Check out our workshops for the 2026 Fiddle & Jam weekend! Workshops are for adults and suitable for mature older kids, age 5th grade and up.
We have 3 separate time slots with workshops for you to choose from! Registration is required; scholarships are readily available. Some workshops have a prerequisite skill level; others are for beginners. Please read below for details.
There is a registration fee of $5 for each workshop (but you can take all 3 sessions for the price of 2!)
Use this online form to register or request financial assistance.
Session #1: Saturday at 12:45 pm |
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Women in the Ozarks, as in most places, were historically often limited in opportunities to showcase their musical skills. The demands of homemakeing and raising children made it difficult to find time to play music outside of the home. In the mid to late twentieth century, several notable female Ozark fiddlers started to make a mark on the musical landscape. Betse Ellis, a practitioner and instructor of old time fiddle originally from Fayetteville, Arkansas, has a keen interest in these women, and has long been a friend and mentee of Violet Hensley, “The Whittling Fiddler” of Arkansas. Betse will share stories and tunes from Violet and other notable Ozark women fiddlers. |
Session #2: Saturday at 2:00 pm |
| Pick one option from session 2. |
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Learn about the inception and execution of the idea that became Dear Old Illinois: Traditional Music of Downstate Illinois, the influential collection of midwestern fiddle tunes compiled and edited by Garry Harrison and Jo Burgess.
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For clawhammer banjo players who already have some skill playing and can bring their own banjo. Come learn tunes, grab licks, and enjoy a delightfully raucous banjo jam! |
Session #3: Saturday at 3:15 pm |
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Betse will teach some of her favorite Ozark tunes. Participants should be comfortable playing and learning by ear, but everyone is welcome to observe. |
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For people who are not used to playing by ear. Instruction will be given as needed, and you can have access to PDF versions of the tunes you learn. Everyone is welcome! |
Registration, payment, financial assistance: |
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Sugar in the Coffee: Ozark Women Fiddlers, a presentation by Betse Ellis. 
Dear Old Illinois: the back story with Gaye Harrison. 
Clawhammer Banjo Workshop with Tom Faux.
Ozark fiddle tunes workshop: Betse Ellis with Clarke Wyatt. 
Slow Jam, with Robin Kearton & Tom Faux
Register for workshops or request financial assistance using our