Level up your guitar skills with this weekend of fingerpicking immersion! Classes will be geared towards intermediate guitar players, although students may be new to fingerpicking as a style. Each instructor will teach two classes during the weekend that will each meet twice (on Saturday and Sunday) so students can build on skills over the course of the weekend. A more introductory class (Level I) and a more in-depth class (Level II) will be offered in each period. Styles addressed will be blues, old-time and folk.
Where to stay:
Augusta has group rates available at two downtown hotels, allowing you to customize your experience.
- The newly renovated Tygart Hotel in Elkins, WV will be at the heart of the action. This newly renovated boutique hotel has great jamming areas and a bar, making it a natural place for evening music-making. Imagine evening jams with like-minded friends, with your accommodations only an elevator ride away when it’s time to call it a night. The staff is wonderful and music-friendly, making this location a natural partner for Augusta events. Take advantage of exclusive bulk room rates by calling (304)-614-1482.
- Additionally, the conveniently located Holiday Inn Express, within walking distance of all programming, offers special bulk rates for Augusta Participants. Contact them at (304) 630-2266.
Where to eat:
- Augusta is currently working with the soon-to-open restaurant (The Oxley) located in the Tygart Hotel. We are working towards offering a meal package through their catering department. Stay tuned for updates on this fantastic dining option. In the meantime, rest assured that there are numerous quality restaurants within walking distance of all classes and events.
Weekend Schedule
May 3-5 2024
Friday, May 3
7:00 pm: Student Orientation and Staff Demos
8:00 pm: Jam
Saturday, May 4
9:30 am – 10:45 am: Period 1
- Level I with Caroline (Four Patterns for Accompanying Folk Songs)
- Level II with Jesse (Learn Thumb-Lead for Bluegrass & Old-Time Music)
10:45 am – 11:15 am: Tea Break
11:15 am – 12:30 pm: Period 2
- Level I with Justin (Introduction to Piedmont Blues with the tunes of Mississippi John Hurt)
- Level II with Caroline (Accompanying Yourself: Experimenting & Finding Melodies)
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm: Lunch Break
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm: Period 3
- Level I with Jesse (Learn a Piedmont-Style Blues Tune)
- Level II with Justin (Piedmont Rags in the Style of Gary Davis and Blind Boy Fuller)
3:15 pm – 3:45 pm: Tea Break
3:45 pm – 5:00 pm: Open Jam
5:00 – 7:00 pm: Dinner Break
7:00 – 8:30 pm — Staff Concert
Sunday, May 5
9:30 am – 10:30 am: Period 1
- Level I with Caroline (Four Patterns for Accompanying Folk Songs)
- Level II with Jesse (Learn Thumb-Lead for Bluegrass & Old-Time Music)
10:30 am – 11:00 am: Tea Break
11:00 am – 12:00 am: Period 2
- Level I with Justin (Introduction to Piedmont Blues with the tunes of Mississippi John Hurt)
- Level II with Caroline (Accompanying Yourself: Experimenting & Finding Melodies)
12:00 pm – 1:30pm: Lunch Break
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: Period 3
- Level I with Jesse (Learn a Piedmont-Style Blues Tune)
- Level II with Justin (Piedmont Rags in the Style of Gary Davis and Blind Boy Fuller)
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Goodbyes!
Fingerpicking Guitar Getaway Staff 2024
Justin Golden
Justin Golden’s origins are deeply vested in the blues. With roots in the Mississippi Delta, Chicago, and the Piedmont of Virginia, he has always felt most connected to the blues. First picking up the guitar at age 19, Golden did what came naturally and let the music flow through him. With an extremely diverse musical palette, Golden aims to bring some new ideas to traditional blues forms. The Piedmont Blues style came to Golden in a dream. Before he had ever heard the term, he had written several songs in the Piedmont style. He seemed destined to play the blues in his own way. Now 27 years old, Golden calls Richmond, VA, his home base. He tours regionally, and as far north as Montreal.
Caroline Herring
Caroline Herring is an American singer/songwriter who inspires audiences through her songs about injustice, hope and perseverance. Herring started her career in Austin TX when she won Best New Artist at the SXSW Austin Music Awards. Since that time, she has recorded eight albums and has toured throughout the United States and Europe for almost 20 years.
Jesse Milnes
Jesse Milnes grew up in the world of West Virginia old-time music (his father is fiddler and folklorist Gerry Milnes). Though he is widely known as a fiddle player, Jesse’s first instrument was a guitar and he has developed a personal style of finger-picking, drawing on influences from blues to bluegrass to country. He has played fiddle and guitar with many country, old-time and bluegrass bands over the years, including the Sweetback Sisters, a country band for which he was also a main songwriter. Jesse has won many local and regional fiddle contests, including the WV State Folk Festival in Glenville, WV, and the Ed Haley Fiddle Contest in Ashland, KY. Jesse and his wife, Emily Miller, recently toured in Australia and California and recorded their first album as a duo.