Students Speak about Austin’s Wernick Method Bluegrass Jam Camps

“Austin Scelzo is your perfect teacher--he's an excellent, experienced musician with superb teaching skills, a very pleasant personality, and a relaxed demeanor, who was inclusive, informative, positive, and always patient. There couldn't be a better choice of instructors”

“Everything he taught was important, and Austin may be the world leader in teaching people to learn to jam.”

“Austin  has brought JOY into my life and at this stage it is an extremely important factor. His attitude and smiles set the joy. His knowledge and abilities from instrument playing and singing is astounding . . . He is SO SPECIAL and I know he's made the right decision to make this his life's work at this time in his career. I cannot thank him enough”

“Just having contact with Austin and being exposed to someone with his expertise, experience, and teaching skills was great! I think the course seems well-designed, comprehensive, and effective for your target audience of folks with little or no jamming experience”

“Austin Scelzo was a great teacher, professional and friendly. A leader and fun.”

“He was incredibly patient, attentive and helpful.”

“Austin is a consummate professional and super knowledgeable”

“Keep Austin Scelzo. He jammed all week with us until 2am, really loves it.”

“Austin is the best teacher ever.”

“Austin is a very personable and patient instructor. He answered all questions and made everyone feel comfortable.”

“Austin is awesome & a gifted fun teacher”

“Austin continues to be perfect in his teaching and encouraging.”

“Austin is an incredible musician and teacher. His enthusiasm for playing is contagious.”

“Having had experience as a middle school teacher is prob what makes Austin's class so dang enjoyable, and easy to follow for someone who doesn't read music. i thought it might be too intimidating, but it's not - it's fun, low pressure and yet strongly encourages us all to try things out.”

“I loved Austin's willingness and ability to work with and engage each student.”

“Austin is an amazingly gifted teacher. He communicates clearly and has a command of his content area. He had us playing from the get-go, peppering in important music theory concepts and background knowledge about bluegrass.”

“I am always impressed with Austin's PERFECT ability to teach and to sing and play . . . He is a genius and it is obvious that he continues to get even better each time I see him. He added so much to my life, by bringing me back to bluegrass . . . My Dad got me a guitar when I was 9 years old . . . showed me the basic 3 chords and I started playing and singing. Austin brought back my youth and made me so happy to start learning again at my advanced age!”

“Austin is a very generous and encouraging teacher, you/we're lucky to have him!”

“It was a wonderful experience from start to finish. Austin was organized, and made great use of instructional time. He was so knowledgeable and energetic and very generous with his teaching. “

“Austin's enthusiasm for BG music and really using the Warnick method as a teaching method. Austin described complex music concepts in easy terms. He encouraged the community as a foundation of the BG Jam. He drove home the importance of developing your ear both from picking out melodies to improving timing.”

“Austin's enthusiasm for Bluegrass music, teaching, and for developing new players was always present.”

“Austin Scelzo made learning so fun and effective! We practiced the new ideas and got to really experience improvement! The 2 chord songs were really fun to learn with. I especially appreciated the unconditional patience and kindness from everyone. What a privilege to learn to play and jam with such a talented teacher who is such an amazing musician.”

“Austin gave personalized instruction, great attitude and positive encouragement.”

“Thank you so much for teaching a wonderful class. In such a short time, you made a huge difference to help me understand more about music. I especially liked the songs you chose because they effectively taught the ideas you explained to us and they were fun! I liked that we practiced and repeated small chunks until they were comfortable. Thank you for such a great learning experience.”

“Thanks to everyone for allowing me to experience JOY again. It's been a long time and I feel young again! Thank you Thank you Thank you”

“Thanks for the class. It was a really good experience. I appreciate

your musical knowledge, enthusiasm, and ability to share/teach. Pete

Wernick is lucky to have you. “

“Austin is a fun and enthusiastic teacher”

“Austin, a gifted musician, teacher and just all around good guy.”

“Austin was a fabulous teacher . . . he was able to help everyone in the class . . .with all their levels of expertise.”

“It was always a pleasure attending class; I looked forward to each one. The atmosphere among all of us was very collaborative, supportive and fun, and Austin did a super job of setting that tone and keeping up a strong pace of learning at the same time. It was exciting to see each person, along with myself, discover new abilities and try new things. It was delightful and motivating to see how totally rewarding the experience was for Austin as well. “

“Thanks to everyone for allowing me to experience JOY again. It's been a long time and I feel young again! Thank you Thank you Thank you”

“Austin Scelzo is an excellent teacher. He puts teaching, not playing himself, first

and foremost, and he knows a lot about the music education process itself, which

comes out in his instruction.”

