Words can hardly capture the extraordinary experience of jamming with fellow musicians. It’s a unique blend of connection, inspiration, and musical growth.
Upcoming Group Classes & Workshops
Duet Singing Workshop
Location: Out West Garage, Petaluma
Adult Workshop (Beginning - Advanced)
Taught by Michaela Mae & Ryan Harlin
When it comes to singing in traditional, folk, and bluegrass music there is nothing else like the magic and emotive power of a good duet harmony pairing. Harmony singing is special both for the techniques that we employ to ensure a great blend with our singing partner, the rules we follow to find harmony parts, and the rules we then break to make those parts unique!
Michaela Mae and Ryan Harlin will be bringing their popular duet singing class curriculum from The Folk Farm Music School to The Out West Garage for a workshop of singing, harmonizing, and having fun sharing music together. We’ll be learning several duet songs while also understanding some of the music theory that makes harmony work, the techniques of singing and blending with a duet partner, and some of the physiology that helps us get the best tone and buzzy harmony sound together.
Where: Out West Garage in Petaluma
Date: Sunday, May 17th
Time: 1:30-5:30pm
Who: 16+ years
Instrumental Improvisation
Adult class (Beginning - Advanced)
Taught by Christine Wilhoyte & Jesse Fichman
Want to develop your voice on your instrument? Add a little flavor to your solos? Get comfortable taking any solo at all? Come one, come all and join Jesse Fichman and Christine Wilhoyte on an exciting 8 week expedition into improvising on your instrument. We’ll demystify improvising, starting with establishing a foundation: a non-judgmental environment, a solid groove, and some inspiration. We’ll offer practical ways to explore your instrument with options for various skill levels and apply them together in an improvisational setting. This class will be a combination of playing with partners, in small groups, and as a large group. Come with a willingness to try new things, make mistakes, and have fun.
Course Goals:
Enjoy a safe and comfortable environment for musicians of different skill levels to explore, have fun, and feel inspired
Walk away with tools you can apply right away
Improve knowledge and comfort expressing yourself through your instrument
Experience the magic and excitement of improvising with others firsthand
Qualifications:
This class is intended for musicians of varying skill levels who have comfort playing their instrument in a group setting, holding steady rhythm at tempos between 60 and 120 BPM, and playing along to songs in a few or all of the following keys: G, A, Bb, B, C, D, E, and F
Knowledge or comfort with solo-ing is not required
Most of all, students should come with a nonjudgmental attitude, enthusiasm to explore their instrument, and willingness to make mistakes and be silly!
When: April 15th-June 3rd
8 week course
Time: Wednesday evenings 7:00-8:15pm
Ages: 18+
Bluegrass Jamming
Adult Class (Beginning - Advanced)
Taught by Michaela Mae & Ryan Harlin
This bluegrass jamming class is designed for musicians who already have experience on their instrument and want to develop their skills in a group setting. This course will help you strengthen your musical foundation while also stretching into new skills. You’ll learn how to listen, complement other players, and step into soloing with confidence. Playing in an ensemble is one of the fastest ways to improve your musicianship, while having a fun and building a strong musical community along the way.
Course Goals:
Foster a communal environment for playing and singing together.
Expand your repertoire of bluegrass songs.
2 class time options:
Class 1:
When: April 14th - June 2nd, 2026
8 week course
Time: Tuesday evenings 5:30-6:45pm
Class 2:
When: April 14th - June 2nd, 2026
8 week course
Time: Tuesday evenings 7:00 -8:15pm
Ages: 18 years +
Qualifications:
Play one of the core bluegrass instruments: guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, upright bass, or dobro.
Ability to transition between basic chords with relative ease.
Gospel Harmony Singing
Adult class (Beginning - Advanced)
Taught by Michaela Mae, Jesse Fichman & Christine Wilhoyte
This 8-week course is designed to help you recognize and sing three-part gospel harmonies. It’s a class The Folk Farm has been dreaming about offering since we first opened, and Michaela is especially delighted to be teaching it alongside her dear friends Jesse and Christine, who have been steeped in gospel harmony singing since they were young children. Throughout the course we’ll learn a collection of gospel songs from the roots music tradition. Students will expand their harmony singing abilities and gospel repertoire in a warm, communal environment. The spirit of the gospel songs we sing welcomes and celebrates people of all races, religions, genders, and sexual orientations.
Course Goals:
Foster a communal environment for singing together
Strengthen vocal techniques for seamless blending and nuanced expression
Gain a deeper understanding of three part harmony singing
Expand your repertoire of roots gospel songs
Qualifications:
Beginning to advanced level of experience singing
Willingness to share your voice
When: April 15th -June 3rd
8 week course
Time: Wednesday evenings 5:30-6:45pm
Ages: 18+
Demystifying the Guitar Fretboard (FULL)
Adult workshop (Intermediate - Advanced)
Taught by Nina Gerber
Everybody just loves theory, right? OK, never mind. In this class, we will learn just the right amount of theory to help understand the fretboard, learn about chord construction to increase your chord vocabulary, and get you started playing some simple leads all over the neck while knowing what you are doing. We'll talk a bit about technique and tone as well. No fancy licks here, but hopefully enough information so you can create your own fancy licks.
