By Julie Cherney

Madison was once again graced with musical virtuosity last weekend, in the form of the Kruger Brothers. Hailing from Switzerland via North Carolina, they epitomize the brother duet with their familial harmonies and tight musicianship, expanding on traditional bluegrass while continuing to honor it. Their Sunday night performance at the High Noon Saloon was nothing short of amazing and was received with two standing ovations.

The real treat, however, was the afternoon workshops. I was lucky enough to attend the session conducted by banjoist Jens Kruger. In addition to being incredibly knowledgeable about the banjo, music theory and musicianship, his compassion, kindness, humor and passion flowed like a mountain waterfall. He made each of us attendees feel as if we were his equal, that we could all be masters (after 3000-4000 hours of practice that is) and that we were all artists. Additionally, he reviewed basic concepts but in a way that was new and unique. After the three hour session, which flew by, I was reinvigorated and motivated again to dedicate time and effort to my instrument.

We are so lucky to have musical masters come to our city fairly often. If you are in need of inspiration, a bit more education, or motivation, I would highly recommend attending an instrument workshop. The connections you make to the instructor and other participants are as golden as the technical information you go away with.