• Banjo Camp North Announces Non-Profit Status

    Banjo Camp North Announces Non-Profit StatusCromwell, Conn.   Phil Zimmerman, Director of Music Camps North, announced today that the Camps are switching to 501(c)(3) non-profit status.

    "After the recent deaths of founder, Mike Holmes, and subsequent owner, Mike Kropp, it's apparent we need a more enduring organizational structure," Zimmerman said. "This decision will help assure that the Camps thrive into the future."

    Music Camps North, Inc. currently offers two adult music camps each year, Banjo Camp North, founded in 2001, and Guitar & Mandolin Camp North.

    "It makes a lot of sense for the Camps to become non-profit. Our mission is to preserve and promote America's musical heritage and its roots, not to make a profit," said Zimmerman.

    There are other advantages to becoming a non-profit organization. People can make tax-deductible contributions, and the Camps can apply for grants from private foundations as well as public sources.

    "Those additional funds will help ensure that we can continue to focus on quality instruction in a supportive setting," Zimmerman added. Music Camps North hopes to offer additional learning opportunities, perhaps the return of the Fall camps or the addition of workshops in other genres besides those already offered at the camps. "Becoming a non-profit creates many possibilities for the Camps to thrive as we go forward," Zimmerman concluded.

    2017 Camp Faculty

    Zimmerman also announced faculty for the two camps. For the first time at Guitar & Mandolin Camp North, resonator guitar will be featured, with Grammy winning Stacy Phillips as well as Jim Heffernan as instructors. Guitar, mandolin and support faculty are Mike Compton, Frank Solivan, Lorraine Hammond, Lincoln Meyers, Don Stiernberg, Rich DelGrosso, David Surette, Susie Burke, Dick Bowden, Chris Brashear, Skip Gorman, Bennett Hammond, Paul Howard, Glenn Nelson, Laura Orshaw, Ben Pearce, Neil Rossi, Bruce Stockwell, Kelly Stockwell, and Tony Watt.

    At Banjo Camp North, fiddle classes will be offered by Laura Orshaw, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, and Jane Rothfield. Banjo and support faculty are Tony Trischka, Alan Munde, Tom Adams, Allison deGroot, Cathy Fink, Adam Hurt, John Herrmann, Catherine (“BB”) Bowness, Michael Miles, Marcy Marxer, Bob Altschuler, Dick Bowden, Howie Bursen, Ron Cody, Wendy Cody, Beth Hartness, Lorraine Hammond, Bennett Hammond, Pete Kelly, Dave Kiphuth, Larry Marschall, Evan Murphy, Glenn Nelson, Ben Pearce, Tim Rowell, Nate Sabat, Rich Stillman, Bruce Stockwell, Kelly Stockwell, and Tony Watt.

    Guitar & Mandolin Camp North will take place on April 7-9, 2017, and Banjo Camp North will be held on May 19-21, 2017. Both Camps take place in Charlton, MA.

    "We're off to a great start with the 2017 Camps," Zimmerman said. "By expanding the camps to include resonator guitar and fiddle we're pursuing our Mission to educate, celebrate, and encourage participation in traditional acoustic string music." Zimmerman added that if enough people express an interest, one of the Camps may also include beginning bass lessons.

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