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Ready to Jam
Get ready to jam! In this class we will deepen our understanding of playing music with other people in a group setting. Rather than focus on instrument-specific techniques, we will spend the week honing our musician skills by working our way through an array of songs. We’ll explore singing lead with our instruments, vocal harmony, playing rhythm, using fills, and basic soloing. Over the course of this supportive class, we’ll work on opening our ears, expanding our comfort zones, taking some risks, and having fun while we do it!
Nathan Smith
Nathan Smith is a fiddle player, composer, and singer based in Smiths Falls, Ontario. A lifelong musician, he is in demand throughout Canada as a performer, recording artist, and workshop teacher.
Nathan performs as a founding member of bluegrass and roots band The Barrel Boys; innovative fiddle quartet Vinta; old-time stringband Happy Trails, Prospector; and Hannah & Nathan, a duo with clawhammer banjo player Hannah Shira Naiman.
He has appeared with these acts on festival and concert hall stages throughout Canada, the United States, and in Europe. Between these projects he has released eight studio albums, as well as his own solo album of original songs and fiddle tunes called Let It Rest, Let It Rise.
Vinta’s debut album Beacons earned them the award for “Instrumental Composers of the Year” at the 2024 Canadian Folk Music Awards, and The Barrel Boys' most recent album Chicken in the Window has earned them nominations for "Vocal Group of the Year" and "Traditional Album of the Year" in 2026.