“Austin was a really thorough and knowledgeable instructor, he

was enthusiastic, patient and kind. Austin’s assistant teachers were generous with

their knowledge sharing.”

“Austin was an amazingly skilled and tireless teacher. He answered all questions

and managed to gauge the best speed for presenting new material.”

“Thank you for your positive and empowering attitude. Always a smile and never

talked down to anyone. Made me feel welcome and that I could play this new style of

Music.”

“Austin did a stellar job creating a positive environment and organizing”

“Austin was excellent. He was easily able to connect with the group, explained

things very well, and was very enthusiastic.”

“Really outstanding, as I knew it would be. It’s so rare to attend a bluegrass jam

class taught by a FIDDLER. That is really helpful. Also your background in education

is really obvious. I really appreciated how you knew how to provide exactly the right

level of scaffolding for each student, so that students could practice the aspects of

the targeted skill that they were ready to practice while you supported the aspects

they were not ready to attempt yet. For example, when I chose a song and you

encouraged me to sing it, you just knew that the only additional task I could handle

at that moment was to look in the direction of another jammer when prompted. No

one else has ever supported me by breaking down leading a song to that granular of

a level before. That was an amazing bit of teaching and I greatly appreciated it.”

“Austin, you did a marvelous job. You kept the balls rolling, made it fun, shared

your own process of developing your musical talents....encouraged all of us!!!!”

“You’ve got an amazing teacher representation of your methods in Austin Scelzo.

He is a gifted musician and teacher! Very friendly and encouraging.”

“Austin is the most systematic bluegrass fiddle pedagogue, perhaps the

first true bluegrass pedagogue”

“Austin Scelzo is a talented teacher and musician. What sets him apart is: he

excels at 1) organization, 2) conveying excitement about Bluegrass jamming, and 3)

making sure everyone has an enjoyable experience. He also has a great sense of

humor, which is important in an activity that can be stressful for participants.”

“Austin was able to help those who weren't as advanced as others in the group. His help to them showed success by the last meeting when we sounded like a real bluegrass group! Loved it.”

“Austin is really great at keeping the mood both focused and happy.

“I appreciated both the positive and "developmental" feedback I got from Austin “

“This was a totally new skill set for me and I felt that it was just the right level of instruction for me to get the most out of it “

“Austin gave us very good feedback immediately”

“Austin's ability to explain so many things about bluegrass jamming so that everyone learned so well.”

“By our last session, everyone could see that we had progressed as a group and truly enjoyed playing our songs together.”

“Along with special lessons for each of us as needed, he was able to teach us harmony by singing all parts. He has such a great voice and is so talented himself.”

“Austin is a very good instructor. You could tell he has passion for the subject and enjoys teaching. It’s also nice to see that he dresses well and presents himself well”

“Thanks for being so helpful and FUN”

“I appreciated his enthusiasm. A born teacher who knows how to motivate the class. “

“You've got a GEM with Austin”

“THANK YOU for bringing my more than 60 years of love for bluegrass back into my senior years! I feel young again!”

““I had a fabulous time – way beyond my expectations””

“Austin you really know your craft, I learned a great deal from you and it was FUN! I appreciate the hard work and time you put into this jam session.. it’s obvious to me you are a real pro but you also enjoy what you do.”

“Your leadership in my last 3 Jam Sessions and encouragement throughout the week made such a difference in my confidence and motivation to improve my playing and jamming skills”

“I wanted to reach out and let you know how much I appreciate your teaching style. Your ability to take complex music (Jam) concepts and break them down into lessons for the novice jam community is exceptional. I have participated in other jam classes. The level of instruction is no comparison. They are all good people, all passionate about teaching blue grass, and growing the Jam community. They all come up short when it comes to teaching the underlying skills.”

Students Speak about Austin’s Online Bluegrass Country and Roots School

“Thank you for filling a huge learning gap with your Bluegrass, Country and Roots School.  I am learning so much in the short time I have participated in your Zoom classes.  I love how you are able to impart such knowledge about music and fiddle techniques.  You break concepts down, explain them clearly, demonstrate and allow us time to try things out….and then post for out-of-class learning/practice.  You are genius in my mind!”

-Sheila

“You are a naturally gifted teacher and an excellent musician! I appreciate your dedication to myself and and everyone else in class”

“You have been a great teacher Austin. Very enthusiastic and helpful. You made the whole experience fun.”

“Your class has been very worthwhile, and you’ve given me tools, tips, and insight, which have helped to demystify jamming.”

