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See Bluegrass Instructors ONLY
See Oldtime Instructors ONLY
Browse all Instructors
Tom T. Ball (MBC Bass Instructor) - has played the upright bass in various groups since the mid-1970s, from the New Wexford County Rangers to the seven-piece swing band Jive at Five. He has been active in the Wheatland Music Organization since its beginnings and is currently serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors. A treasure trove of information about all forms of music, Tom has hosted the popular "Homespun" music show on WCMU public radio since 1980, and is a Marketing Representative for CMU Public Broadcasting.
(Tom T. Ball at Elderly.com)
Russ Barenberg (bluegrass guitar) -
Long at the creative forefront of the acoustic music scene,
Russ has collaborated with many of its finest artists, including Jerry Douglas,
Edgar Meyer, Tony Trischka, Bela Fleck, Alison Krauss, Mark O'Connor, Andy Statman
and legendary jazz bassist, Charlie Haden. His playing has graced numerous film soundtracks,
most notably Ken Burns’ documentary, The Civil War. Russ’s most recent album, When at Last,
earned him a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Instrumental Performance, and was also nominated
for the International Bluegrass Music Association's Instrumental Album of the Year.
His other solo recordings include When at Last, Moving Pictures, Halloween Rehearsal,
Behind the Melodies, and Cowboy Calypso.
(Russ Barenberg Site)
(Russ Barenberg at Elderly)
"Stretch" Reinsmith - is a repair technician at Elderly Instruments. He started repairing instruments at his home in the late 70's and was the owner of Stretch Guitar Repair in the 90's. Stretch enjoys working on banjos and can do everything from basic setups to refrets, inlays, repair broken headstocks, re-cut neck heels and reset dowel sticks for proper neck angles, Binding repair and replacement and make new fingerboards, He has run a banjo repair shop and taught a repair class at the Midwest Banjo Camp IV & V.
(" Stretch" at Elderly)
Bobby Taylor (Camp Fiddler)- is a fourth generation West Virginia fiddler. He plays several styles of old-time and contest fiddling, but got his start from the legendary fiddler Clark Kessinger, who is considered one of the fathers of bluegrass fiddling. Bobby was the 1977 West Virginia State Open Fiddle Champion. In 2003, Bobby received the Footbridge Award from FOOTMAD (Friends of Old-Time Music and Dance) for his contributions to old-time music. In 2010, he was presented the Vandalia Award - West Virginia's highest folk-life honor - by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Bobby has been the coordinator of West Virginia's Vandalia Gathering contests in Charleston, WV since 1979. He was the contest coordinator of the Appalachian Open Contest from 1984 through 1987, and for many years he has served as the contest coordinator at Appalachian String Band Music Festival (often known as "Clifftop"). Bobby is also a noted fiddle contest judge; he has judged the Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia state championships, and is a regular judge at the Old Fiddler's Convention in Galax, VA. He has judged the Grand Master Fiddle Championship in Nashville, TN five times from 2006-2010. In 2008, he served as a judge at the Grand National Fiddle Championship in Weiser, ID. Bobby has taught fiddle workshops at the Augusta Heritage Center and at Allegheny Echoes in West Virginia. He currently presents historical showcases on fiddle styles with his old-time band "Kanawha Tradition".
(Bobby Taylor Site)
(Bobby Taylor at Elderly)