August 23-28, Albany, New York
The IBMA Foundation is pleased to announce that Bluegrass Hall of Famer Pete “Dr. Banjo” Wernick is offering a scholarship to his Silver Bay Bluegrass Camp August 23-28, 2026, as a donation to the Foundation. In its 13th year, the Wernick Jam Camp is “a full five days on a great campus right on beautiful Lake George, north of Albany, New York,” Wernick said.
The program features a Level 2 camp for experienced musicians and a new Level 3 high-challenge section. Instructors include Bob Amos, Ira Gitlin, Emory Lester, and Austin Scelzo, plus Pete and Joan Wernick. Tuition value is $525, and the winning student would cover his or her own lodging/meal expenses at the Silver Bay YMCA Conference Center. The camp is planned for all ages. Students for the Level 1 camp are required to be able to tune their instruments and to change chords smoothly from G to C, D, and A. Level 2 is described in detail on the camp page: https://wernickmethod.org/event/pw-2026-08-silverbay.
TO APPLY for the scholarship: Write or email a letter to the IBMA Foundation, 1183 University Drive #105-215, Burlington, NC 27215 (info@bluegrassfoundation.org) Include the following information: your name, age, bluegrass instruments you play, a summary of your experience and goals in bluegrass music, and a short statement of financial need if applicable. Applications must be received by May 20, 2026, and all applicants will be notified by June 1, 2026.
Wernick is offering the Jam Camp scholarship because “The IBMA Foundation promotes education, and I’m an educator,” he said. “The Silver Bay camp is my idea of a peak bluegrass experience, and I like associating it with *the* respected organization that specializes in promoting bluegrass education in many different places.”
What can the lucky winner hope to accomplish at a Wernick Jam Camp?
“It’s a full-immersion experience for five days and six nights, and our two main goals for students are RESULTS and FUN,” Pete said. “Besides all the coached jamming and focus on teamwork and musical skills, we want to further a deep respect and connection to this music. We have great teachers I trust to show the way. The camp is geared for experienced jammers, though all levels are welcome thanks to our concurrent Level 1 and 2 camps. The recipient will learn a lot and get energized, I expect. What we do is spelled out on the camp page. There’s a lot of jamming in small groups, and we find the best teaching happens when a teacher coaches everyone in a jam group.”
REMEMBER: Send your application letter by May 20, 2026 to the IBMA Foundation. Good luck, and tell your friends!
RETURN to the February 2026 issue of The Cornerstone.
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