Walker Creek Music Camp

Walker Creek Music Camp Music camp for bluegrass, oldtime, & country music open to all ages and levels Musicians and singers of all ages welcome. See FAQ’s page for more information.

Walker Creek Music Camp focuses on bluegrass, old-time and swing music (occasional forays into other styles). Held at Walker Creek Ranch near Petaluma, CA. The spring camp is typically held in April and the fall camp in November. Visit http://www.walkercreekmusiccamp.org/ for details. This camp is for beginning and intermediate level players of bluegrass and oldtime music who want to improve their

instrumental or vocal skills and work on jamming with others or band dynamics. Camp starts the first day with registration, early-bird classes, a meet’n’greet jam, dinner, staff introductions and mini concert, questions and answers, jamming, and dancing. The next three days will include classes each morning with instrumental and vocal instructors, average ten students to a class--these are the classes you sign up for in advance. Afternoons feature a wide array of elective classes to choose from--including instrumental workshops, vocal harmony classes, clogging, band rhythm, music theory, music history, songwriting, and more. Evening activities include staff and student concerts, an old time dance, and lots of jamming. The final evening there may be a concert and dinner opportunity at a nearby venue, details TBA. On-site camping is available, for tents (check the weather report!) or RVs (dry-camping). Housing options are economy housing (6-12 per dorm), semi-private rooms (3-5 people per room), or couples rooms (for 2), all with shared bathrooms. Private rooms for one are available on a limited basis. Various choices of nearby lodging are available for those who want more upscale accommodations—see FAQs page for details. Three delicious meals a day are served in the conference dining hall. Walker Creek Ranch is located in the rolling hills of West Marin County, about an hour north of the metropolitan Bay Area. It's scenic, beautiful, quiet, and has an abundance of wildlife, and miles of hiking trails. For more details about the site, see www.walkercreekranch.org

Scholarships are available for those who need them (see FAQs page for details). We are especially grateful to all our scholarship donors for making this possible—thank you all so much! We also offer a special class for younger children who are not yet ready for the full camp program, but would enjoy spending the morning playing music, singing, dancing, and taking breaks for arts and crafts, nature walks etc. For more information, call director Ingrid Noyes at 415-663-6030 (after 9 a.m.) or e-mail [email protected]

This is a popular camp— registration for spring opens February 1st , and classes may fill quickly. For best choice of classes, early registration is advised!

Hey Campers!Class descriptions are now live on our website, and registration opens in just 3 days — at noon on Monday, A...
08/21/2026

Hey Campers!
Class descriptions are now live on our website, and registration opens in just 3 days — at noon on Monday, August 24!
If you know which classes you want, register early for the best selection of classes and lodging. We’ve got a stellar group of teachers lined up, and we expect Fall Camp to fill quickly!
Come spend four days making music, learning, jamming, and enjoying the Walker Creek community.
Mark your calendar: Monday, 8/24 at noon.�We’ll see you at camp!
Camp Dates: Thursday-Sunday October 22-25, 2026
Photos by: Evan Thompson

Tickets Are On Sale Now!Don’t miss our Teacher Concert Series V Benefit Concert celebrating the rich traditions and exci...
08/20/2026

Tickets Are On Sale Now!
Don’t miss our Teacher Concert Series V Benefit Concert celebrating the rich traditions and exciting future of American roots music!
Join us for an incredible evening of live music and support the future of music education at Walker Creek Music Camp.
Get your tickets now!

Can’t make it to the concert? Please donate here and help send a young musician to camp!

Link in bio

We’re excited to welcome Janie Rothfield to the Walker Creek Music Camp staff!Janie is a powerhouse American fiddler, cl...
08/19/2026

We’re excited to welcome Janie Rothfield to the Walker Creek Music Camp staff!
Janie is a powerhouse American fiddler, clawhammer banjo player, and guitarist whose music combines deep roots in tradition with an inventive spirit, in-the-pocket rhythm, whimsical grooves, and award-winning original tunes.
Janie has been playing, teaching, and recording Traditional American Old Time and Celtic music since her teens, when she began learning and performing alongside older-generation musicians from New England, North Carolina, and Quebec.
Since then, her music has taken her around the world. With more than 20 recordings to her credit, Janie has performed at festivals, music camps, concerts, dances, and workshops throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and beyond.
Janie is also the founder and director of Janie’s Jumpstart Home-Based Weekend Music Camps, bringing intimate, immersive music experiences to communities around the world.
We can’t wait to have Janie sharing her music, knowledge, and infectious enthusiasm with the Walker Creek community!

