Meet our INSTRUCTORS & JAM HOSTS

Bosco Over four decades ago, several journeys were made into the depths of American traditional music culture by a curious young musician from Japan. His name is Takaki Kosuke. However, he’s best known in the world of old-time music as Bosco. As a child, Bosco’s obsession for the music of the Carter family and Woody Guthrie led him to study the guitar and mountain dulcimer. Soon after, his obsession for fiddle and banjo brought him to America where he befriended and learned directly from many of the legendary elders who are practically worshipped as musical gods by today’s old-time aficionados: Tommy Jarrell, Melvin Wine, Burl Hammons, Maggie Hammons, Joe Birchfield, and the list goes on. Bosco’s style is a virtual musical time capsule containing the mystical “old sounds” that countless folk musicians strive to conjure on their instruments. His photographs of the great old masters are sacred treasures for fans and students of the genre.

Scott Prouty has an extensive and eclectic repertoire rooted in the old mountain style of fiddle playing which includes dance music as well as beautiful solo fiddle tunes. He grew up in the old-time music scenes of Washington DC and West Virginia and currently lives in Toronto. An archivist by training, his music has been shaped by rare field recordings as well as time spent with older-generation players and contemporary musicians. He has taught at camps including the Augusta Heritage Center, Cowan Creek Mountain Music School, the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes and the Berkeley Old-time Music Convention. Scott is also a featured Tiki Parlour Recordings recording artist and his music and film release "Shaking Down the Acorns" is available at Tiki Parlour Recordings.

The SLO County Stumblers are an energetic American string band based in California’s Central Coast. The band features fiddler Casy Meikle, guitarist David Baine, banjo player Daniel Bohlman, and banjo builder Jerry James on bass. The band formed in 2018 when Meikle returned to California after several years in Middle Tennessee where he became steeped in the region’s musical traditions, traveling extensively with a variety of Southern string bands and with buckdancer Thomas Maupin. The Stumblers play hard-driving old time fiddle tunes and spirited songs, heavily influenced by the golden-era string bands of the 1920s and 30s. Their performance is filled with humorous stories and banter and is guaranteed to get feet moving across the dance floor.

Jimmy Triplett plays fiddle tunes learned from rare field recordings and visits with older musicians throughout rural West Virginia. He has become an in-demand fiddle teacher. In his workshops, he emphasizes bowings and ornamentation that capture the simple beauty and graceful rhythm of old-style Appalachian fiddling. Jimmy worked for several years at the Augusta Heritage Center, where he co-produced “The Fiddling of Ernie Carpenter” and “One More Time: The Life and Music of Melvin Wine.”

Tricia Spencer grew up in Kansas, learning the tradition of old time music from her Grandparents, Vernon and Iona Spencer.  At an early age, she was perched up on some stage tapping her foot to the sound of fiddles, banjos, mandolins, and guitars. Tricia has studied with some of the great masters in old-time music and is highly sought after as a performer, dance fiddler, and instructor.

Howard Rains is an artist and fiddler from Texas, now living in Kansas, who comes from a family rich in both of those traditions. Howard plays rare, old tunes learned from friends, family, mentors, and old recordings. As much known for his painting as his fiddling, Howard has spent many years painting watercolor portraits of his fellow musicians and is also the lead artist and graphic designer for Tiki Parlour Recordings in Los Angeles.

Jim Mueller says: I attended my first Santa Barbara Old-Time Fiddlers’ Convention in 1976 and have been a regular attendee ever since.I’ve been influenced by many fiddlers over the decades, including Tom Sauber, Pete Sutherland, Alan Jabbour, Ralph Blizard, Bruce Molsky, and many others.In fact, I feel that I have been influenced by everyone that has ever shared a tune with me.I have performed with the Growling Old Geezers, For Old Times’ Sake, and the Rosin Sniffers. That said, my favorite musical partner is my wife, Amber.

Afton Coombs is a percussive dancer born and raised in California. They learned flatfoot in Los Angeles from their teacher Rebecca Stout, and went on to win first place three years in a row at the step dancing contest at Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest. Later they volunteered and served on a dance subcommittee at TBFC. They are grateful to have the opportunity to teach and share this art form.

Kelly Marie Martin is an artist and musician living in Los Angeles. She sings and plays guitar, banjo, and upright bass with quintet Echo Mountain; in duet with accordionist Erin Schnieder; and fills in on the upright when Skillet Licorice stars align, appearing on their Allsorts Orchestra release from Tiki Parlour. Kelly hosts a monthly jam on the first Thursdays at the 1642 Bar, is known to organize concerts with Frank Fairfield, and throws square dances in groovy offbeat spots. She was also a founder of the Los Angeles Old Time Social, a three day festival celebrating old time music and dance. There’s “Ever” in the title of its fourteen year run for the simple reason ya never know when it might come back around again. You can find albums by Echo Mountain, Erin and Kelly, and her solo album, The Last Kind Word on bandcamp.

Joe Wack has played guitar, banjo, and fiddle since his teens and twenties.  He moved from W.Va. to Los Angeles in the early 90's and is retired after a career in television and movie animation.  For the past eighteen years he has hosted the monthly Audubon Center Jam in Debs Park, Los Angeles.

Chris Berry has been playing guitar and banjo for over 30 years. Chris learned many tunes from the late legendary Illinois/Southern California fiddler Mel Durham and plays banjo on his CD “Skillet Fork.” As a founding member of Los Angeles old-time and blues band Sausage Grinder, he appears on the band’s “Delicious Moments” album and plays on fellow Sausage Grinder David Bragger's solo album, "Big Fancy." When Chris isn’t busy playing old music or watching ’60s British television and ’70s American game shows, he works as an editor and web designer. Chris has played and taught at festivals including the Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest, the Los Angeles Old-Time Social, the Santa Barbara Old-Time Fiddlers' Festival, the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention, Centrum's Blues Week in Washington state, for the Friends of American Old-Time Music and Dance in the UK and many more.

Pat Mac Swyney grew up in Chicago and Los Angeles listening to his mother’s Dubliners and Bing Crosby records.  Pat began playing traditional music in 1982 and currently lives on the windswept steppes of north Los Angeles County where he plays Trad. Jazz with The SWING RIOTS Quirktette; Balkan & Near Eastern with NEVENKA & PEČURKA; Irish with The DIRTY MICKEYS; & Old-Time with SAUSAGE GRINDER.  Pat holds a degree in Anthropology from UC Santa Barbara and has subsequently never worked outside the music and food service industries.