Guitar 1, Beginning Doug Hepler, grew up in Richmond, VA. and has been playing guitar since age 13. He started writing songs and tunes of his own about age 18 and played in bands in high school. He started as a student in 1998 at Allegheny Echoes then from 2006 to 2016 taught guitar at Allegheny Echoes. Doug took first in flat-picking in 2002, 2nd in 2004, and 3rd in 2005 at the Virginia Folk Music Association Competition. At present he plays music with Point Judith Band, The Blue Heaven Quartet, The Anvil Brothers, and Wild Honey Trio, plus does some solo work at retirement and nursing homes, and enjoys going to jams around Richmond and Charlottesville.

Guitar 2, Intermediate: Dustin Benson was raised in Jasper, Alabama, where he “grew up” on bluegrass music. His father taught him to play the guitar when he was 12 years old; he began playing the mandolin at 16 and joined his father’s band as the mandolin player at 17. Dustin has played and toured with many bands in the world of bluegrass music. He was nominated for Guitar Player of the Year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America in 2010. He joined The Special Consensus in 2011. In 2012, the band received a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. He has recorded with artists such as Rhonda Vincent, John Cowan, Michael Cleveland, Jason Carter, Gena Britt, and Rob Ickes. Most recently he enjoyed a stint with Don Rigsby and the Fly By Knights.

Guitar 3, Advance: Robin Kessinger, from St. Albans, West Virginia, was the National Flatpicking Champion on guitar in 1985 and 1988. Robin also won the Best Overall Performer at Galax, Virginia. He is the son of mandolin great Bob Kessinger and the great nephew of fiddle legend Clark Kessinger. His adaptations of fiddle tunes have amazed audiences across the U.S. and in Ireland. “Contest Favorites” with Wayne Henderson, “Star of County Down” with Steve Kaufman, and “Breakfast of Champions” with Robert Shafer are among his audio offerings. Robin’s class will concentrate on developing and refining complex and intricate techniques and styles.