Old-Time Music School
2026 Dorrigo Old-Time Music School Workshop Descriptions
Work in progress…
Recommended equipment: recording device, tuning device, notebook, spare strings, capo if instrument requires, your best listening ears.
Object Writing with Eli West
Let’s build a song’s story through object writing. We will spend time building an idea from a seed, then share and edit each other’s lyrical ideas. This class, while frequently vulnerable, is an efficient path toward developing a thematic lyrical storyline. Come with pen and paper, an open mind, and leave the critic at the door (we will let them in for the last 20min of class).
Melody Development From Chord Forms with Eli West
This guitar centric course (though open to other instruments) will use the inherent information in a chord and chord progression to help us build a melody line. We will look briefly at chord theory to find launching points for melody lines, talk about chord progressions as mood setters, and then work toward a collective melody by the end of class.
Old Time Fiddle with Cat Moser
Cat will teach a couple of fiddle tunes from the oldtime tradition, while sharing some techniques, melody variations, open tunings and stylistic approaches that may be applied to your playing.
Old Time Banjo and Fiddle Duets with Cat & Clint
Cat & Clint will teach a tune for fiddle and banjo, from the playing of Charlie and Noah Kinney of Lewis County, KY, and a song by Rosa Lee Watson, for voice, fiddle and banjo.
Old-Time Fiddle Tunings with Cat Moser
Cat will teach some tunes in various wild and wonderful oldtime fiddle tunings. Come and explore the growly drones and resonant experience that can be found outside of standard tunings on fiddle.
Australian Old Time Tunes with Cat & Clint
Bring your stringband instruments and learn the melody and chords for some of Australia’s traditional oldtime tunes. Explore various elements of melody and chord backing, while hearing stories of tune origins and the Australians who played them through the years.
Unaccompanied Old-time Singing with Cat Moser
Cat will teach a couple of songs from the oldtime tradition of singing unaccompanied. Build vocal confidence while exploring your voice’s natural resonance in the supportive environment of a group.
Oldtime Banjo – Focus on Bertie Dickens with Lucas Pasley
In this workshop, we will explore the life and banjo playing of Bertie Dickens, a remarkable banjoist from Alleghany County, North Carolina who won the NC Folk Heritage award in 1993. She was friends with and documented by Alice Gerrard. Participants will receive a bio and tablature for two of Bertie’s tunes.
Oldtime Banjo – Focus on Ola Belle Reed with Lucas Pasley
In this workshop, we will explore the life and banjo playing of Ola Belle Reed, a remarkable banjoist and songwriter from Ashe County, North Carolina. Ola Belle wrote many now-standards like “High on a Mountain” and “I’ve Endured.” Participants will receive a bio and tablature for two of Ola Belle’s tunes.
Oldtime Banjo – Focus on Wade Ward with Lucas Pasley
In this workshop, we will explore the life and banjo playing of Wade Ward, a remarkable banjoist from Grayson County, VA who was featured on many oldtime banjo recordings and became one of the heroes of the folk revival. Participants will receive a bio and tablature for two of Wade’s tunes.
Oldtime Fiddle – Focus on Emmett Lundy
In this workshop, we will explore the life and fiddling of Emmett Lundy, a remarkable fiddler from Grayson County, VA who was recorded in 1941. His playing captures an old world sound that seems to pre-date the recording industry. Participants will receive a bio and tablature for two of Emmett’s tunes.
Oldtime Fiddle – Focus on Joe Birchfield with Lucas Pasley
In this workshop, we will explore the life and fiddling of Joe Birchfield, a remarkable fiddler from Roan Mountain, TN who played with the legendary Roan Mountain Hilltoppers, a family band that provide dance music for decades. Participants will receive a bio and tablature for two of Joe’s tunes.
Oldtime Fiddle – Focus on Otis Burris with Lucas Pasley
In this workshop, we will explore the life and fiddling of Otis Burris, a remarkable fiddler from Grayson County, VA who won countless ribbons at the Galax Fiddlers Convention and bridged the world between oldtime and bluegrass. Participants will receive a bio and tablature for two of Otis’s tunes.
Oldtime Backup Guitar with Martha Spencer
In this workshop, participants will learn the basics of oldtime guitar playing from Martha Spencer, who grew up playing in the legendary Whitetop Mountain Band. Martha will share chords, runs, and general philosophy on oldtime guitar playing.
Women in Roots: Songs from Appalachian Women
In this workshop, Martha, a songwriter herself, will share songs from Appalachian women and explore the longstanding tradition of female expression through song in the Appalachian mountains.
Oldtime Fiddle with Martha Spencer
In this workshop, Martha will explore fiddling in the Whitetop area of the mountains of Virginia where she was raised. Heavily influenced by her father Thornton Spencer and uncle Albert Hash, Martha’s playing reflects a beautiful Virginia tradition.
Oldtime Banjo with Martha Spencer
In this workshop, Martha will teach her style of oldtime banjo from the Whitetop area of the mountains of Virginia where she was raised. Heavily influenced by her mother Emily Spencer and other greats of the region, Martha’s playing reflects a beautiful Virginia tradition.
Harmony Singing with Martha & Lucas
In this workshop, Martha and Lucas will explore the basics of harmony singing, the tradition of harmony singing in Appalachia and participants will get to practice finding harmony parts and singing along to oldtime songs.
Fiddle Duets with Banjo, Guitar and Dance with Martha & Lucas
In this workshop, Marth and Lucas will explore the tradition of instrumental duets in Appalachia, covering how the fiddle and banjo work together, fiddle and guitar, and how dancing in Appalachia is tied into the melody of the tune.
Develop your own Practice Routine with Patrick MGonigle
Learning to enjoy your daily practice is a superpower, but it requires some strategizing to get there. Balancing technical with creative practice and identifying weak areas in your playing is a challenge. When done effectively, there is no better way to both enhance your abilities and increase your enjoyment. In this session, we’ll talk about how you can create your own customized and ever-evolving system of practice while managing your allotted time to maximize the effectiveness of your practicing… All while having more fun and becoming your own best teacher and coach.
Double Stops on the Fiddle with Patrick MGonigle
This is my favorite part of the fiddle, and an area I’ve spent the last few years focusing on both playing and teaching effectively. How many other instruments can sustain two independent voices at once? (The pedal steel, yes, but other than that?…) In this class we will workshop how to logically think about finding and using double stops (Harmonic vs melodic), movable double stop intervals through chord progressions, and how you can use this amazing sound in your own music for both soloing and accompaniment.
Bluegrass Harmonies with Eli West & Patrick MGonigle
This class is pretty self-explanitory! We will talk about matching your voices and vowels and what makes bluegrass harmony singing so unique, lonesome, and evocative.
Old-Time Backup Guitar with Clint O’Gradey
Clint will be teaching his approach to old time back up guitar, sharing solid basics and various techniques for backing old time fiddle tunes.
Old-Time Slide Guitar with Clint O’Gradey
Clint will be teaching some approaches to slide accompaniment for old time songs, with a focus on open D and G tunings, exploring chords, melody and various slide techniques.