Up Your Game with Intensive 3-Day Workshops
Each year, MBOTMA offers 3-day Bluegrass workshops as part of Fall Jam.
This year, we Tim Stafford returns with a Guitar Workshop, and Brian Wicklund leads our first Fiddle Workshop.
Take your fiddle or guitar skills to another level in just 3 days!
Tentative Schedule:
Thursday, November 6 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
Friday, November 7 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
Saturday, November 8 (9 a.m. – 12 p.m.)
Limited scholarships may be available. Please contact Tom Peschges for details.
When: Thursday, November 6– Saturday, November 8, 2025
Where: Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West Hotel, 3131 Campus Dr. Plymouth, MN 55441 (discounted rooms available)
Cost: $250 for MBOTMA Members / $275 for Non-Members (You can join MBOTMA for as little as $35!)
Optional: $15 Thursday Lunch. We’ll be ordering pizza for the group. If you want to join us, please pay in advance.
Tim says, There are lots of ways to learn guitar, and mine will involve tons of hands-on work over the three days we’re together, learning rhythm patterns, chord substitutions, the number system, run techniques, fills, lead guitar including crosspicking, floating, double stops and more.
My approach emphasizes listening skills, tips, tricks, tunes, tabs, fast tracks (there are none), The “Ts”—timing, tuning, technique, tone and taste, taking your questions and demonstrating the great variety of lead and rhythm techniques in Bluegrass. I’ll make my collection of printed resources, including exercises and tabs, available for everyone.
Guitars, picks, capos and tuners required.
When: Thursday, November 6– Saturday, November 8, 2025
Where: Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West Hotel, 3131 Campus Dr. Plymouth, MN 55441 (discounted rooms available)
Cost: $250 for MBOTMA Members / $275 for Non-Members (You can join MBOTMA for as little as $35!)
Optional: $15 Thursday Lunch. We’ll be ordering pizza for the group. If you want to join us, please pay in advance.
Brian Wicklund is widely regarded as among the top fiddle teachers and performers in the country. He is the author the best-selling books, The American Fiddle Method published by Mel Bay and heads AFM online school. He is an instructor at top camps and workshops in the US, Canada, UK and Sweden including his own AFM Fiddle Camp.
Brian has been a member of bluegrass bands for decades including: Stoney Lonesome, Judith Edelman Band, Kathy Kallick Band, and Chris Stuart Band. He currently fronts Minnesota-based progressive bluegrass band Barley Jacks.
Faculty
About Tim Stafford
From Kingsport, Tennessee, Grammy winner Tim Stafford co-founded the group Blue Highway, which is celebrating its 31st year in 2025. Tim is a prolific songwriter with over 300 cuts and several #1 Bluegrass songs. He has been named the IBMA Songwriter of the Year three times (2014, 2017, 2023) and the SPBGMA Guitar Player of the Year twice (2001, 2015). With Steve Gulley, he co-wrote the 2008 IBMA Song of the Year, “Through the Window of a Train” as well as the most-played song of 2023 in Bluegrass, “Lonesome State of Mind.” (with Bobby Starnes)
In 2010, he co-wrote (with Caroline Wright) the highly-acclaimed authorized biography Still Inside: The Tony Rice Story. Tim has released five solo records and five duet records along with his recordings with Blue Highway and Alison Krauss. He was most recently the Artist in Residence at ETSU’s famed Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music program.
About Brian Wicklund
Brian Wicklund is a renowned fiddler, mandolinist, composer, and educator with a rich history in the acoustic music scene. Growing up in a small prairie town in Minnesota, he began his musical journey with Suzuki violin training. His dedication led him to win numerous fiddle contests during his teenage years.
After earning a degree in elementary education from Gustavus Adolphus College, Brian chose to focus entirely on music. He has toured internationally with bands such as Stoney Lonesome, Judith Edelman Band, Kathy Kallick Band, Chris Stuart Band, and Brother Mule.
Beyond performing, Brian is a dedicated educator. He authored the best-selling “American Fiddle Method,” a series that has taught over 100,000 students to play the fiddle. His online platform, American Fiddle Method School, offers video lessons, courses, and fiddle camps, allowing students to learn at their own pace and connect with a broader musical community.
Brian’s commitment to music education extends to organizing Fiddle Pal Camps across the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and the U.K., where he shares his expertise with aspiring musicians.