We had so much fun playing the Walker Creek fundraiser in the Spring and stopping by KRCB104.9 to help promote, and we’r...
08/17/2026

We had so much fun playing the Walker Creek fundraiser in the Spring and stopping by KRCB104.9 to help promote, and we’re back for round two!

Pacific Drive is excited to be part of the Walker Creek Music Camp Teacher Concert Series alongside Crying Uncle and the Evie Ladin Band on September 11 at the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center.

Walker Creek holds a pretty special place in Pacific Drive history. It’s where our band first came together back in 2015, through dances, jams, and lots of late-night shenanigans. We’re always happy to come back and support a place that has given so much to us and to the traditional music community.

Come hang with us and support Walker Creek!

—Friday, September 11 | 7–9 PM
—Sebastopol Community Cultural Center
—Tickets at walkercreekmusiccamp.org

08/13/2026

to waking up in the mornings at WCMC to the sounds of campers making music! 🎶 Come for the music, stay for the magic, and become part of the community. ❤️

Camp Dates: 10/22-25, 2026
Registration opens Monday, August 24 at NOON! ⏰ Register early for the best class choices and lodging.
Video by John Nelson

We have a number of wonderful teachers joining us for the first time at WCMC, and we’re excited to introduce you to Mike...
08/11/2026

We have a number of wonderful teachers joining us for the first time at WCMC, and we’re excited to introduce you to Mike Wilhoyte!

Mike grew up in Toledo, Ohio surrounded by bluegrass musicians and at the age of 13, his love of bluegrass guitar took off after his father took him to see the legendary Bill Monroe.

After moving to the Bay Area in 1989, Mike quickly became part of the California bluegrass scene, playing with bands including Hydra-Matic Drive, Blue and Lonesome, and The Bayside Rounders.

Known for his strong, supportive rhythm and creative, musical breaks, He's a fantastic teacher and you can check out his YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/

Live Performance:
https://youtu.be/0cr4akK7olg
https://youtu.be/hGafXLu6KJk

We're so pleased to welcome Mike to our Fall Camp starting on Thursday October 22.

Teacher Concert Series VSebastopol Community Cultural CenterCrying Uncle Bluegrass Band – Widely recognized as one of th...
08/06/2026

Teacher Concert Series V
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center

Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band – Widely recognized as one of the most exciting bands in acoustic music. Brothers Miles Quale (mandolin, guitar, vocals) and Teo Quale (fiddle, guitar, vocals) are joined by Andrew Osborn (bass, vocals) and 2023 National Flat Pick Guitar Champion Ian Ly (guitar, vocals), creating a fresh and innovative sound rooted in tradition.

Evie Ladin / Band – One of the most dynamic and innovative voices in contemporary roots music. Blending old-time Appalachian traditions with influences from African Diaspora music and dance, her performances are rich in rhythm, storytelling, and joyful energy.

Pacific Drive
A high-energy bluegrass band formed at Walker Creek Music Camp featuring Dana Frankel (fiddle), David Thiessen (mandolin), Jesse Fichman (guitar), Helen Foley (bass), and Sam Reed (banjo).

Join us for an evening of inspiring music that gives the community a chance to experience & support the magic of our “little music camp that could.” – Michael Bryant, Director

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Can’t make the concert? Donate to send a young musician to camp.

Links in the Comments!

Photo Galleries!Check out the photographic artistry of Evan Thompson & Sue Nelson who shot our Spring ‘26 camp and Fall ...
08/05/2026

Photo Galleries!
Check out the photographic artistry of Evan Thompson & Sue Nelson who shot our Spring ‘26 camp and Fall ‘25 photos taken by Tim Konrad.
Note, Evan Thompson is offering free 640px downloads for all images related to WCMC to our campers to use in their social media. In addition, he is offering fine-art prints with the option of purchasing them framed as well as creating holiday & seasonal cards.

