Advance Mandolin
This class is about expanding our boundaries and taking greater ownership of our playing. We’ll work on making tunes feel more our own, responding to new musical situations, and making our playing feel social, alive, and interactive. We’ll also be exploring the quirks of the mandolin by learning more challenging tunes and stretching our playing outside of the mandolin’s default role. Open minds, open ears, can’t wait!
Kaden Hurst
Kaden Hurst grew up in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California. He began his musical education in western classical music along with American and Scottish fiddle music under the tutelage of master fiddler Alasdair Fraser. Kaden went on to study mandolin performance and composition at Regis University. He is a member of Portland, OR, based band Never Come Down, winner of the 2019 Rockygrass and 2021 Freshgrass band competitions.
His musical pursuits are centered around careful attention to songwriting and arranging, and carrying on the rich tradition of fiddle music in America. As a teacher, Kaden’s approach incorporates a deep knowledge of mandolin technique and history, the music theory and musicology underlying American folk music, and empathy for students at any level of musical experience. In addition to teaching private students, he co-directs Taborgrass, a Portland-based workshop series and community hub for adult bluegrass education. When not playing mandolin, Kaden spends his time juggling, drinking too much coffee, and overthinking fiddle tunes.xxxx
