June 19 – 24
Bluegrass
Join us for a week of Bluegrass/Newgrass skill-building and fun! We are so excited to offer this NEW camp this summer!
Residential Tuition…………..$995
Commuter Tuition…………..$795
- For Students grades 6-12
- Adult registration as Commuter and only with instructor consent
About
Here’s an opportunity for young folks of all abilities to develop their skills both as individual performers and as members of a band with our nationally and internationally renowned Bluegrass faculty, led by Karl Wallin. Students will work with other campers of similar abilities and skills to create a group. Jamming and fellowship possibilities will be endless throughout the week as you enhance your chops and build friendships. Faculty concerts, showcases, and just the right amount of downtime will also be sprinkled throughout the week. Bring your guitar, banjo, fiddle, bass, or mandolin! The final performance will take place in the Shell Lake Community Park at the Pavilion (weather permitting).
Sample Schedule
Wake-up
7:15 a.m.
Group warm up
Breakfast
8:00 a.m.
Morning Sessions
9:00 a.m.
Lunch
12:00 p.m.
Afternoon Sessions
2:00 p.m.
Wrap-Up
4:00 p.m.
Free Time
4:15 p.m.
Beach Time
Dinner
5:00 p.m.
Evening Concerts/Camp Activities
7:00 p.m.
Free Time
Lights-out
10:00 p.m.
About the Instructor
Bass instructor Karl Wallin has been playing bluegrass and Americana music since he was a pre-teen. Although known primarily as a bassist, Wallin is a multi-instrumentalist who is a product of the University of Wisconsin Jazz Program. He has toured throughout the world as part of the D.O.D. Overseas Entertainment Division of the Armed Forces and has performed for several years at Nashville Tennessee’s Opryland USA. Wallin is currently a member of the Blue Canvas Orchestra at Big Top Chautauqua.
He is an occasional member of Rockabilly legend Deke Dickerson’s touring band, and has played bass with the Drifters, the Platters. and the Coasters. Wallin is a founding member of the rockabilly ensemble the Tinglers, and has also been a member of the Bluegrass Band Unclaimed Freight for over twenty years. He is known for his driving rhythm, tasteful runs, and his vocal harmonies while creating a tight, comfortable pocket which allows the rest of the ensemble to freely improvise.
Karl Wallin has a Masters Degree in Education from University of Wisconsin La Crosse and has been an educator for close to three decades and is currently teaching high school, He is currently a member of the faculty at the Big Top Chautauqua Blue Grass Camp, and is a former guitar instructor at Northland College.
Rob Wernberg:
Guitarist Rob Wernberg has been playing Bluegrass, Old Time, and Americana music professionally since his early teens. He incorporates his jazz and classical background into his flat-picking, finger-picking and rhythmic stylings on acoustic guitar. Rob is a big fan of Merle Travis and Tony Rice and is eager to pass along his expertise to a new generation of players.
Rob Wernberg is a multi-instrumentalist who has performed with many artists and ensembles throughout his extensive career. He toured on guitar, bass, and banjo with Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass as well as a member of the houseband in Branson Missouri. He was the guitarist and banjo player for The Mr. Jack Daniels Original Silver Cornet Band. Wernberg is a former staff musician at Opryland USA and Opryland Talent Agency in Nashville, Tennessee. He is first call Pit Guitarist for various area musicals as well as Utility strings with the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts in Green Bay, performing with such notables as Bebe Neuworth, Alan Thicke, Debbie Gibson, Sally Strothers, and Conrad John Schuck. He is a long time banjoist with the Green Bay Packer Band and is the current guitarist with the Madison Jazz Orchestra and an occasional member of the bluegrass band Unclaimed Freight.
Rob Wernberg received his Bachelor of Music at the University of Stevens Point and his Master of Arts in Music at Middle Tennessee State and was the longtime Director of Instrumental Music at MHS.
Andrea Christopherson:
As a fiddle player, in order to work and keep my place in bands, I needed to fit into many musical situations, not just in the country/bluegrass vein. My roots, however, are most definitely in country and bluegrass music. I listened to Kenny Baker, Byron Berline, and saw Mark O’Connor perform in 1978 at Mole Lake. I was smitten! To me, bluegrass is the most challenging and mystifying music of all. I had the privilege of playing bluegrass music with The River City Ramblers, out of Eau Claire, for over 30 years. Being classically trained, I had to unlearn my formal sounding style and replace it with slides, chunks, and double-stops. I had to learn to think fast and have the courage to go out on a limb with improvised fills and breaks while not stepping on toes or vocalists. My father was a fiddle player and played what he called “dance music”. I learned lots of classic fiddle tunes from him.
Currently, I play in a duo called La Rose with my husband Larry Nelson on keys. Our song selections range across many genres. Occasionally, because I need my bluegrass, he pulls up a banjo patch and we launch into Foggy Mountain Breakdown. I have performed four times at the Miles City Montana Bluegrass Festival and three times at the WHYS Radio Bluegrass Festival in Eau Claire Wisconsin. The River City Ramblers also performed at the Cameron Bluegrass Festival every year from 2006 to 2024. One of the highlights of my career was performing with Unclaimed Freight and opening for Ricky Scaggs at The Big Top Chautauqua. Additionally, I taught fiddle at Bluegrass Camp for kids at The Big Top Chautauqua for the past three years.
I feel honored to have played with and learned from some of the best musicians in Wisconsin. I love the thought of nurturing the love of music and performance in others. More specifically, I am dedicated to keeping bluegrass music as a mainstay in American Music by performing and sharing what I have learned.
Additional Information
Questions? Feel free to contact us for any additional information.
Accommodations
Lodges are available for the duration of the camp session. They are supervised by a professional counseling staff on duty 24 hours each day and meals are prepared under the supervision of a state-approved dietitian.
Commuter Expectations
Commuter students are expected to remain at camp until the day’s activities are completed (Typically 9:am-8pm).
Online Registration
Online registrations are accepted until the camp is full. Students may be placed on a waiting list if desired. A camp registration form is sent after payment is received. All cancellations must be made in writing and received 3 weeks in advance of the start of camp for a full refund. A $75.00 fee will be deducted from your refund. Refunds less than three weeks before camp will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Residential Tuition
Our student tuition is $995 per student and includes instructional fees, room and board and a camp t shirt which will be worn at the final performance. Please refer to the registration materials found on our registration site atUltracamp for complete details. A $100 down payment is due at the time of registration. The remaining balance can be paid at the time of registration or in equal monthly installments. All Tuition must be paid before arrival at camp.
Commuter Tuition
This option is for campers that want to attend our camps but not stay in our dorms, The $795 tuition covers instructional fees, a camp T-Shirt which will be worn at the final performance, meals, and evening activities. Commuters arrive for their first class by 9AM, and can be picked up any time after evening activities conclude (usually around 8pm).
Check-in / Check-out
Check in begins at 2pm on Sunday of the week your camp begins. All medical, dietary, and consent forms must be completed in UltraCamp before arriving at camp. Additional information will be emailed to you approximately 4 weeks before camp begins.
Scholarships
Each year, the Arts Center raises funds for the scholarship program. If you are interested in applying for an Arts Center scholarship, please visit our website
Additional Information
To request disability accommodations, or other special requests, please contact the Arts Center at least two weeks in advance of camp. More information about camp and all of the opportunities available at the Shell Lake Arts Center can be found on our website.
Participants are admitted without regard to race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. The Shell Lake Arts Center is an inclusive organization, and we accept all artists and musicians.