Kids On Bluegrass Europe 2026, here we are!
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It's a great pleasure to welcome Marie Scheid for the 2026 edition of the Kids On Bluegrass Europe Bluegrass Music Camp.
Five years will have passed on July 30, 2026, when the next camp, dedicated to young people aged 6 to 16 who are practicing or discovering Bluegrass music, begins. This will be a rather special edition, one dear to our hearts.
That's why we're already working together to prepare this new edition.
The event launched in 2022 with Lluís Gómez & Maribel Rivero (Spain), accompanied by Julia Zech (Germany). Petr Brandejs from the Czech Republic was the 2023 invited teacher. Ross McKerrell (Scotland) was invited in 2024, followed by Alex Neff (Pennsylvania) in 2025.
The event has refined its format, improving its quality year after year.
- - Songs selected from the Bluegrass or Old Time repertoire.
- - A group of young people aged 6 to 16, including beginners.
- - Bluegrass instruments: guitar, violin, mandolin, banjo, dobro, double bass, ukulele welcome.
- - An open level of difficulty, allowing everyone to participate according to their abilities, based on four simple chords: G, C, A, and D.
- - The program is bilingual (French and English), with translation into other languages provided by parents who are welcome to attend the workshop.
- - A different teacher each year, bringing their unique flavor and sensitivity.
- - The visit of a professional foreign group with whom the kids can interact.
- - A performance on the festival's Sunny Stage on Saturday.
- - IMPORTANT: The opportunity for young participants to prepare songs before the workshop, thanks to audio/video and text material made available several months in advance.
In 2025, Alex Neff did a remarkable job in advance with four bilingual instructional videos, allowing the young participants to prepare as best as possible. This allowed us to fully focus on the arrangements and individual roles for three songs, into which the young musicians poured their hearts.
Marie Scheid, Guest Professor 2026
Although Marie began her music career as a child with the piano, her university studies led her to spend a year in the United States.
This experience piqued her interest in this complex country, its language, culture, and musical styles. She also became particularly interested in singing and vocal harmonies. It was later that the ukulele and guitar opened new horizons for her, followed by a love affair with the double bass.
If you missed her on stage at the 2025 Bluegrass In La Roche festival, you can currently hear her in the duo Shades of Night, the Uzer Trio band, and the Gospel Convicts, which specializes in bluegrass gospel.
As in previous years, Thomas Marinello and Ti' Pierre will complete the teaching team, notably for the banjo, mandolin, dobro, and violin parts.
Kids On Bluegrass Europe 2024 with Ross McKerrell:
2026 already promises to be a wonderful year. If you have young musicians in your circle, an online video meeting can give them a better understanding of the joyful world of this international workshop, before making a decision. It's available on the website kids-on-bluegrass-europe.com, along with more information and details.
If the 2026 edition will have something special, it's also thanks to the unwavering support of Christopher Howard Williams and the Bluegrass In La Roche festival, who offer an enthusiastic welcome every year.
Thanks also to the town of La Roche sur Foron and the youth service, which provides the work and rehearsal space.
Kids On Bluegrass Europe video by Elliot Siff:
