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July 31 & August 1
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Two sisters, Ella (age 10) and Grace (7) White are the latest recipients of the Helen Schneyer Memorial Scholarship for private lessons in violin.
Their interest in folk fiddling was sparked by attending the Sugar Maple Music Festival in the summer of 2023. There they saw MadFiddle perform, and Grace immediately said “I want to do that” and Ella said “Me too!” And just like that, their mother Katy White reports, “Two fiddlers were born.”
They consulted with MadFiddle director Shauncey Ali to learn the requirements to join, and get recommendations for private lesson teachers in the area, settling on Maria-Rosa Germain, with whom they began studying in October of 2023.
Ella started MadFiddle in 2024, and Grace joined in the fall of 2025, and according to their mother,
“absolutely LOVE it.” They have gone on the Mad Fiddle camping trip each year, and love to play folk music around the campfire. Since joining, they have played in all the concerts, attend weekly rehearsals, and practice daily at home.
They report that private lessons “teach you how to play violin… In MadFiddle, you have to already know how to play, and when you have the basics, you can explore other styles of music. Private lessons give you a base.”
The Helen Schneyer Memorial Scholarship was started by the Madison Folk Music Society with memorial contributions given to Mona Wasow, sister of the late folk singer Helen Schneyer. The scholarship is designed to provide an opportunity for applicants of any age to increase their appreciation for and performance of folk music.
Since Mona Wasow’s initial contribution, the scholarship fund has been supplemented by donations made at MadFolk concerts to the fretless guitar, and direct contributions from new and renewing MadFolk members. Donations and applications are always welcome, consult the madfolk.org website for details.
Congratulations Ella and Grace!
Reprinted from MadFolk newsletter with permission from author Meg Skinner
Are you curious about jumping into Bluegrass Jams but not sure where to start?
The Sugar Maple Music Festival is thrilled to host its first Wernick Method Jam Class at the festival this year, taught by Bruce Thompson! Class will be on-site both Friday afternoon and Saturday morning of the festival and requires registration separate from the festival.
For more information about the class, check out the class flyer here. Registration can be done onsite but pre-registration is preferred (and there’s a discount with pre-registration) through the Wernick Method website here.
Deeply discounted two-day passes the 2026 Sugar Maple Music Festival will be on sale this year for one day only – Cyber Monday, December 1, 2025. Our 23rd annual festival promises to be extra special, and you won’t want to miss it. For just $40, you’ll be able to pick up a weekend pass for the July 31 and August 1, 2026 event. This same pass will cost $75 at the gate in July, so mark your calendar and don’t miss this chance to save $35 per ticket. Sugar Maple tickets make great holiday gifts!
Order your cyber tickets on our ticket page (starting at 12:01 am December 1.)
Shauncey Ali is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, educator and author who blazes a creative path in the acoustic music world. His voice fuses a deep knowledge of American fiddle music with extensive experience in classical and Celtic orbits, a love for improvisation and sensibilities influenced by pop, rock and Scandinavian music.
Shauncey is the creator and director of MadFiddle, a youth violin ensemble that performs fiddle music from around the world. The group is comprised of students ages 5-17 and can be seen performing with the energetic adult backing band, Highway 151. MadFiddle has released three captivating recordings and appeared at saloons, opera houses and street corners.
In episode 3 of “Notes From The Jam Tent”, Ben Bice interviews Shauncey Ali, creator and director of MadFiddle. You can see Shauncey and MadFiddle perform on the main stage on Saturday at The Sugar Maple Music Festival.
Grammy Award-winning musician John Reischman has been a foundational mandolinist, composer, bandleader, and musical educator in bluegrass and North American roots and folk music since emerging from the vibrant “new acoustic” bluegrass music scene of the Bay Area in the 1980s. Reischman’s mastery of bluegrass, old-time, swing, and multiple Latin American musical styles, coupled with an Old Master’s sense of tone, taste, and musicality, has brought him a global reputation as one of the finest mandolinists of his era.
Like the powerful mandolinist and composer at its helm, John Reischman and the Jaybirds fashion a stylish take on bluegrass that seamlessly blends original songs and instrumentals with Appalachian old-time music for a truly unique band sound. Now in their 20th year, with seven acclaimed albums and two Juno nominations, the Jaybirds are simultaneously innovative and unadorned, sophisticated and stripped-down, happily old-fashioned and 21st-century contemporary.
In episode 2 of “Notes From The Jam Tent”, Brian Hirsh interviews John Reischman, leader of John Reischman and the Jaybirds. You can see John Reischman on the Roots & Reasons Stage and the band on the main stage on Saturday at The Sugar Maple Music Festival.
