• Registration Opens for 9th Annual Monroe Mandolin Camp in Abingdon, VA

    9th Annual Monroe Mandolin Camp

    ABINGDON, VA. — Registration has opened for the 9th Annual Monroe Mandolin Camp which takes place September 28 - October 2 in a new location at the Southwest, Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, minutes from Bristol, Tenn.

    At the Monroe Mandolin Camp, original, traditional roots bluegrass music is played, taught, jammed, and breathed 24-7! Whether mandolin, fiddle, banjo, rhythm guitar, harmony singing, songwriting, old-time mandolin, or upright bass, MMC offers the finest instruction in a fun and inclusive environment. Young learn from the young at heart; southerners jam side-by-side with northerners; long-timers play side by side with beginners. All come together as a dynamic community to learn the music Bill Monroe created.

    Camp Director Mike Compton remarked: "This year’s focus will be on the classic bluegrass band that started it all: Monroe/Flatt/Scruggs/Wise & Rainwater. With over 100 classes to choose from, including collaborative classes combining various instruments, it is a strong place for us to start from to bring you an incredible experience!"

    MMC is partnering with The Birthplace of Country Music in Bristol, Tenn. to host and live broadcast via Radio Bristol, the Saturday Night Instructor Concert. Special Presentations this year include Bluegrass Boy Butch Robins and newly-retired Doyle Lawson. Additional special classes include Daily Yoga, In The Care of A Musician-Stretching for Injury Prevention, String Changing 101, Jamming 101, a Band Scramble Competition and more!

    The Bob Dlagone Memorial Scholarship was established to honor the memory of Robert Dragone, who in 2020, passed after a tremendous battle with cancer. Bob served as an Air Force Intelligence Officer during the Vietnam War and had a distinguished thirty-year career with the CIA. Bob loved playing Bluegrass and Old-Time American music on his mandolin, and attended all Monroe Mandolin Camp gatherings. $1500 of scholarships will be awarded to assist with tuition costs for an active duty or veteran member of any military branch.

    $2400 of Video Competition Scholarships will be offered in mandolin, fiddle, guitar, and banjo (see website for dates and requirements), and all full-time students (whether grade school or graduate school) automatically receive a $100 scholarship to attend.

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