From Scratch 2025
From Scratch weekend is a workshop designed for true beginners. If you’re interested in learning a new instrument or craft, this is the weekend for you! This year’s offerings include classes with expert musicians, artists, and the return of beginner ceramics. With more than 1,140 acres of forest consisting of breathtaking canyons, waterfalls, miles of hiking trails, and glistening streams, there’s plenty of exploring to do during your free time. Take a hike, go canoeing, or pick a porch and rocking chair to relax.
Classes: $220.00 - $255.00
Lodging prices range from:
- Lodge Room & Meals for 2: $375.00
- Lodge Room & Meals for 1: $310.00
- Cabin Bunk Bed & Meals for 1: $155.00
- Commuter Fee & Meals for 1: $65.00
From Scratch is made possible in part by grants from Alabama State Council on the Arts.
Mandolin with Ben Ayers
My name is Ben and I'm a professional musician and school music teacher, based out of southern Middle Tennessee where I grew up. I knew I wanted to pursue music as a career 19 years ago after my first guitar lesson, but it took getting a mandolin at the age of 18 for me to realize that folk music (old-time, bluegrass, Irish trad, blues, swing, etc) was the stylistic world I wanted to dedicate my life to. Since then I've played mandolin in bluegrass, old-time, celtic, and even classical groups over the years (in addition to guitar and upright bass work). I taught my first mandolin student within a year of starting the instrument, and I'm excited to help a new group of future-Monroes get their chops together.
In Beginner Mandolin I'll teach my students the fundamentals of folk mandolin. Our goal will be to learn the basic techniques and knowledge needed to play the instrument, as well as a few tunes common to folk styles like Old-Time, Bluegrass, Blues, and Celtic. Each students will tune their instrument (no small feat on mandolin), pick melodies, keep rhythm with chords, and try their hand at classic techniques like tremolo picking and "the chop."
Banjo with Bailey Hill
Most folks don't realize that the hidden key to human happiness is simply playing the banjo. This may seem counterproductive, as the banjo is heavy, and you're probably used to hearing family members complain about how darn loud they are. In Beginner Banjo, you will learn to be one of the loud ones! We will dive into the basics of clawhammer technique, some beginning fingerstyle work, and by the end, you'll have the skills you need to have a grand old time on the 5 string.
Things you need for the class: A 5 string banjo that can stay in tune and a recording device.
Bailey Hill is a multi-instrumentalist and experienced songwriter based out of Fultondale, Alabama. He got his start learning mandolin at The Alabama Folk School at Camp McDowell, and soon expanded his horizons to banjo and guitar. Bailey specializes in American Old Time and Bluegrass music but has a firm grasp on contemporary acoustic styles as well. His experience in the world of teaching includes directing the Alabama Folk School at Camp McDowell, Banjo instructor at The Alabama Folk School’s Youth Camp, Ukulele Instructor for the Magnolia Nature Preschool, Youth Songwriting Workshop instructor for The Alabama Folk School, and Private lesson teacher since 2016.
Bailey is also an experienced performer. He has performed at The Acoustic Cafe, Artwalk Birmingham, The Birmingham Museum of Art, Samford University’s Children Week, FOOTMAD of Birmingham’s Monthly Contra Dances, Bluegrass on the Rim, and many more. Bailey’s passion for teaching and performing comes from a fundamental drive of wanting more music in the world. Bailey views music as not just a great hobby or job, but an excellent way to build community and fellowship.
Fiddle with Gretchen Priest
Gretchen Priest: Born in IN. Living in Nashville since 1995. She played and recorded with contra dance band, “Carnival Knowledge. She recorded and toured with Celtic rock band, “Ceili Rain”, with progressive bluegrass band, “Crucial Smith”, performed on the Grand Ole Opry with Mike Snider. Performed with various artists shows including Kathy Mattea, Joy Lynn White, Manhattan Transfer, Lyle Lovett, Moody Blues, Charlie McCoy, and she played for the Pope! She has taught at many camps over the years including Acoustic Alaska Camp, Texas Acoustic Music Camp, Nashcamp, CO Roots Camp, Steve Kaufman’s Camp, Alabama Folk School Bluegrass and Mark O’Connor’s Fiddle Camp. She is the founder, Director, and one of many Music Educators at the Musical Heritage Center, AKA... the Fiddle & Pick since 2008. The instructors there are Nashville professionals with different areas of expertise who teach a variety of styles. MHC hosts traditional roots music events including performances and workshops by guest instructors. Gretchen teaches private lessons and leads inclusive multi-level jams, sessions and classes. Gretchen’s long-time band and brand, “PLAIDGRASS” CD shows her fiddle skill in Bluegrass, Old-Time fiddle & Irish fiddling. She loves playing fiddle for dancers: Contra, square dance, flatfoot, Irish dance & waltzes. Her most recent recording release, “Roadside Distraction”, with mandolinist Emily Wilson featuring Old-time, Irish, and modern wacky tunes! She plays with The Nashville Irish Trio with Piper Eamonn Dillon from Ireland and Guitarist Robert Johnson from Memphis. She toured with eclectic writer, vocalist, artist Erinn Peet-Lukes. In March of 2024, Gretchen received the Old-Time Music Heritage Award presented by the Nashville Old-time String Band Association (NOTSBA) for her many contributions in preserving and sharing Old-Time music.