FALL CAMP DATES: Thursday-Sunday October 22-25

We’re looking forward to another unforgettable weekend of learning, playing, reconnecting with old friends, and making new ones. We can't wait to welcome you back!
Registration OPENS at NOON on
Monday August 24, 2026 at NOON!
Classes will fill FAST so REGISTER EARLY!

Links in Comments!

FALL CAMP FACULTY ANNOUNCEMENT!I hope y’all are having a great summer filled with music, joy, and laughter! We’ve got an...
08/05/2026

FALL CAMP FACULTY ANNOUNCEMENT!

I hope y’all are having a great summer filled with music, joy, and laughter!
We’ve got an incredible line-up of teachers coming to camp this Fall, with over half of the faculty joining us for the first time! Much gratitude to our program director, David Thiessen, for herding these cats:

BANJO
Bluegrass: George Guthrie George Guthrie
Old-time: Clinton Davis (Clinton Davis Online Music Lessons)

FIDDLE
Bluegrass: Brian Wicklund Brian Wicklund
Celtic: Leah Wollenberg Leah Wollenberg
Old Time: Janie Rothfield

GUITAR
Level 1: Dave Pascoe Dave Pascoe
Bluegrass: Mike Wilhoyte Mike Wilhoyte
Celtic: Allan Carr
Swing: Tony Marcus

MANDOLIN & BASS
Bluegrass: Don Julin
Swing: Don Stiernberg Don Stiernberg
Bass All Levels: Mark Schatz

SONGWRITING, VOCALS & UKULELE
Songwriting & Vocal Technique: Lucy Clearwater Lucy Clearwater
Singing Old Time Repertoire: Rebecca Stout Rebecca Stout
Simple Ukulele for Singing Repertoire: Nova Devonie

BAND JAMS & YOUTH
Band Scramble: Dave Keenan David Keenan
Group Jam Band: Joe Craven Joe Craven
Music & More! Youth Program: Krishna Feeney krishnafeeneymusic

We’re looking forward to another unforgettable weekend of learning, playing, reconnecting with old friends, and making new ones. We can’t wait to welcome you back!

REGISTRATION OPENS AT NOON ON MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2026!
Classes will fill FAST, so REGISTER EARLY!
Photo credit: Sue Nelson

FALL CAMP FACULTY ANNOUNCEMENT!I hope y’all are having a great summer filled with music, joy, and laughter! We’ve got an...
08/05/2026

FALL CAMP FACULTY ANNOUNCEMENT!

I hope y’all are having a great summer filled with music, joy, and laughter!
We’ve got an incredible line-up of teachers coming to camp this Fall, October 22-25th, with over half of the faculty joining us for the first time! Much gratitude to our program director, David Thiessen, for herding these cats:

BANJO
Bluegrass: George Guthrie George Guthrie
Old-time: Clinton Davis (Clinton Davis Online Music Lessons)

FIDDLE
Bluegrass: Brian Wicklund Brian Wicklund
Celtic: Leah Wollenberg
Old Time: Janie Rothfield

GUITAR
Level 1: Dave Pascoe / David Pascoe Music
Bluegrass: Mike Wilhoyte / Mike Wilhoyte
Celtic: Allan Carr
Swing: Tony Marcus / Tony Marcus

MANDOLIN & BASS
Bluegrass: Don Julin / Don Julin
Swing: Don Stiernberg / Don Stiernberg
Bass All Levels: Mark Schatz

SONGWRITING, VOCALS & UKULELE
Songwriting & Vocal Technique: Lucy Clearwater / Lucy Clearwater
Singing Old Time Repertoire: Rebecca Stout / Rebecca Stout
Simple Ukulele for Singing Repertoire: Nova Devonie

BAND JAMS & YOUTH
Band Scramble: Dave Keenan / David Keenan
Group Jam Band: Joe Craven
Music & More! Youth Program: Krishna Feeney / Krishna Feeney

We’re looking forward to another unforgettable weekend of learning, playing, reconnecting with old friends, and making new ones. We can't wait to welcome you back!

REGISTRATION OPENS AT NOON ON MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2026!
Classes will fill FAST, so REGISTER EARLY!
Photo credit: Sue Nelson

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Petaluma, CA
94952

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