Wyatt Tennant, age 17, received a Terry Baucom Bluegrass Education Grant to help with tuition for the Midwest Banjo Camp in Lansing, Michigan, June 5-8, 2025. “I went to this camp without any friends,” Wyatt said, “which proved to be a beneficial circumstance,” enabling him to focus on getting to know the other campers and instructors.
“I had a long chat with Greg Blake and Brian McCarty of Special Consensus,” Wyatt said. “I also talked with banjo instructor Keith Billik on numerous occasions (my adult chaperone for the weekend), talked to Trevin Nelson, joked around with Steven Moore, participated hugely in Ricky Mier’s classes and asked him about taking lessons, spoke to Greg Cahill about the songs he has released, and Grace van’t Hof was often at my table (at meal times). Hall of Famer Alan Munde was also a teacher at the camp. I took classes from all the instructors, scratching notes on each one!”
Jamming was the highlight of his week. The instructors “blew me away with their skills,” Wyatt said. “They encouraged me when I soloed, and they have such a fun time that their joy became contagious. Their solos were like nothing I’d ever seen, leaving me in awe and amazement. I feel like I need to practice more, now!”
Tennant admired Steven Moore’s “smooth, beautiful, melodic arrangements and Ricky Mier’s punctuated, jazzy sounding compositions,” which he described as “phenomenal and inspiring.” In particular, he said he was able to pick up “a variety of ideas for creating banjo breaks, practicing single string, and adding decoration to tunes. Perhaps the most valuable thing I gained from my time at Midwest Banjo Camp was the connections,” Wyatt added. “All the bluegrass banjo instructors at the camp knew my name by Sunday, and connections were made.
“I had a wonderful time at camp,” he continued. “Never have I been so immersed in banjo. It has inspired me to practice, shown me new ways to practice, and gotten me connected with the banjo community and a few of the best banjo players in the States. I am so very grateful for this scholarship, which enabled me to attend this camp. Thank you.”
Check out photos and videos of performances, jams, and photos from Wyatt Tennant’s week at Midwest Banjo Camp.
RETURN to the September 2025 issue of The Cornerstone.
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