The Central Texas Bluegrass Association, incorporated in 1978 as a Texas non-profit, tax-exempt corporation, invites all bluegrass friends, fans, and pickers to become active members.

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Jim Shaffer's Bluegrass Instructor's List

Here is a list of bluegrass instructors. If you would like to take lessons from any of these folks, contact them directly using the information below. Please do not contact the CTBA for lessons.

If you are an instructor, and would like to be added to this list, please email us and provide the following information:

An asterisk indicates a CTBA member.

CTBA Bluegrass Instructors

NAME

CONTACT

LOCATION

AGES/LEVEL

INFORMATION

Billy Bright*

512-699-8979
email

Fiddler's Green Music Shop

All

Mandolin/All Levels

Eddie Collins*

512-873-7803
email
website

South Austin Music, and North (183 and IH-35)

all ages, beg/int/adv

banjo (bluegrass only) mandolin, guitar (flat pick and travis style)

Cara Cooke*

512-280-9104
email
website
website 2

Southwest, or will come to your home

all ages, beg/int/adv

harmonica, especially bluegrass harmonica; upright bass; guitar; mandolin; singing, especially harmony. 35 years a musician, teaching as called up most of that time. One of the very few bluegrass harmonica players in the country who specializes in playing fiddle tunes.

Katy Cox

347-385-4774
email

 

all ages, beg/int

fiddle - teaching for 18 years. I play professionally in 2 nationally touring bands. Shotgun Party and The Maybelles. I've been a professional touring musician for the last 10 years. I teach both classical and bluegrass.

Darcie Deaville

512-280-2671
email
website

South

ages 12-80, be able to play a little

fiddle guitar, mandolin, and how to play in a band. Lots of teaching material on the web site.

Shawn Dean

208-420-1907
email

 

Beg/Int/Adv

Fiddle - Country, Swing, Bluegrass and other Styles (play with the Asylum Street Spankers)

Matt Downing

512-535-8103
email

Fiddler's Green Music Shop

Ages 8 and up

Bluegrass Banjo/All Levels. Bluegrass Guitar/All Levels

Jon "Randy" Field

512-868-2925
email
website

Georgetown and Austin

9 to 90, beg/int/adv

Mando, guitar, fiddle, bass, vocal. Bluegrass/old time country, recording/sound engineering. Randy's Rangers band. Since 1974. Emphasis on practical theory application. Learn why you play what you play and how to build on your knowledge.

Wes Green

512-218-1567
email

Round Rock

7 and up; Adult

Mandolin, fiddle, guitar (finger and flat picking) - Country, Old time, Bluegrass

Jerry Hagins

512-632-7926
email

 

all ages, all levels

oldtime clawhammer banjo - Jerry Hagins has been playing oldtime 5-string banjo for over 30 years. He currently plays banjo in the Big Ernie Barn Dance Band, the Rising Gorge Boys, and Christy and Her Plowboys

Michael Harris

512-906-0691
email

24th and Longview (near UT), or Parkfield Dr. near Payton Gin (north central)

7 and up (younger if motivated), beg/int

guitar, mandolin, bass, fiddle theory - over 30 years experience teaching at UNT, St. Stephen's School, Austin Guitar School, Childbloom, and private studio

Mary Hattersley*

512-873-8925

North (Rundberg)

all ages

Fiddle - Folk, Country, Bluegrass; Suzuki

Erik Hokkanen

512-707-1030

South

all ages, Int/Adv

Fiddle - Bluegrass, Country, Cajun, Folk, Swing, Gypsy, International, Blues, Theory, Improv, Phil

Adam Moss

217-766-6158
email

anywhere in Austin

All ages

Fiddle - Bluegrass, jazz, classical

Mark Rubin

512-659-8952
email

Central

Int./Advanced

BASS - Bluegrass, C&W, Folk, Swing, Jazz, Slap Bass technique, theory

Lisa Schneider

email
website
website 2

North Central Highland Mall area

Adult Beginner/Intermediate

I teach basic, beginning violin/fiddle techniques and/or various fiddle styles/tunes

Beate Sieker*

512-733-2857
email
website

 

all ages, all levels

rhythm guitar, bass, vocals - 25 years of professional musicianship

Rolf Sieker*

512-733-2857
email
website
website 2

 

all ages, all levels

banjo - all styles, 40 years of playing and teaching, studio musician and professional banjo player

Korey Simeone

512-636-2275
email

Austin School of Music-South

5-100, beg/int/adv

Violin, Dobro, Mandolin - Austin Lounge Lizards - 5yrs touring, Asylum Street Spankers - 4 yrs touring, Box Car Preachers - Founding Member - 2 yrs

Geoff Union

512-563-9821
email

Fiddler's Green Music Shop

Ages 8 and up

Guitar/Beg to Advanced. Fiddle/Beg to Intermediate.

Roy Wilhite

512-797-1906
email
website

SW Austin, near West Gate and William Cannon, or near Far West and MOPAC

all ages, beg/int/adv

I have been teaching (and performing professionally) for more than 30 years. I specialize in the practical applications of music theory, enabling my students to easily pick up on any tune and play it by ear and to know how to improvise on the melody or alter the chord progression. Students who are only taught riffs get stuck in beginner mode. My students understand the way music works, and are able to play anything at any time, in any key, or create their own music. I have assembled a bluegrass band to play a few CTBA festivals in the past, and I have played in several other bluegrass bands.

Other Links

In addition to the instructors listed above, we'd like to draw your attention to the following resources.