About the Program
Join local artists Lily Sexton and Max Wareham for an afternoon of convivial music! Bluegrass is both lively and communicative, and as Western Mass is a hub for bluegrass players, we're excited to host this social and cultural experience here at NCMC.
Bring your mom, your son, your sibling, and/or your grandpa! This intergenerational workshop is open to youth ages 10+ and adults with at least two years of previous study on their instrument and basic performance proficiency. Instruments are not provided; participants must bring their own.
Instruments welcomed: Banjo, Bass, Cello, Dobro, Guitar, Mandolin, Ukulele, Viola, Violin
(Let us know if you play something else that you'd like us to consider.)
$75 per person, $150 per family
Your Instructor
Lily Sexton & Max Wareham
Lily Sexton teaches fiddle at NCMC. Lily studied Suzuki violin beginning at age four and continued a classical music education in violin at the Westport Suzuki School and the Talent Education Suzuki School. While pursuing a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, she shifted her focus to fiddling in the traditional Appalachian style. Since then, she has formed several bands in the Pioneer Valley, most notably progressive bluegrass group Mamma’s Marmalade. Outside of New England, her bands have toured the U.S. and Canada, and she has shared stages with traditional music greats such as Joe Newberry, Mike Compton, and Michael Daves.
Max Wareham, who studied with banjo masters Tony Trischka and Bill Keith, was introduced as a significant voice on the instrument with the release of Peter Rowan’s Grammy-nominated album, Calling You From My Mountain, on which he plays banjo and sings harmony. Prior to joining the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, Max taught music extensively, played bass with the psych-pop outfit Sun Parade, and wrote songs and produced several albums under various aliases. Much of his work in bluegrass and education is focused on early bluegrass banjo styles and how they can offer alternative paths to expression within the bluegrass idiom.
