Bluegrass & Gee's Bend 2026
Registration Coming Soon!
One of our most popular events is back with great workshops in bluegrass music, traditional crafts, and a Gee's Bend quilting retreat. This four-day workshop series provides a truly immersive experience with a fun and enthusiastic community of musicians and artists.
Workshop prices range from $260 to $325. This includes materials fees which are described with each workshop description.
WORKSHOPS:
- Guitar I : Allen Tolbert
- Guitar II: TBD
- Banjo I: TBD
- Banjo II: Ned Luberecki
- Fiddle I: Ellie Hakanson
- Fiddle II: Becky Buller
- Mandolin I: Jason Bailey
- Mandolin II: David Benedict
- Bass: Tyler Griffith
- Dobro: Roman Locklear
- Foraged Vine Basketweaving: Sarah Bell
- Dyeing & Stitching Whole-cloth Quilts: Aaron Sanders Head
- Blacksmithing Belts - Handworked Leather & Iron: Quinn McKay
GEE'S BEND QUILTING RETREAT:
Mary Ann Pettway & China Pettway
LODGING PRICES RANGE FROM:
- Lodge Room & Meals for 2: $600.00
- Lodge Room & Meals for 1: $455.00
- Cabin Bunk Bed & Meals for 1: $190.00
- Commuter Fee & Meals for 1: $90.00
- Bluegrass & Gee's Bend is made possible in part by grants from Alabama State Council on the Arts.
Guitar I with Allen Tolbert
Guitar 1 will be a comprehensive course that will cover all the essentials necessary for the beginner to learn to play to guitar, while also touching upon advanced techniques and ideas to help foster long term growth in the individual student. Students will learn chord structures, basic improvising techniques, how to properly tune and maintain a guitar, how to properly change strings and many other essentials for the aspiring guitarist. The objective will be for the student to be able to play multiple songs proficiently at the conclusion of the camp and be well versed in the essentials of the guitar. The hope is this will create new guitarists to enrich all of our musical futures!
Allen Tolbert has toured professionally in the southeast for over 20 years. A veteran of Birmingham-based Glenn Tolbert & Company for 17 years, Allen has made hundreds of appearances ranging from festivals, weddings, churches and private parties to radio and television appearances. He appeared as a featured guest on a special youth edition of the nationally-syndicated radio broadcast of the Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour, as well as performing numerous times on the Country Boy Eddie Show on WBRC TV in Birmingham with many guests including Hank Williams III. His festival appearances include Horse Pens 40, opening for such acts as Ricky Skaggs, The Del McCoury Band, Peter Rowan, Jerry Douglas, Blue Highway and The Whites. Allen also performed at the Foggy Hollow Bluegrass Gatherin' nearly 20 different times, opening for acts such as Alison Krauss and Union Station, The Tony Rice Unit, J.D. Crowe and the New South, IIIrd Tyme Out, the Osborne Brothers and Claire Lynch. His debut solo CD is scheduled to be released soon. Allen also teaches guitar and mandolin in the greater Birmingham metropolitan area, as well as throughout the world via Skype and FaceTime.
Guitar II: STAY TUNED!
Banjo I: STAY TUNED!
Banjo II: Ned Luberecki
Banjoist for the Becky Buller Band and host of More Banjo Sunday and Derailed on SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s Bluegrass Junction, Ned Luberecki was named Banjo Player of the Year for 2018 and Broadcaster of the Year for 2023 by the International Bluegrass Music Association. In 2024 Ned was inducted into the Banjo Hall of Fame at the American Banjo Museum in Oklahoma City. Ned is the author of the Complete Banjo Method series for Alfred Music and has numerous lesson videos available at TrueFire.com. Living in Nashville, TN, he is an in-demand performer and session musician having appeared on stage and recordings with Becky Buller, Chris Jones, Jim Lauderdale, Ray Stevens, Nedski & Mojo and many others. In addition to teaching private banjo lessons via Skype, FaceTime and Zoom to students around the globe, Ned is a popular instructor at music camps and workshops across the US, Canada and Europe including Camp Bluegrass, RockyGrass Academy, Kaufman Acoustic Kamp, Sore Fingers (UK) and Bluegrass Camp Germany.
Fiddle I: Ellie Hakanson
Fiddle II: Becky Buller
Becky Buller is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter from St. James, Minn., who has traversed the globe over performing bluegrass music to underwrite her insatiable songwriting habit. Becky has written songs for three Grammy award-winning albums: she co-wrote “Freedom,” the lead-off track of The Infamous Stringdusters Laws of Gravity (2018 Best Bluegrass Grammy), “The Shaker” on The Travelin’ McCoury’s self-titled release (2019 Best Bluegrass Grammy), and “Good-bye Girl” on Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway’s Crooked Tree album (2023 Best Bluegrass Grammy). Her compositions can also be heard on records by Ricky Skaggs, Rhonda Vincent and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, to name just a few. Becky is the recipient of 10 IBMA awards, including the 2016 Fiddler and Female Vocalist. She is the first woman in the history of the awards to receive the Fiddler nod; she is also the first person ever to win in both vocal and instrumental categories. Her other awards include the 2020 Collaborative Recording for “The Barber’s Fiddle” and the 2020 Song for co-writing and fiddling on Special Consensus’ “Chicago Barn Dance.”
