Song Session by the St. Vrain
Song Session by the St. Vrain

For a week before the festival begins, Planet Bluegrass offers the opportunity to immerse yourself as an active participant in the world of bluegrass. From small classes with world-class professional musicians, to sessions on group jamming, vocal coaching, songwriting, one-on-one instruction, and a broad variety of electives including learning fiddle tunes, practice techniques, writing instrumentals, accompaniment, improvisation, and musical history. Evenings feature band scrambles, barbecues, and plenty of jamming for novice through advanced ability levels. Many Academy students return year after year, creating long-term relationships with budding musicians from all over the world.

Most spaces in the 2009 Academy were sold using our online lottery. We still have spaces in several classes - including advanced bass and clawhammer banjo - on sale at shop.bluegrass.com or over the phone (800-624-2422 or 303-823-0848).

Instrument Classes

Every year we welcome many of the RockyGrass Festival performers - world-class bluegrass musicians representing several generations of the music's history and future. This year is no different as our list of instructors includes members of California, the Claire Lynch Band, 2008 Instrument Building studentsThree Ring Circle, the Kruger Brothers, and other talented musicians - all spending the week with us teaching instrument classes, leading jams, and sharing their wealth of musical experience.

This year we will be offering three levels of instrument instruction for guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and bass. With the addition of Mark Schatz, we will be offering both a clawhammer banjo class as well as intermediate and advanced bluegrass banjo classes. Rob Ickes will be on-hand to teach a single level of intermediate and advanced dobro. All we ask for all instrument classes is that you be at least a novice on your instrument - no beginners, please!

Dance and Songwriting Classes

Song Session by the St. Vrain
Academy mandolin class

In addition, we will be offering two additional courses this year. Eileen Carson, founder of the Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble will be teaching a week-long course on traditional dance. We’ll post more info about this class in the coming days. We will also be offering a course in songwriting and vocals led by Claire Lynch and Steve Spurgin. This class will feature daily songwriting sessions with Steve and Claire as well as group vocal and harmony singing breakouts and a chance to perform songs at the end of the week. More info will be posted here soon. We’re excited to offer an in-depth exploration of dance and songwriting over the course of the entire Academy for the first time. Learn more...

Kids Camp

The Bluegrass Academy experience isn't just for parents. Children of registered Academy students can also join in the fun with a special program for your children ages 7-14 who are either new to bluegrass or at a novice or intermediate level. Join members of the award-winning Bearfoot, now in their seventh year of teaching, for four full days of instrument, vocal and band instruction that includes a final performance on Thursday evening. This is the perfect opportunity to bring the whole family to the Academy. Learn more....

Song Session by the St. Vrain
Instrument building instructors

Instrument Building Experience

Where else but on Planet Bluegrass do a few lucky participants have the chance to walk away with a hand-built instrument in just four days? All the instrument kits allow students to sample a variety of building techniques and materials during the process. Along with the mandolin family of instruments, this year we are offering two mandolin building graduates the chance to build a travel guitar. For the mandos, no building experience is required, just a good attitude and focus. With over 160 instruments built to date, this experience just keeps getting better. Learn more...

Academy Guests

If you are planning to attend the Academy with a non-musical family member or friend, a limited number of guest passes will be available. Guest passes allow your guest to camp with you on the Planet Bluegrass Ranch and enjoy the Monday and Thursday evening barbeques. You might also consider enrolling your guest in one of our non-instrument offerings: traditional dance, songwriting, or instrument building.

Photos: Russell Bramlett, Brian Eyster

We hope you can join us for a memorable week of pickin' on the Planet. Meet your fellow Academy students in the Festivarian Forum. If you're new to the Academy, browse some photos from last year (click the image above) or view our slide-shows from past years.