Mandolin | Michael Prewitt | Intermediate/Advanced | Period 3 | Week 5 (August 3-7. 2026)
This four-day class focuses on developing mandolin technique to improve tone, expression, and musical understanding. We’ll work on double stops and tremolo, discussing the how and the why, addressing mental and physical hurdles, and applying these techniques to songs and tunes. We’ll also focus on making the mandolin sing by “playing the words,” studying the phrasing and note choices of great bluegrass lead singers and applying those ideas to tunes without words.
We’ll cover techniques for learning tunes by ear, exploring why this skill is essential and learning a fiddle tune by ear together. We will also cover how to actively listen and learn from recordings, breaking down licks and solos and discussing how careful listening, inspiration, and a sense of fun can inform technique, style, and performance.
About the Instructor
Michael Prewitt, a bluegrass musician, is recognized for his mandolin playing and singing, having learned the instrument in East Kentucky and drawing influence from bluegrass musicians like Bill Monroe and The Stanley Brothers. Prewitt has released albums, such as “The Peerless Mountain Sessions” and “Something He Can Handle,” and performs with Aaron Bibelhauser as a duo, and as a member of Special Consensus. His music is available on streaming platforms, and he regularly tours in the United States and Canada.