About Nina Gerber: Nina Gerber is a legendary West Coast acoustic guitarist, revered for her deep musicality and decades-long career as a sought-after accompanist, teacher, and arranger. Born and raised in Sebastopol, CA, she has been a central figure in the folk and roots music scene since the late 1970s, collaborating with an extraordinary range of singer-songwriters and shaping countless performances with her subtle, expressive playing. Known for her ability to elevate a song without ever overshadowing it, Nina brings rare insight, taste, and heart to everything she teaches and plays.
When: Sunday, March 29th, 2026
Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm
Ages: 18+
Past Group Classes & Workshops
Folk Jamming (FULL)
Adult Class (Beginning - Advanced)
Taught by Michaela Mae & Ryan Harlin
This folk jamming class is designed for musicians who already have experience on their instrument and want to develop their skills in a group setting. Through a collection of folk, country, celtic, bluegrass, and Americana songs, you’ll learn how to listen, complement other players, and even step into soloing with confidence. Playing in an ensemble is one of the fastest ways to improve your musicianship, while having a great time and building a strong musical community along the way.
Course Goals:
Foster a communal environment for playing and singing together
Expand your repertoire of folk songs
2 class time options:
Class 1 (FULL):
When: January 26th - March 16th, 2026
8 week course
Time: Monday evenings 6:30-7:45pm
Class 2 (FULL):
When: January 28th - March 18th, 2026
8 week course
Time: Wednesday evenings 6:15-7:30pm
Ages: 18 years +
Qualifications:
Ability to transition between basic chords with relative ease
Fiddle Tunes for Guitar & Mandolin (FULL)
Adult Class (Intermediate - Advanced)
Taught by Ryan Harlin & Michael Greenberg
If you want to level up your guitar or mandolin playing, fiddle tunes are the best training ground. This class is built for intermediate/advanced players who want to push their technique forward. Michael Greenberg and Ryan Harlin will teach a set of tunes you’re likely to hear at bluegrass and old-time jams, plus a few you’ll want to bring into the circle yourself. Along the way, we’ll go beyond just learning the notes: we’ll tackle the mechanics of alternate picking, develop economy of motion for speed, and recognize common phrases that drop seamlessly into any bluegrass solo. Come ready to challenge yourself, push your playing, and come away with a toolkit you can use in any jam.
Course Goals:
Develop alternate-picking habits to become second-nature
Learn a handful of common fiddle-tunes, readying you for jams
Understand a melody’s contour, useful for simplifying or varying a tune
Build melodic vocabulary for use in other bluegrass licks and breaks
Improve tone, dynamics, and accuracy in your melodic phrasing
Qualifications:
Understanding of and experience with hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides
Comfort/experience playing single-note melodies on your instrument
Playing chords and melodies at moderate tempos
Awareness and at least some experience with alternate-picking technique
Tuners on hand for all, and Guitars will need a capo
When: January 27 - March 17th , 2026
8 week course
Time: Tuesday evenings 5:30-6:45pm
Ages: 18 years +
Duet Singing (FULL)
Adult Class (Beginning - Advanced)
Taught by Michaela Mae & Ryan Harlin
This 8-week course is designed to help you recognize and sing duet harmonies while exploring the music theory behind why harmonies work. In each class, we will learn a collection of bluegrass, folk, and country harmonies. As The Folk Farm’s longest-standing and most popular class, this course creates a warm, communal environment where singers can grow in confidence and connection. You’ll strengthen your vocal technique, expand your duet repertoire, and discover the unique creative freedom that duet singing offers. No duet partner is required, just a willingness to share your voice, whether you’re a beginning or advanced singer.
Course Goals:
Foster a communal environment for singing together
Strengthen vocal techniques for seamless blending and nuanced expression
Gain a deeper understanding of duet harmonies compared to three and four part harmonies
Expand your repertoire of duet songs
Qualifications:
Beginning to advanced level of experience singing
Willingness to share your voice
You do not need a duet partner to be a part of this class
When: January 27 - March 17th , 2026
8 week course
Time: Tuesday evenings 7:00-8:15pm
Ages: 18 years +
Guitar Walks & Runs Workshop (FULL)
Adult workshop (Intermediate - Advanced)
Taught by Jim Nunally
Join renown guitarist Jim Nunally for a workshop dedicated to bass walks and runs that bring roots music to life. Students will learn how to smoothly link chords with tasteful, rhythm-driven bass movement drawn from folk, bluegrass, and country traditions. These walks and runs add momentum, groove, and musical interest, helping your rhythm playing feel more dynamic and expressive. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have a practical toolkit you can immediately use in jams, accompaniment, and solo performance.
