Acoustic Music Seminar

Congratulations to AMS alumni Matthew Davis (2017 & 2018) & Catherine -BB- Bowness (2013) for winning the 2020 Steve Martin Banjo Prize! Help us celebrate them, and watch them perform this Wednesday at 8 pm EDT in the latest installment of the FreshGrass Festival’s virtual #FreshStreams, introduced by Steve Martin.

Join us in congratulating AMS alumni Tabitha Agnew (2019) and Thomas Cassell (2016 & 2017) on winning the International Bluegrass Music Association Momentum Award for Instrumentalists of the Year!

Listen to 2019 #AMSAlumni Liv Greene's latest single New York’s Arms off of her debut album, Every Bright Penny, set to release May 8. A song for anyone braving change, the banjo and electric guitar-laden track shares equal parts heartbreak and the hope of new beginnings. - Vents Magazine

As of Friday, March 13 at 3PM Eastern: The 2020 Savannah Music Festival has been cancelled at the request of Mayor Van Johnson, with support from public health officials. Dr. Lawton Davis, Health Director of the Coastal Health District of the Georgia Department of Public Health, states: At a time of such uncertainty about the impact of COVID-19 on our community, we understand the concerns of community leaders. The Savannah Music Festival draws crowds from around the world an...d here at home, including many older individuals who may be at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. City leaders have the full support of the Coastal Health District in the decision to cancel. We deeply regret that we are unable to share this season with our patrons in 2020, but recognize that an aggressive course of action is justified to protect public and community health. This cancellation applies to all concerts, donor events and festival education events Swing Central Jazz and Acoustic Music Seminar. Over the next week, SMF will attempt to reschedule performances. In the event that rescheduling cannot occur, ticket purchasers will be notified immediately regarding refund procedures. We ask for patience, as these efforts may take time while SMF evaluates many different options with staff, venues and artists. Tim Coy, SMF Board Chairman: As other festivals and public events have been cancelled around the country, we hoped Savannah and SMF would be spared. The entire performing arts industry must be part of prevention efforts to protect our patrons, artists and crew. SMF’s board of directors is grateful to our community for their unwavering support during this difficult time and appreciates the hard work and dedication of the SMF staff. At this time, all other SMF performances and programs outside of the festival dates, including Lake Street Dive on April 28 and local education programs Musical Explorers and SMF Jazz Academy, will proceed until further notice. Read the full cancellation. http://bit.ly/2vVBoCL To make a ticket donation. https://forms.gle/snDBh6W8rZcS6kaa6 For COVID-19 Donations / Refunds FAQs. https://www.savannahmusicfestival.org/covid-19-donations-re Direct all ticketing questions to Savannah Music Festival: [email protected].

Our final #AMSspotlight features Lawrence Hutfles, Ella Bebe Jordan, Micah Nicol and Tray Wellington! Help us welcome these talented musicians to #Savannah. Click each image for more on these talented artists! #AMSfamous

Today we’re highlighting Laurence Frangos-Rhodes, Samuel Frangos-Rhodes, Miles Gilbert and Trevor Lind for our #AMS spotlight! We can’t wait to have you in #Savannah for our 2020 #AcousticMusicSeminar. Head over to their photo for more on these great artists. #AMSfamous

We’re excited to shine the #AMSspotlight on our 2020 Acoustic Music Seminar participants Maxwell Allard, Isabella Gorman, Charissa Hoffman and Robert McCormac. We can’t wait to have you in #Savannah. Click on each image for more on these talented artists! #AMSfamous

Just a little over a month until we kick off #AMS2020, we’re excited to welcome our Acoustic Music Seminar Participants! Help us welcome Jaquleine Bastek, Sofia Chiarandini, Tom Polizzi & Camille Vogley-Howes. Click on each image for fun facts on these 4 #AMS artists. Also, help us give a huge birthday shout out to Tom Polizzi who turns 22 today! #AMSfamous

Thank you, IBMA Foundation for awarding the Acoustic Music Seminar at Savannah Music Festival with a 2020 grant! We're honored to be one of the organizations chosen for our work to support bluegrass education, historic preservation and leadership development.

