Tony Williamson shows off his Loars at the 2025 Monroe Mandolin Camp – photo © Jim Morgan
Day two at 12th annual Monroe Mandolin Camp delivered what pickers and players live for—deep musical knowledge, legendary instructors, and the kind of late-night jamming that feels like a throwback to your first festival campfire circle.
The day kicked off strong with 30 classes on mandolin, fiddle, banjo, guitar, and upright bass, and included a packed schedule of traditional bluegrass genre deep dives and technique builders.
A special highlight of the afternoon was Tony Williamson’s special presentation, The Art of the American Mandolin, a rare inside look at vintage Gibson mandolins, their stories, and how they shaped the sound of American music. Equal parts eye candy and cultural deep dive.
Campers also enjoyed individual one-on-one tutorials with some of the most respected names in bluegrass: Mike Compton, Alan Bibey, Alan Munde, Blue Grass Boy Mark Hembree, Brian Christianson, Scott Napier, John Keith, Silas Powell, and Jeff Burke.
And when the structured classes wrapped up, the jams took over. Every hallway, porch, and nook of Shackford Hall at the Lake Junaluska Conference Center came alive with the sound of late-night pickin’—just like it should.
Another highlight of the night? Celebrating Blue Grass Boy Mark Hembree’s birthday with a camp-wide bluegrass-style Happy Birthday. The vibe: all heart, no pretense.
More to come. But for now: Day two? Crushed it.