She has made multiple guest appearances on WSM’s Grand Ole Opry and tours extensively with the Becky Buller Band. Becky has released seven albums. Distance And Time, her third album for the Dark Shadow Recording label, was a nominee for the 2021 IBMA Album award. Becky’s new album, Jubilee, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass Album Chart for the week of June 1st, 2024. It features her brilliant road band along with special guest and cowriter Aoife O’Donovan. Jubilee is a song cycle that shares the story of Becky’s lifelong struggle with depression and anxiety, how it reached a crisis point during the pandemic years, and how she made it to the other side. In April 2023, Becky was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall Of Fame. Becky moonlights with the First Ladies Of Bluegrass, an all-female ensemble composed of the first women to win in their respective instrumental categories at the IBMA awards: Alison Brown (banjo), Missy Raines (bass), Sierra Hull (mandolin), Becky (fiddle), and Molly Tuttle (guitar).
Equally passionate about bluegrass music education, Becky has over 20 years experience teaching fiddle, singing, and songwriting, both privately and at workshops and camps around the world. She currently serves on the board of the IBMA Foundation, which awards $50,000 annually in scholarships and grants to spread the word about bluegrass music and support those who create it. Becky proudly calls Manchester, Tenn., her adopted hometown, where she lives with husband and daughter. Visit her online at BeckyBuller.com.
Mandolin I: Jason Bailey
Mandolinist Jason Bailey has been performing and teaching professionally for 25 years. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Jason relocated to Nashville shortly after completing his third solo album release, Mandolbug in 2010. This record, produced by mandolinist extraordinaire Matt Flinner, expresses Bailey’s talents in new grass, jazz and celtic inspired genres. Bailey currently has five album releases. Jason is a long-time instructor and friend of the Alabama Folk School.
Mandolin II: David Benedict
This advanced bluegrass mandolin class dives into challenging tunes while developing the techniques that bring them to life. Students will expand their command of double stops, cross-picking, and fretboard navigation to build both speed and precision. We’ll break down improvisation strategies, giving you the tools to craft solos with confidence and style. Ideal for experienced mandolinists ready to push their playing to the next level.
David Benedict is one of the leading figures and content creators in the mandolin world today. His mandolin rap-sheet includes a unique degree in Mandolin Performance and years of touring experience with 10-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year Missy Raines and 2020 IBMA New Artist of the Year Mile Twelve. In 2019, he was a featured player on the Grammy-nominated album Royal Traveler by Missy Raines. But in recent years his main focus has been his mandolin YouTube channel, with 10 million views and counting. He now lives in Travelers Rest, SC, where he makes videos full-time and performs regularly with his wife Tabitha Agnew Benedict in their transatlantic folk project, The Foreign Landers.
Bluegrass Bass: Tyler Griffith
Basically Bass, will cover basic fundamentals of Bluegrass bass. We will focus on understanding of general patterns of the bass tuning and neck patterns, the Nashville Charting System and how it pertains to the patterns of bass, to the use of the three T's (Tone, Timing, and Taste). Students should have at least basic ability of timing (clap to a beat).
Tyler comes from a musical family — his mother and uncle were part of a family bluegrass band that his grandfather ran in the 1970s, and his father was a pianist. Starting on stage at four in a family band, Tyler has acquired the skill of many instruments. Although throughout his musical career he has stuck primarily to the upright bass, electric bass, and guitar. He has participated in many professional and semi-professional bands in multiple countries. The most notable bands he is associated with include Jeff Parker and Colin Ray, the Farm Hands, and the Tennessee Bluegrass Band, King Springs Road, and Seth Mulder & Midnight Run. Tyler toured with Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper for eight years, playing bass on Mike’s “On Down the Line” and the Grammy-winning “Tall Fiddler” album. Along with the rest of Flamekeeper, he garnered 3 IBMA awards for Instrumental Group of the Year. After being born and raised a Hoosier in Avon, IN, Tyler has settled in Piney Flats, TN, with his bass-playing wife, Nienke, from the Netherlands.
Dobro with Roman Locklear
In this course we will focus on the techniques of playing “squareneck resonator guitar” as it pertains to Bluegrass music. Players from beginner to intermediate will benefit from this course as we will cover a range of topics including; but not limited to:
- Tunings
- Scales
- Rolls
- Blocking
- Basic slants
- Intros and fills
- Rhythm and chops
- Constructing a break
- Practice drills
We will deconstruct some of the greatest Bluegrass dobro breaks ever played by renowned artists such as Jerry Douglas, Rob Ickes, and Andy Hall. Students will be provided an abundance of practice material as well as shown how to make the best of their practice time. All you need is a squareneck resonator guitar, picks, and a bar and you’re all set!
