I am thrilled to be on the staff of Steve Kaufman's Acoustic Kamps! I will be teaching for two weeks this June. (And celebrating my birthday during that time as well!) Every summer, this award winning and all-inclusive music Kamp is held at Maryville College in the foothills of the great Smoky Mountains. Make this year YOUR year to get out and pick! I will be teaching ultra beginners of all instruments and am so excited to get you playing with others! Old Time and Traditional Week is June 9-15, 2024, and Bluegrass Week is June 16-22, 2024. Check it out at www.Flatpik.com The instruments taught ..read more

  Chris will not be teaching private lessons on the following dates: January 1,2 February 5, 6, 7, 8, 12 March 11, 12, 13, 14 April 15, 16, 17, 18 May 13, 14, 15, 16  June 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20 July 22, 23, 24, 25 August 12, 13, 14, 15 September 2, 3, 4, 5 October 21, 22, 23, 24 November 25, 26, 27, 28 December 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31 January 2025:  1, 2 It is important that you understand your lesson time is reserved for you.  If you are unable to make a lesson, please me know as soon as possible.  If you miss a lesson, you will be expected to pay for tha ..read more

 Have you ever opened your case to this?! If so, let me introduce you to carpet beetles!  These are tiny beetles that like horse hair from your bows, dark places, and other things.  They will even eat holes in your sweaters!  Think that your house is clean and won't get them? Think again!  They can fly in or can be introduced through cut flowers that are brought into your house.   Carpet beetles are super common, and if you have a case that is closed for any length of time, especially if you are simply storing an instrument and bows, you wi ..read more

Old time folk music and bluegrass music share many of the same tunes, but there is actually a big difference between the two types of music.  I teach both styles here at The Bluegrass Shack, but many times, one style of music is better suited for an individual than another.  So what's the difference?  Why would you want to play one genre over another? Both types of music basically come from the same background.  I've already said they share many of the same tunes.  Two of the biggest differences are:  1) the complexity of the music; and 2) how it is played within ..read more

I am thrilled to be on the staff of Steve Kaufman's Acoustic Kamps! I will be teaching for two weeks this June. (And celebrating my birthday during that time as well!) Every summer, this award winning and all-inclusive music Kamp is held at Maryville College in the foothills of the great Smoky Mountains. Make this year YOUR year to get out and pick! I will be teaching ultra beginners of all instruments and am so excited to get you playing with others! Old Time and Traditional Week is June 12-18 Bluegrass Week is June 19-25 Check it out at www.Flatpik.com The instruments taught during Old Time ..read more

Chris will not be teaching private lessons on the following dates in 2022:   February 3, 14, 15, 16, 17 March 21, 22, 23, 24  April 25, 26, 27, 28 May 23, 24, 25, 26 June 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23 July 18, 19, 20, 21 August 1, 2, 3, 4 September 5, 6, 7, 8 October 10, 11, 12, 13 November 21, 22, 23, 24 December 22, 26, 27, 28, 29 January 2023: 2, 3 ..read more

Have you ever considered renting to own a musical instrument?  Worried your kids won't stick with it and you'll be stuck with an expensive instrument?  Think that it's cheaper to rent?  You might be surprised at the answer!  Since the most commonly rented instruments are from the violin family or band instruments, this short blog is directed towards those two categories of instruments. As a former music teacher (I taught band and choir in the private school sector for almost 10 years), most of my students never rented a musical instrument for band.  I spent the summers ..read more

 Just in time for Christmas or really for any time you want to try your hand at making a musical instrument!  This do-it-yourself soprano ukulele kit is perfect for first timers, and it is only $35!  I have a limited number of these left for purchase, but you can pick yours up now until I run out!   Everything you need to make your own ukulele is included, though there are a few additions you might want to consider.  What's included?  All the parts, including strings and picks, and even some gloves, sandpaper block, glue, screwdriver, tuning machines, and ins ..read more

Chris' 2021 Private Lesson Schedule   Chris will not be teaching private lessons on the following dates:   February 8, 9, 10, 11                                 March 1, 2, 3, 4                                                            April 5, 6, 7, 8                            &nbs ..read more

I am making a Strad model, so I had to mark all the blocks where the lining needs to go. This includes depth and length. A razor blade and a small hammer are used to make the initial cuts into the blocks. I used a very small chisel to clean up the tunnels in the blocks where the lining will go. Using a super flexible ruler, I measured the distance in between the cuts in the blocks so I would know how long to cut the lining. After bending the lining, I had to make sure each piece fit snugly into the "tunnels" and against the ribs. The linings are made from spruce. They have to ..read more