Stringed Instrument Workshops

Phil Riddick is a lifelong musician and banjo player based in Huntsville, Alabama. With roots in bluegrass and a playing style that blends the drive of Scruggs-style picking with the nuance of melodic technique, Phil has been a staple in the Southern acoustic music scene for decades. Phil first picked up the guitar at age 10 and discovered the banjo by 14, an instrument that quickly became his musical voice. By 17, he was not only performing but also teaching, a passion he’s continued throughout his life. His career took shape during his college years at Auburn University, where he began performing in local and regional bands. Over the years, he’s played with numerous groups and shared the stage most notably with Randy Waller of the Country Gentlemen, a highlight in a long career of collaboration and performance. In 1974, Phil earned early recognition by winning his first banjo contest at the annual music festival hosted by the International Music Association. That same year, he was honored by his peers as “Most Talented” in a high school class of over 850 students — a testament to the musical promise he would continue to fulfill. Today, Phil remains deeply involved in the bluegrass community through both performance and education. For the past ten years, he has owned and operated a music store in Huntsville specializing in acoustic stringed instruments, serving as both a cultural hub and a resource for fellow musicians. Whether on stage, in the classroom, or behind the counter, Phil Riddick brings a lifetime of experience, skill, and love for the banjo to everything he does.

Rick Rorex began playing mandolin at age 11, influenced early on by bluegrass legends like Bill Monroe, Doyle Lawson, and the Seldom Scene. His musical direction shifted in the 1980s after discovering Darol Anger and David Grisman, opening the door to jazz, swing, and progressive acoustic music. He gained early professional experience with James Monroe’s Midnight Ramblers and later recorded Old Friends and New Trends, a mandolin instrumental project blending fiddle tunes, swing, and Dawg music. Over the years, Rick has played with numerous groups including Acoustics, Barnstormers, and the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band. A National Mandolin Champion (1994), he authored Mandolin Tunes and Techniques and now focuses on teaching, with students achieving contest success across the Southeast. Rick also leads workshops and jams at events like SPBGMA and Swannanoa, continuing to share his passion for mandolin through both performance and instruction.

Russ Holder has been playing Guitar/DobroTM Resonator Guitar since he was in Junior High School and has been teaching those instruments since the year 2000. He is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who has performed across the United States from Florida to Ohio and North Carolina to Hawaii (and many points in-between).

His parents introduced him and his younger brothers to music at an early age. Once he and his brothers & friends learned to play guitar/mandolin/banjo/bass/Dobro in their teen years, they formed a Bluegrass music group and began performing around the Southeast US. They have been attending/jamming at the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention since 1974.

From 1998 to 2024, Russ performed/recorded with several different music groups touring the mid-South region. He has been a regular performer at the Bluebird Café, Big Spring Jam, Panoply, Concerts in the Park, and regional music Festivals. Russ has had the honor to perform/jam with such artists as Charlie Louvin, Ken Mellons, Rob Ickes, John Hartford, Charlie Collins, Vassar Clements, Claire Lynch, Pete Wernick, and hundreds of jammers at IBMA, SPBGMA, Great American Jam, Station Inn, CMA Fest, and ABMA events.

Russ is a current member of the Grasstronauts Bluegrass band, the WoodPickers acoustic Americana band, Cristina Lynn Trio songwriter group, teaches at the Huntsville Strings Shop, attends local/regional music Jams & enjoys working with music students of all ages. In 2025, Russ became a certified Wernick Method Jam instructor and enjoys helping students play music in groups.

Brad Bulla is a renowned bluegrass guitarist, banjo player, and vocalist born and raised in North Carolina, where he developed a passion for acoustic music at early age inspired by influences such as Doc Watson and Tony Rice. After attending Montana State University and settling in Washington State, he formed the family band The Bullas with his seven children. He toured full time for 18 years, performing in every state, and overseas opening for legends like Merle Haggard and Ricky Skaggs, appearing on the Grand Ole Opry, and recording with Rounder Records. Brad moved to Nashville in 1999 and founded the award-winning Bluegrass Band – Fireball Mail, winners of the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest.  Fireball Mail performs locally at the iconic Station Inn in Nashville, the elite American Bluegrass Club where the world’s best in Bluegrass perform, where Brad, with punch and drive can be seen showcasing his flatpicking, singing, and songwriting talents.

Cassidy Koonce grew up in Greenhill, Alabama, and began taking classical violin lessons in Florence at a very early age. He became interested in fiddling through exposure to local fiddlers in the area, and took fiddle lessons from Andy Spearman in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.

Cassidy started competing in fiddle contests in his early teens, to include local and regional contests, where he placed or won, including placing in the Junior category at the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention. Cassidy went on to win the Kentucky State championship, and was twice the Tennessee State championship runner-up. Cassidy also competed as far west as Weiser, placing 13th in his only visit. Also versed in guitar and fiddle backup styles, Cassidy accompanied notable contest winners such as Mark Ralph, Daniel Carwile, and Jim Wood. Cassidy also has judging experience in regional contests such as Lynchburg, Tuscaloosa, and other local contests. He toured briefly with MCA artist Alisha Elliot and played as part of the Jake Landers Band. Cassidy is a member of the University of Alabama leadership Council for the Alabama College of Arts and Sciences, where he minored in music and received his other degrees in medicine. Cassidy makes his home in Athens, where he serves on the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention steering committee when he isn’t serving as surgeon and member of the Athens-Limestone Hospital advisory committee.