Originally from the small town of Tellico Plains deep in the mountains of East Tennessee, Roman Locklear has been raised on healthy doses of music all his life. Coming from a musically talented family he first began playing bass guitar in church then moved on to drums, but it wasn’t until he reached his 30’s that he picked up the squareneck resonator guitar and he hasn’t looked back since. Playing with multiple bluegrass and southern gospel groups over the years including The Reagon Family, The Uplander Singing Band, Crimson Journey, Blackrock Station, Canaan’s Crossing, and Valley Road just to name a few, his love for the resonator guitar is evident in every note. Roman has been teaching the resonator guitar in class and private settings for a number of years and finds a personal enjoyment from sharing his knowledge of this fairly obscure instrument. He was just recently named the Alabama State Champion Dobro player in 2018, and has been featured in the Alabama Bluegrass Music Association BamaGrass monthly editorial.
Foraged Vine Basketweaving with Sarah Bell
Join artist and farmer Sarah Bell as we make a pack basket from foraged vines! We will cover what vines to forage and when, processing the vines, and a spoke basket weaving technique to create a beautiful pack basket from the land. This class is beginner friendly, but may require some hand strength. All materials are provided.
Sarah Bell is an artist, farmer, and educator based in Birmingham, Alabama. Descended from Chinese and American ancestry, she grew up using art and creativity as a way to find a sense of connection to her experiences of grief, familial emigration, and home.
She has presented work throughout Alabama, including Shelby County Arts Council, Kentuck Museum Gallery, Ground Floor Contemporary, and regularly teaches workshops at Alabama Folk School, MAKEbhm, and others.
Dyeing & Stitching Whole-cloth Quilts with Aaron Sanders Head
Aaron Sanders Head is a Southern, Alabama-based textile artist. Aaron was raised in rural Grady, AL and Hope Hull, AL, as the youngest of three children from an artist mother and an agricultural worker father. His grandparents were both rural mail carriers, and the times Aaron spent accompanying them on those trips cemented early on a fondness for rural areas and the importance of connection however it can be found. That learned sense of observation combined with inherited family traditions of textile and agriculture inform the unique visual language Aaron works in today, that exists in the worlds of quiltmaking, handwork and natural dyes. Aaron creates quilts and hand-stitched, naturally dyed textiles that explore the lived experiences of rural Alabamians.
Blacksmithing Belts - Handworked Leather & Iron with Quinn McKay
Students will get to make their own belt, hand-cut from a double shoulder hide and forge a set of uniquely styled belt buckles using a variety of forging techniques.
Quinn McKay’s creative energies are rooted in a love of Architecture from an early age, blended with a deep connection to nature. Elements of his designs are inspired by the natural forms around and apart of us, as well as the clean lines which we surround ourselves with. To Quinn, art is about connection with the material and process, and the people and land we are in relation with. This philosophy follows through into his teaching. The goal of each workshop is to connect people with their innate abilities through connections with the material and each other. Quinn graduated from the American College of the Building Arts in 2023 with a great appreciation for traditional forging. Currently, he is putting that appreciation to work at Iron Horse Metalworks in Birmingham, AL.
Gee's Bend Quilting Retreat with Mary Ann Pettway and China Pettway
The Gee’s Bend Quilting Retreat at the Alabama Folk School provides a rare opportunity for quilters to sew alongside two of Alabama's famed Gee's Bend Quilters. China Pettway and Mary Ann Pettway are available to assist with hand and machine-stitching, and share tips for creating in the style of the Gee's Bend tradition. While everyone works, they sing gospel style spirituals and tell stories from their lives in the community of Boykin, Alabama. Quilters bring works in progress or fabric scraps to start something new and enjoy plenty of time to focus on their own projects in this uplifting community of fellow quilters. While the retreat is open to beginners, many participants will be intermediate to advanced quilters.
Mary Ann Pettway is the manager of the Gee's Bend Quilters Collective. She made her first quilt for the collective in the summer of 2005. The seventh of 12 children, Mary Ann Pettway was born and raised in Gee's Bend. After graduating high school in 1975, Mary Ann took college bookkeeping and accounting classes before working in a sewing factory for 20 years. Pettway is one of the lead singers of the Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church and began quilting again after hearing about the trips the quilters of the community went on. "Before I started back to quilting, I was with (friend) Sabrina's grandmother Arlonzia a lot and heard about these trips they would go on (to other cities through The Quilts of Gee's Bend traveling exhibition.) So I told her, "I'm tired of hearing how good of a time y'all are having. I want to start having a good time too." So she told me, "well then start quilting!" And Mary Ann is, thankfully, still quilting today.
In addition to being a famed quilter, China Pettway is one of Gee's Bend's leading gospel singers. Singing is her beloved hobby. She is one of the few Boykin locals who attended college and returned to live in the community. Now a home healthcare provider, Pettway enjoys working with the elderly. "I love my patients and I think they are the most sweet and beautiful people you can meet." China was taught to quilt by her mother, Leola, at the young age of eleven. "We had to quilt until ten at night. Then, she would let us stop and get to bed. That was every evening except Saturday and Sunday. I made my first quilt, it was a 'Star.' And I still have it,” she says. She and Mary Ann began teaching at the Alabama Folk School fifteen years ago.