“Austin is a GREAT teacher and very talented. He encouraged me to take the lead in a public jam session over the weekend . . . and it was so much fun. I've never done that before . . . so I am glad to get my feet wet doing that.”

“I will definitely check out these links.  I have attended a number of bluegrass workshops and yours was definitely the most practical.  This will enable me to take my pentatonic scales so much further.”

“Thank you Austin!  I do appreciate it, and i get so much out of your workshops!  Your teaching experience

really enables you to capture the group's attention & prepare us to learn new skills.  Very grateful you are doing this.”

“Austin is a really remarkable music teacher. He makes lessons fun, creative, engaging, and inspiring -- no matter what level you're at. After his jam class I always feel like I have more understanding of how jamming concepts weave together and that my mistakes are just steps on the way to musical success. I highly recommend Austin as a teacher for any level of playing.” -Elaine Khosrova

"As a veteran mandolin/ fiddle player and a teacher (retired), I appreciate your careful, logical, clear and enthusiastic instruction. As a lifelong "ear" musician, my theory background is spotty. These videos will help me with improvisation”

-Paul

“​​It was such a treat to have Austin provide my class with valuable music theory on bluegrass music. It filled a need I did not know I had for learning how to use the Pentatonic Scales for backing up singers and performing breaks. I now know ‘how they do that’. Now I just need to incorporate it into my practice. Austin is an extremely knowledgeable and patient instructor and was a much appreciated addition to the Wernick Bluegrass Camp.”

-Therese Christie

“Awesome, thank you so much! I played classical viola for over ten years growing up but have always loved bluegrass and wanted to learn fiddle. I’ve watched probably 100 different fiddle-tubers at this point and your videos have been the most helpful by far. Thank you for making this information available and putting in your time and energy.”

Best,

Kyle

You are a terrific teacher,full of optimism and energy with all sorts of  endless ideas and strategies.

-Jeannie Papsun

“Austin is an excellent teacher.  He has the ability to break a skill component of playing the instrument into easy to understand components and then block them all together that results in new tool in the musicianship toolbox.  I’m looking forward to more experiences with Austin in the future.”

“Thanks so much.  As usual, the class last night was great.  Like your style, subtlety mixing in the theory with the actual actions the left and right hand have to make to execute the concept you present.  I feel saturated and my head hurts after the class.  Its a good head hurt!!  The world of music is so fascinating to learn.  So elegant!!”

-Lee

“I think you are making a valuable contribution to music education and appreciation through your bluegrass workshops.  Each session is fun and really difficult in a way that keeps me challenged.  You are well matched to your occupation and have the talent and enthusiasm we need to learn from you.  I bet other fiddlers feel the same way I do.”

-Catie Farahat

“Contemplating what you have accomplished - not to mention during such an INCREDIBLY challenging year - always puts me in a state of complete and utter wonder! There is no one for whom I wish more success and fulfillment.  Like Pete, you are so genuine and committed to giving and sharing and educating, and your gifts and talents are boundless.”

Susan Forcella

Hi Austin

“I want to give you some feedback on your efforts and delivery of lessons.  I have very much enjoyed the classes and the learning I have gained with your help.  Today while working on the Waterfall Arpeggios and Essential Bluegrass Double Stops, I realized how much I feel I have improved since taking the lessons with you.  Theses exercises are starting to really fall into place and becoming more natural, and the biggy...I feel I have a much better recognition of the notes on the fretboard.  Often with progress so incremental, its hard to see your own growth.  I would also think as a teacher in the zoom world seeing progress in your students would be hard to recognize compared to in person lessons. “

“I love your approach to teaching, getting the theoretical concept explained and then the practical application of the concept.  You really bring it all to life with your presentation of the material and your vast background knowledge.  I have found the world of music late in life, but have loved every element of the learning journey.  It’s very challenging and frustrating many times, but so much fun.  Your guidance has been great and I thank you for the help.  Keep it going, you’re doing great.”

Thanks,

Lee

I cannot express how grateful I am to you.  Your teaching has really made a huge impact.  I am having a lot of fun playing lately.

-Lise

Just wanted to send a thank you for all you contributed during jam camp. I feel I started to get a hold of the different shuffles and will be making applying them a goal going forward. I like the way you conducted both the lessons and fiddle tune sessions. I didn’t get much time with you as a jam coach - maybe next year!  And watching you and Band Number One was pure pleasure!

