lee and Blue Summit. Beyond bluegrass, he studied saxophone, clarinet, and voice, performing in jazz combos and choirs. He has taught at the California Bluegrass Association’s Kids on Bluegrass Music Camp and led workshops at Walker Creek Music Camp. A part-time field biologist considering graduate school, Jesse values the joy of learning and creating a supportive musical environment.
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Andy Davis
Multi-Class Teacher
Andy Davis is a traditional bluegrass banjo player, singer, songwriter, and band leader who splits his time between Philadelphia, PA and the San Francisco Bay Area. His Philadelphia-based band, Midnight Flyer interprets bluegrass, old time and original tunes with a style faithful to the roots of American stringband music. While in California, he performs with his daughter, Ruby Davis and Bay Area Special, as well as with a growing list of California musicians.
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Michael Greenberg
Fingerstyle Guitar Teacher
Michael Greenberg discovered his passion for guitar at age 15, teaching himself the basics before being inspired by a college friend to explore fingerstyle playing. During those years, he balanced his love for physics with the joy of mastering songs by artists like Jim Croce, James Taylor, and Dan Fogelberg, deepening his connection to music. Today, Michael plays and teaches for the sheer joy of it, cherishing the moments spent creating music with others and sharing his love of fingerstyle guitar with fellow enthusiasts.