Classes:
The Cat and The Fiddle offers private classes on a variety of instruments both in person and online. On this page you can meet our teachers and choose the class you want to sign up for.
Dakota Karper - Old Time Fiddle, Clawhammer Banjo
Dakota Karper was born and raised in rural West Virginia where she grew up surrounded by Appalachian Old-time music. From a young age she took to this music with great abandon. Absorbing as much as possible, she apprenticed under master fiddler Joe Herrmann, spent weeks at Augusta Heritage Center, participated in various music festivals in and around West Virginia and studied classical violin at the Shenandoah Arts Academy in Winchester, VA. After spending 7 years in Baltimore, MD, Dakota moved back to establish her home base in Capon Bridge, WV where she now teaches Appalachian fiddle and performs regularly in the surrounding region.
Influenced heavily by a culture that values its roots and heritage, Dakota has created a voice of her own that combines clear haunting melodies, driving bow strokes, and settled rhythmic grooves. Dakota was a founding member of the 'Short Mountain String Band', and "Hay Fever" and has most recently been performing with Brendan Hearn as 'Hemlock and Hickory' and with Megan Mette and Julius Bjornson as 'Devil in the Mill'. In 2019 Dakota opened her own traditional roots music school called 'The Cat and The Fiddle'.
Contact: dakotakarper@gmail.com or call 443-860-2461
Cost: $35 per half hour class
Age Levels: Children and adults (Age 7 minimum)
Johanna Murray - Piano, Voice
Johanna Murray has been a piano and voice teacher at The Cat and the Fiddle since 2021. She grew up in Omaha, NE and received her BA in studio art from Grinnell College (2012). Johanna has been playing piano and singing for over 26 years. As a child, she studied under instructor Phyllis Dunne and performed for 8 years in the Nebraska Choral Arts Society under the tutelage of world renowned conductors including Dr. Z Randall Stroope. She has continued practicing music and performing throughout her adult life, collaborating with other musicians including her husband Michael Everson.
Johanna is a knowledgeable and passionate educator with a variety of teaching experiences that range from the public school setting, to private lessons, to non-profit educational programming through organizations such as The River House and Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
Johanna is a great fit for beginner to intermediate students looking to learn the fundamentals of piano technique and understand basic music theory. She assists her students in following their own musical interests whether that be through studies of classical, traditional, or popular tunes.
Contact: jomurray.music@gmail.com
Cost: $25 per half hour class
Age level: Children and adults
Mike Everson - Guitar
Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Mike Everson started playing guitar 15 years ago in his hometown of Omaha, NE. Initially self-taught, he played blues and rock music as a hobby in high school. In 2008, he was accepted into the University of Nebraska-Omaha School of Music, where he began playing jazz-guitar as a student of guitarist Jeff Scheffler. During his college years he was routinely playing in bar-band gigs, and began teaching guitar at the School of Rock-Omaha. He also collaborated with a few friends in a band called “The Penrose Stairs”, releasing the album Apophenia (2013). Upon graduation in 2012, Mike continued to teach and became Music Director of SOR-Omaha until his departure in 2014.
After one year of traveling and working as a farmhand, Mike moved to Hampshire County, WV with (his now wife) Johanna Murray. Together they released the album Mother Tree (2017), which featured original songs inspired by their travels. Currently residing in Capon Bridge, WV, Mike continues to perform as a solo artist, in a duo with his wife called “Mike&Jo”, and as a guitarist and vocalist for local rock-band “The Bad McCrees”.
Mike teaches and explores the acoustic roots and evolution of blues, rock, and jazz music with his students. He understands the initial struggles of beginners, and appreciates the company of intermediate or veteran players who want to learn some new tricks.
https://thepenrosestairs.bandcamp.com/album/apophenia
Contact: mpeverson.music@gmail.com
Cost: $25 per half hour
Age level: Children and adults (8+ yrs / 3rd grade min)
Virginia Ballard - Voice, Piano, Violin, Ukulele
Virginia Ballard teaches voice at all levels, and introductory piano, violin, and ukulele.
Virginia started studying music at 4 years old, starting with violin and expanding into voice, piano, ukulele, and mandolin. She has been active in local performances throughout her life at school in Winchester, community theaters in Virginia, and various stages.
During her time with her school choir, she performed solos in the Apple Blossom Coronation. She spent the majority of violin study with Ewa Tryczynska and began voice lessons with Deborah Balcom at the Shenandoah Arts Academy. Before starting at JMU she was invited to Germany to sing and spent 2 months performing with Die Mittle Saxon Semper Opera in Freiberg, Germany.
Virginia studied voice with Dr. Dorothy Maddison for 5 years at James Madison University and earned her Bachelor of Music with a minor in German in 2021. While at JMU she studied classical, music theater, jazz, baroque, and contemporary voice. She also participated in JMU’s opera programs, choral groups, and competitions. Virginia began performing jazz in 2020 and continues to perform with friends as, “The Lou Hoo Quartet”.
Virginia guides music lovers to expand their vocal repertoire in a healthy and fun way, helping students with their favorite songs. She offers an early start to music literacy and encourages a lifelong love of music.
Contact: virlballard@hotmail.com or text (540) 409-7703
Cost: Beginner Instrumental $25 per half hour OR Voice $35 per half hour class
Age level: Children and adults (Age 4 minimum)
Thomas Curry - Bass, Guitar, Mandolin, Hammer Dulcimer
Thomas Curry began learning guitar at ten years old and continues to develop a style influenced by traditional Appalachian music, Bluegrass, and Carter-style picking. He applies the fundamentals of chord and string theory to create and introduce variety into a straightforward genre of music.
In 2018, shortly after picking up the mandolin, he was introduced to Dakota Karper through Old Time Music Jams in Hampshire County. Inspired by a love of all instruments with strings, he began an apprenticeship under her in 2019.
Since then he has picked at any instrument he could lay hands on, from the bass to the hammered dulcimer. Thomas has played at multiple venues and festivals to represent The Cat and The Fiddle including the Appalachian Festival in Frostburg, MD.
Contact: coondogbakery@gmail.com or text (740) 816-0068
Cost: Guitar, Bass, Mandolin $25 per half-hour class OR Hammer Dulcimer $35 per half hour class
Age Level: Children and adults (Age 8 minimum)
