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.
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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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Christine Wilhoyte
Multi-Class Teacher
Christine is a multi-instrumentalist who grew up in the California bluegrass scene. She teaches private lessons on banjo and guitar as well as mindful music, plays in multiple bands around the Bay Area, and calls square dances. She has a reverence for the way that music connects us to ourselves and to our communities and her goal is always to share that in her teaching.
You can read more about Christine here: https://californiabluegrass.org/cba-member-profile-christine-wilhoyte/
or connect with her through her website below.
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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
Multi-Class 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.
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Mike Wilhoyte
Multi-Class Teacher
Mike Wilhoyte started playing bluegrass guitar at the age of 14 in Toledo, OH, where he was influenced by his father's love for Bill Monroe. As soon as he could drive, he started going to weekly jams, where he had the chance to play with many great players. Since moving to the Bay Area 35 years ago, Mike has been a source of inspiration for many young players growing up in the bluegrass community. He has played in many CA bands over the years including Roanoke, Blue and Lonesome, Hydra-Matic Drive, and most recently, the Bayside Rounders.