We are excited to announce our 2020 Acoustic Music Seminar participants! Maxwell Allard, banjo (Chicago, IL) Jaqueline Bastek, mandolin/guitar (Eppstein, Germany) Sofía Chiarandini, violin (Newtown, CT)... Laurence Frangos-Rhodes, guitar (Glen Massey, New Zealand) Samuel Frangos-Rhodes, mandolin (Glen Massey, New Zealand) Miles Gilbert, bass (Irvington, NY) Isabella Gorman, violin (Charlottesville, VA) Charissa Hoffman, songwriting (Nashville, TN) Lawrence Hutfles, bass (Saline, MI) Ella Jordan, violin (Coupland, TX) Trevor Lind, bass (Maple Valley, WA) Robert McCormac, guitar (Asheville, NC) Micah Nicol, songwriting (Wapakoneta, OH) Tom Polizzi, mandolin/guitar (Simsbury, CT) Camille Vogley-Howes, violin (Columbus, OH) Trajan Wellington, banjo (Ashe County, NC) Alternates: Jackson Earles (Boulder, CO), Callum Morten-Teng (Glasgow, Scotland), and Lauren Wasmund (Boone, NC) Thank you to all who applied!

The countdown to our #AMS2020 application deadline continues with this clip from #AMS2019's Stringband Spectacuar, held on the final day of Acoustic Music Seminar in front of a live audience at the Savannah Music Festival! "Tamarindo" is an original arrangement by Maurizio Fiore featuring Tabitha Benedict, Dan Klingsberg, Liam Calloway Purcell, and Clara Rose. Don't miss the chance to showcase your talent at a world-renowned festival alongside your heroes and mentors!... --For more information about Acoustic Music Seminar, visit savannahmusicfestival.org/ams or apply directly at getacceptd.com/acousticmusicseminar. The deadline to apply is November 6. See more

We are happy to announce that clinician Bryan Sutton will be returning to Savannah for #AMS2020 after joining us in 2016, 2017, and 2019! The most accomplished and awarded acoustic guitarist of his generation, Bryan is a Grammy Award winner and a TEN-TIME International Bluegrass Music Association Guitar Player of the Year. He has performed at the Savannah Music Festival multiple times, leading his own band and playing with Noam Pikelny & Friends, in the Tim O'Brien Band, and ...in Hot Rize. Get the opportunity to work with Bryan at AMS2020! For more information about Acoustic Music Seminar, visit savannahmusicfestival.org/ams or apply directly at getacceptd.com/acousticmusicseminar. The deadline to apply is November 6.

Here's another highlight from #AMS2019! Songwriter Jobi Riccio workshopped her original song "Summer" with clinician Darrell Scott at AMS 2019, and premiered this version assisted by Darrell, Liv Greene Music, and Dan Klingsberg at Savannah Music Festival's annual Stringband Spectacular. Don't miss the opportunity for an "unbelievable, incredible, life-changing experience." Get a week of musical mentoring from Director Mike Marshall, Aoife O'Donovan, Darrell Scott, Bryan Sut...ton and more! Launch your career with Acoustic Music Seminar 2020 - apply now! For more information about Acoustic Music Seminar, visit savannahmusicfestival.org/ams or apply directly at getacceptd.com/acousticmusicseminar. The deadline to apply is Novermber 6.

We are starting off the week with a clip of Evan Snoey's original arrangement, "Tasajalka" by Finnish band Frigg, performed with Jacky Bastek, Ben Heard, Maurizio Fiore, Liam Purcell, and Torri Weidinger at #AMS2019's Stringband Spectacular! One week remains to submit your application for AMS 2020! -- For more information about Acoustic Music Seminar, visit savannahmusicfestival.org/ams or apply directly at getacceptd.com/acousticmusicseminar. The deadline to apply is November 6.