Guitar with Jason Bailey
If you know the folk school you know mandolinist Jason Bailey. Jason 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. While best known for his mando skills, Jason is a talented guitar player and vocalist who has extensive experience teaching beginners of all kinds.
Bass with Ashleigh Caudill
Beginner Bass: Have you always wanted to learn the upright bass? Now is your chance! Get your hands on an upright bass, learn the bass-ics, and start playing songs right away!
Folksinger, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Ashleigh Caudill, will draw you into the tales she spins. Shaped by the sounds of her family’s Appalachian heritage she’ll take you on a lonely train ride through the mountains, a drive along the countryside, or back in time with warm, dancing melodies and spacious, acoustic instrumentation. No stranger to bluegrass and country, Ashleigh has worked extensively as a freelance bassist throughout her career. You’ve likely heard her bass playing behind everyone from Charlie Sizemore to Angaleena Presley or sang along to her compositions performed by Balsam Range, Jim Hurst, and many others. If you like your music sophisticated, fun and honest, you need look no further.
Flatfoot Dancing with Rebecca Stout
A.S.P.S. Flatfoot 101: Straight from the mountains of Appalachia, this beginner friendly class introduces funny stories, history, culture, styles, steps and all-out fun of Appalachian percussive step dance, with demos, practice sessions, questions, and music for all to enjoy. No partner or dance experience necessary!
From South L.A. to North Alabama, Appalachian flatfoot dance instructor Rebecca Stout began clogging as a child. She has spent over forty years developing and fine-tuning her own unique style of flatfoot dance and buck dance inspired by friends, relations, masters and mentors throughout Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and North Carolina. Her instructional DVD “Becky’s Barnyard Buckdance” is featured at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Her dancing is also featured in the books “The ABC’s of Jugband Music” and “Boyfriend in a Body Cast”.
Foraged Salve Making with Cameron Strouss
In this class you will forage for and make an amazing skin salve from plants that we will harvest, prepare, and extract.
Cameron is the owner and founder of The Deep Roots School of Herbal Medicine (formerly Deep Roots Apotheké & Clinic) and has been a professional in the field of herbal medicine for 15 years. She has 9 years of experience in Clinical Practice and has over 4,000 hours of training in the Sciences and Herbal Medicine. Cameron is a graduate of the University of Montevallo with a Biology Degree and Environmental Studies Minor with Honors, the Southeastern Institute for Traditional Herbal Studies ( Darryl Patton, 2008-2011) and The Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine (Thomas Easley, RH(AHG), 2012-2013) with her Clinical Herbal Certification. In 2018 she was awarded the professional distinction of Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild (denoted RH, (AHG)) and Functional Herbalist from the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine.
Hand-stitched Sampler Quilts with Aaron Head
In this bend-the-rules primer, we’ll learn the basics of hand-piecing a quilt top through learning several traditional blocks, and how to make those blocks our own. We’ll assemble our blocks into hand-sewn samplers, and explore hand-quilting and tying techniques for finishing. This class is great for beginners, but also for more experienced quilters who are interested in approaching the fundamentals in a new way. Aaron will provide plenty of naturally dyed and vintage fabrics for experimenting and creating blocks, but participants are highly encouraged to bring fabrics from home to incorporate into their work. These can be fabrics that are important to them, or fabrics they’d like to share from their collection. This can include old clothing, bedsheets, and vintage fabrics—as long as you can run a needle through it.
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 - Hand Forging Skills with Quinn McKay
In this beginner forging skills class, students will be taught traditional forging skills while making hooks and bottle openers. Through these two functional items, they’ll learn how to utilize fire and force to shape metal into useful and artistic objects. Student’s will use tools such as hammers, tongs, punches, drifts, sledgehammers, and anvils to learn tapering, scrolling, punching, and more.
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 clean lines we surround ourselves with and the natural forms outside of that. Throughout much of his work, the use of nature’s proportions are present. Attending the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, SC solidified Quinn’s love of forging metal. He celebrates the material in his pieces by preserving its natural displacement when forged, leaving the evidence of each manipulation of the material. Acting with this sense of preservation is his homage to the tradition of forging. Through his time spent here, Quinn explored many different styles within his ironwork taking the most influence from Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movement. Quinn is currently working as an artist blacksmith and fabricator at Iron Horse Metalworks in Birmingham, AL and independently as McKay Forged Metals.
Intro to Wheel Throwing with Kelly Towe
This beginner-friendly class introduces the fundamentals of hand-building and wheel throwing with clay. You'll learn essential techniques like pinch pots, coil building, and basic wheel throwing to create functional and decorative pieces. The course also covers surface decoration, glazing, and information about the stages of the firing process. By the end, you'll have a collection bisque-fired pieces and a solid foundation to continue exploring ceramics.
Kelly Towe is a relationship and grief therapist based in Chattanooga, TN and has been using clay as a creative outlet and stress relief for the past two years. In working through her own self-care process, Kelly enrolled in pottery classes at her home studio, Scenic City Clay Arts. After discovering the therapeutic benefits of working with clay, she found it to be an excellent way to unwind, connect with the gift of play and imperfection, and generally, get her hands dirty. This art/hobby/interest is perfect for those that desire a counter avocation from highly relational or stressful day-to-days. For the last year and a half, Kelly has been attending events at the Folk School and she is excited to facilitate steps in joyful creativity and play for those that attend this class.