Teachers old and new

A versatile multi-instrumentalist, Topher plays a variety of stringed instruments and hand percussion, and enjoys playing many styles of music. He's especially fond of funny songs, and what he calls "genre abuse" or "tune fixing." Topher is in a number of bands in the SF Bay area, has toured with his contra dance band on both coasts, and is in demand as an accompanist for singer/songwriters. He’s often asked to lend his compositional and arranging skills and excellent ear for harmony vocals. He's been on staff numerous times at music camps, including California Coast Music Camp, California Bluegrass Association Music Camp, Camp Kiya, and RMFC, and gives private lessons and workshops in San Jose, California. He teaches a range of technique, theory, and workshop topics, and has published several instructional books. In all his classes, Topher emphasizes the fun to be found in playing music. Topher is also a skilled luthier, and is especially known for the Mandonator™, his adaptation of the resonator mandolin.

Greg Glassman has been playing guitar and bass professionally for the last 30 years. Equally at home musically in styles ranging from folk to jazz, Greg has performed in a variety of venues spanning clubs to cruise ships to concert halls. He has recorded for radio, television and numerous album projects. Presently, he enjoys performing with a host of Puget Sound jazz musicians and in his own group, Like Minds, with fellow guitarist and teacher Ron Peters.

Concurrently, Greg has taught private guitar and bass lessons for the last 25 years on Seattle.s Eastside and held adjunct teaching posts at Cascadia and Bellevue Community Colleges.

Chris Grampp has been playing jazz, blues, rock, and traditional music for over 30 years. He leads his own band, Club Sandwich, and has played with Lost Weekend Western Swing Revue, Barbara Dane¹s Good News Bonanza Band, and performed as a solo guitarist throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Chris has studied with Tuck Andress, Warren Nunes, Davis Ramey, Howard Roberts, and George Barnes. He frequently teaches at the California Coast Music Camp and the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, and is a contributor to Acoustic Guitar Magazine.

Clive Gregson has avoided a real job for 30 years by playing with Any Trouble, Gregson & Collister and the Richard Thompson Band. In the ultimate downsizing exercise, he went solo in 1993 and now spends a great deal of time arguing with himself about set lists and the "correct" chords to "You Can't Do That" whilst driving enormous distances.

Recently he has been helping Nanci Griffith and Dennis Locorriere (Dr Hook) sound more ramshackle than strictly necessary and he wrote Ms. Griffiths' hit single "I Love This Town". Originally from Manchester, England, Clive has lived in the USA for 17 years.

Adie Grey performs traditional and contemporary American Folk music, accompanying herself on mountain dulcimer and guitar. An accomplished singer and songwriter, she has released 3 highly acclaimed albums of her own, and has appeared as a guest vocalist, on stage and recording with numerous other country, folk and pop artists (Sarah Evans, John Hartford, Jo-El Sonnier, Vonda Shepard, others). In addition to her live performances, Adie teaches dulcimer and singing at festivals and folk centers around the country, and is a founding board member of ARME, an organization that provides free roots music education to area schools.

Sara Grey - is an American singer, banjo player and song collector, who is immersed in the song traditions of both sides of the Atlantic. She lived in Scotland for 28 years, She also travelled extensively through the U.S. and Canada, performing and participating in workshops and summer-schools. She became very aware of how easy it is for people to become insular in their appreciation of music and how important it is for people to see that as songs travelled they became part of U.S. culture too. Her passionate interest is to maintain and strengthen the links between Celtic and American culture.