Beth

“Thank you so much for helping me on my musical journey

I really like your teaching style, your approach to teaching broad concepts to be applied to specific applications really resonates with me.  Over the years of lessons from various instructors the teaching has been more of a specific focus, usually learning a tune.  While useful, it's not always an obvious step to one learning to apply that knowledge of a specific tune to another tune or break/improvisation.  You are challenging in your approach, which I believe is essential for improvement. Over the years of learning and classes, I think learning of the instrument requires you to be out of your comfort zone.  The process of your teaching has had significant positive outcomes for me personally.  Some major points:

1.)  The exercises in classes and the practice of those exercises has greatly improved my understanding of the fretboard and comfort level moving around the fret board.  Various patterns, note identification, working up and down the fretboard, and smoother ease of movement up and down the fretboard have all improved for me (I think) since taking your class.

2.)  I also like the subtle nature of music theory you put into the classes, without saying the words “Music Theory”  I find the theory of music fascinating, many do not. I think its critical to understanding and playing in an interesting fashion.   I’m in awe that 11/12 notes can have such varied combinations of sounds that can evoke such inner emotion.  It seems when I grasp and understand a specific concept, another musical idea lurks within those notes through your instruction.

3.)  Your systematic analytical approach is an amazing talent/skill/knowledge.  I appreciate you have spent a tremendous amount of your life thinking about music and your base of understanding/skill/knowledge has been honed and developed over time, not handed to you.  But the real benefit for you students is we get all that stuff very nicely packaged and presented to us in a clear concise manner.  Not saying I can execute everything you teach first time out, but I have the tools provided from which I can progress.  I also like your approach of cycling back to previously taught concepts for review.

I feel that I have improved significantly over the past 2 years or so with your teaching.  It seems amazing to me that the fun of music just continues to grow the more you play and learn.  Looking forward to more adventures in music making with your guidance.  Thanks again.

Best,

Lee

Music Fundamentals

"This is so very valuable to me... In my past schooling, I never had music theory. Everything you taught tonight was a wealth of information"

"I love your excitement and enthusiasm. You're an excellent teacher"

"It's marvelous. I think this is the best moment I've had this year. All this is positioning myself to understanding a great more."

-Cheryl

Fiddle Heaven

“   I wanted to take some time to thank you so much for all you taught us in your class, not only with the content of what we learned, but with the example that you lead by your kindness and inclusivity, and your obvious and very infectious enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and playing. When I read the email you sent after you had finished a class with Fraser and Haas, you were just so bubbling over, and when I saw the “lead with Joy” one, that feeling just about burst right off the page with its vividness, reminding me how very important it is to keep that energetic connection to the music when we practice, rehearse with others, and most of all, perform, so that nerves, over-familiarity, and repetition do not tamp down that magical flow. You seem to me to be a living embodiment of this and it is no surprise to me why your teaching/mentoring just keeps on increasing in popularity.  I so appreciate your ability to stay right in the present whether you are teaching a class or speaking one-on-one with a person, and also your true generosity of spirit.

    You’ve spent heaven knows how many hours and years decoding and --classifying and organizing it, making it much less mysterious, and loads more fun. But THEN the fantastic thing that I am so grateful to you for is that  you share it so generously, —the sheer volume of it all is really impressive.      So,

                                                                                                                 THANK YOU!  

 I had such a wonderful time at Fiddle Heaven!  Austin was warm and inclusive from the very start, and I could see that everyone felt comfortable and ready to go, no matter what their level. It really helped to do the exercises right there in class with him, even better than watching his videos at home, if that could even be possible, because he was right there and able to make observations and tailor things to our class and individual needs.  We gained so many great tools to take home and make practice even more fun. He also had loads of helpful hints for using technology to help our playing and listening. And, he just radiates enthusiasm when he teaches and plays, which just rounded out the whole awesome experience. This is a Both Thumbs Up!”

-Susan

Vocal Workshop

“I harmonized with her on the chorus, and it was amazing!  I just kept remembering "stay in your lane"!!!!  we got compliments galore! One fellow asked me if we had practiced, and i said no, we just met.  That was workshops in action!”

“I loved all your classes, and your expertise and excitement made it all worthwhile and fun! I am so glad you left traditional classroom teaching”

 “Here is a picture of a jam a couple of days ago. Austin is AMAZING! He makes an old lady feel young again!” -Sydney

Teaching

After having known Austin for several years and observing him closely in his work as a musician and educator in many capacities, I recommend him wholeheartedly as a teacher, speaker and clinician.  His work in education is at the cutting edge in our field and he is exemplary in terms of his integrity and leadership.  

-Christian Howes