Popular Bluegrass class starts new session Tuesday at Shoreline Community College

Cliff Perry teaches Bluegrass Band at SCC
Photo by Mike Melnyk

By Tom Petersen

Ever been by the Little Store or the Cabin in Richmond Beach, or the Aurora Antique Mall, and seen the jammers picking away? Do you go to Folklife and notice how many people are making music, rather than wandering past, and wondered how you might get in on that kind of fun? It’s never too late to start, and local Bluegrass legends Cliff Perry and Tom Moran are back with their popular Bluegrass Band Class at Shoreline Community College.

While Bluegrass music has usually spread through the osmosis of family traditions and neighborhood pickin’ parties, Perry and Moran recognized that in these times not everyone is born into those circumstances. Their pioneering class is one of a small but growing number of music programs, nationwide, devoted to getting people to play Bluegrass. For the last several years it has been one of most consistently popular offerings at SCC: Young adults seek to branch out from their high school orchestra training (or put their alone-in-the-bedroom guitar practice to better use!); Older adults join to start a new hobby; Some established musicians enroll in order to try a different genre or instrument. Beginners are welcome, too!

Tom Moran teaches Bluegrass
at SCC

Cliff Perry is a Northwest legend who has appeared on stage or on the bill with every notable Folk and Bluegrass performer of the last half century, and his albums of Carter Family standards with Laurel Bliss are often considered to be the finest interpretations ever. He is the leader of the band, Moses (appearing later this year at the Richmond Beach Strawberry Festival and other venues) and leads workshops at February’s Wintergrass Music Festival in Bellevue.

Tom Moran is the “dean” of mandolin in the region, and plays with several bands including the Downtown Mountain Boys, one of the featured acts at Wintergrass. He is also be an assistant instructor at the Wintergrass Youth Academy, for kids 8 – 14.

The first class meets Tuesday, January 7, at 7:30pm, in room 818 in the Music Building at SCC. Registration is open for this one-credit class, MUSC 147 ITEM #1407, on the school’s website. It is also possible to register by attending the first class.