About Jim Nunally: Jim is a guitarist, producer, composer, and educator with deep roots in traditional American music. Jim is a highly respected teacher at music camps across the country, including the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, Bluegrass at the Beach, California Coast Music Camp, California Bluegrass Association Music Camp, Kaufman Kamp and many more. He is a two-time Western Open Flatpicking Champion, a recipient of two Grammy Award certifications and two IBMA awards, and earned two JUNO nominations with John Reischman and the Jaybirds. He has performed with legends such as David Grisman, John Reischman, and Laurie Lewis, and spent over 25 years teaching at top music camps.
When: Sunday, February 22nd, 2026
Time: 9:30am-12:30pm
Ages: 18+
Meet the Teachers
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Michaela Mae
Founder & Multi-class Teacher
Michaela Mae is a professional singer, musician, and music instructor with over fifteen years of performance experience. She teaches harmony workshops, songwriting courses, family music classes, and private lessons in the North Bay Area and at music camps around California. Michaela has studied voice for over 25 years and has 45+ credits in Music Education. In her personal projects, she performs and collaborates with Wyld Iris and Miranda Mallard.
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Ryan Harlin
Multi-Class Teacher
Ryan is a music producer, songwriter, performer, and educator with feet firmly planted in American roots music. He has been a lead instructor at Walker Creek Music Camp and California Bluegrass Association’s Music Camp and collaborated with artists as diverse as dance music legend Paul Van Dyk and banjo icon Kermit the Frog. He is the Senior Creative Executive for Reason Studios and has earned tens of millions of views on YouTube.
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Mary Kussmaul (Felton)
Jamming Class Teacher
Mary is the California Bluegrass Association’s Regional Activities Director, coordinating jams and activities in Sonoma, Napa, and Lake Counties. An active bluegrass performer, she plays mandolin in the all-women’s band Bluegrass Holiday and often appears with the Bloomfield Bluegrass Band. Her musical journey began with classical piano as a child, and she transitioned to mandolin and bluegrass after attending a fiddle camp with her children. Even though she loves performing, the sense of community she finds through jamming is what brought her into bluegrass and is her favorite part of the genre.
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Dave Pascoe
Workshop Teacher
David Pascoe is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and touring musician whose music blends traditional folk with playful improvisation. He performs with multiple groups in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Late for the Train, Eric Long, and the Jimbo Scott Band. David also co-founded Every Folk, a camp for adults to explore traditional folk music and culture and is a lead teacher at the Pacific Songwriting Camp.
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David Thiessen
Multi-Class Teacher
From the moment David picked up the mandolin at age ten, Bluegrass and Americana music became an integral part of his life. Soon after, he formed a band with his twin brother and best friends that lasted for more than a decade. Since then he has played in countless bands around California including Windy Hill, One Grass Two Grass, and currently Mission Blue. He continues to play shows and festivals regularly. David has many years of experience teaching music to individuals and groups alike. It’s his belief that the first step to learning is being excited about the music and realizing that musical goals can be achieved through effective practice. His goal is to develop students into the musicians they want to be, while remembering that the main purpose of music is enjoyment, fun, and community.
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Jesse Fichman
Afterschool Bluegrass Club Teacher
Jesse Fichman grew up in Santa Rosa, California, discovering bluegrass in fifth grade with The Mighty Chiplings under Chip Dunbar’s guidance. Attending the Grass Valley Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival deepened his passion, leading to lifelong friendships and six years with AJ Lee and Blue Summit. Beyond bluegrass, he studied saxophone, clarinet, and voice, performing in jazz combos and choirs. He has taught at the California Bluegrass Association’s Kids on Bluegrass Music Camp and led workshops at Walker Creek Music Camp. A part-time field biologist considering graduate school, Jesse values the joy of learning and creating a supportive musical environment.
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Andy Davis
Multi-Class Teacher
Andy Davis is a traditional bluegrass banjo player, singer, songwriter, and band leader who splits his time between Philadelphia, PA and the San Francisco Bay Area. His Philadelphia-based band, Midnight Flyer interprets bluegrass, old time and original tunes with a style faithful to the roots of American stringband music. While in California, he performs with his daughter, Ruby Davis and Bay Area Special, as well as with a growing list of California musicians.
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Michael Greenberg
Fingerstyle Guitar Teacher
Michael Greenberg discovered his passion for guitar at age 15, teaching himself the basics before being inspired by a college friend to explore fingerstyle playing. During those years, he balanced his love for physics with the joy of mastering songs by artists like Jim Croce, James Taylor, and Dan Fogelberg, deepening his connection to music. Today, Michael plays and teaches for the sheer joy of it, cherishing the moments spent creating music with others and sharing his love of fingerstyle guitar with fellow enthusiasts.