From Izaak Schwartz
Thank you sincerely for awarding me the grant funded by the Fletcher Bright Memorial Grant for Young Musicians and the Bill Breen Bluegrass Youth Education Fund. It completely funded my attendance at the Ashokan Banjo Camp November 7-9, and I appreciate the financial help that allowed me to attend this great event.
At camp, I attended classes on various clawhammer and bluegrass techniques: “Tony Rice Licks for the Banjo” with Scott Hopkins; “Mixing Melodic, Single-String, and Scruggs Styles” with Ned Luberecki; “Alternating Between Drop Thumb, Round-Peak, Frailing, and Backward Roll” with Abigail Washburn; and the learning of a variety of folk songs with Joe Newberry.
The camp also gave me the opportunity to extend my jazz experience by playing with Peter Davis in organized jams held in the evenings after class. One of the most memorable moments was when the talented “jambassadors” backed me up to perform one of my original tunes for the first time on stage at the open mic.
While it’s difficult to pinpoint a specific favorite part of the weekend, jamming with Ned Luberecki pre-class is probably a contender.
Thank you, once again, to the IBMA foundation for your generosity and help in attending the Ashokan Banjo Camp.
Here is a link to my original performance with the “jambassadors” during Open Mic.
RETURN to the December 2025 issue of The Cornerstone.
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