Meet The Instructors

Kristin Scott Benson is the five-time International Bluegrass Music Association’s Banjo Player of the Year and recipient of the 2018 Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. 

Since 2008, she has been a member of Grammy-nominated and two-time IBMA Entertainers of the Year, The Grascals.  Kristin is one of the nation's top bluegrass banjo players, exhibiting impeccable taste, timing, and tone. With an attentive ear to back-up, she is known and respected as a true team player among her peers.  

Throughout his life – and certainly throughout his extraordinary career – multi-instrumentalist Ron Block has been something of a musical Huck Finn, a tireless adventurer exploring various styles yet rooted firmly in the bluegrass-country tradition. Block, the longtime member of the Grammy-winning band Alison Krauss and Union Station, has won 14 Grammy Awards, 6 International Bluegrass Music Awards, a Country Music Association Award, and a Gospel Music Association Dove Award

Roberts has been honored with five SPBGMA Awards for Mandolin Performer of the Year as well as three Grammy nominations with The Grascals and multiple IBMA awards including two Entertainer of the Year awards. Earlier in his career, Danny worked for Gibson Musical Instruments, where he rose to the position of plant manager at the company’s Original Acoustic Instruments luthiery. Still, he kept his hand in as a musician, giving workshops with mandolin colleagues like Sam Bush, Chris Thile and Bobby Osborne.

Alan Munde is one of the most highly respected and best-loved banjo players in the world. A master of both melodic and traditional Scruggs styles of playing, Alan has played professionally for over 40 years. His vast repertoire ranges from standard bluegrass and Texas swing to gospel, jazz and original compositions.

Stylistically, Alan's playing is lyrical in nature. His artful back-up is unsurpassed, enlivening songs with a delightful, endless mix of rolls, runs, licks and chops played with precision, clarity and beautiful tone.

John Chapman is a three time SPBGMA Guitar Player of the Year, and founding member of the family bluegrass band, The Chapmans—winners of the International Bluegrass Music Association's 2002 Emerging Artist Award—appearing throughout the U.S., in Europe, and on the Grand Ole Opry. He is co-owner of Springfield, Missouri’s The Acoustic Shoppe—host of The Ozark Music Camp. 

After more than decade playing 200-plus dates a year, teaching lessons was a natural transition as the Chapmans began to slow from the road. Out of that came selling instruments and, now, the camp.

 John paraphrases David Grisman regarding the importance of teaching: "Nothing makes you a better musician than teaching music." And what was the impetus for the music camp? "That's just what we do," he says: "We take on stuff and make it happen."

Since he was a boy, Jeremy Chapman has been a member of the family bluegrass band, The Chapmans—winners of the International Bluegrass Music Association's 2002 Emerging Artist Award—appearing throughout the U.S., in Europe, and on the Grand Ole Opry. He is co-owner of Springfield, Missouri’s The Acoustic Shoppe—host of The Ozark Music Camp.

Jeremy has been a performing musician since the age of 10 and is a longtime instructor—teaching 30-plus students per week. "It's just hard to explain what it means to have always had music, in all these facets, throughout my life," he says.

Bill Chapman is the founding father of the family bluegrass band, The Chapmans—winners of the International Bluegrass Music Association's 2002 Emerging Artist Award—appearing throughout the U.S., in Europe, and on the Grand Ole Opry. 

"Basically the camp is to have fun—for the store to put something back," says Bill. "It's something to help build the community of musicians in this area."