Week-long traditional Appalachian music school hosted by Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, launched in 2004 to pass old-time mountain music on to young people in Southwest Virginia. Students age 10 and up choose an instrument and take beginning or advanced classes in old-time fiddle, clawhammer banjo, autoharp, guitar, mandolin, dulcimer or upright bass, with a string-band class for intermediate and advanced players. It draws more than 200 students of all ages from across the country, and a limited number of loaner instruments are available for the week.
The practical details
We list only what the camp itself publishes, and programs change — dates, prices, ages and availability can all move after we check. Confirm the details on the camp’s own website and contact Mountain Music School directly before you register or pay. Last checked August 2026.
