~ ODPC 2026 Pre-fest Academy ~

This year at FunFest Academy, we are offering classes the Monday thru Wednesday before the FunFest. Come to Evart early and take part in the pre-festival classes. Not only are the classes an amazing learning opportunity; the fun, music, and fellowship at the campground in the evening make coming to FunFest early so worth it
Rick Thum’s Beyond A-Z Hammered Dulcimer Workshop
This is the sixth year of my new class called “Beyond A to Z.” It is intended for those of you who have taken the A to Z class and need to go further with it. This class will be a lot of hands on playing. We will take all of the techniques that were taught and put them into your hands by playing, playing and playing. You must have taken the A to Z and have a good grip on my chord positions. We will be using them in all their variations and exploring the many ways to approach them. This is a class for those willing to take a challenge and make it happen. Lots of trial and error expected with lots of growth and fun. We will be learning to get more expression and feeling into your music.
  • July 9-10, 2026 (Thursday, Friday)
  • Time: 9-12 noon; 1-4pm; and 4:30-6:30pm both days
  • Evart United Methodist Church 619 Cherry Street
  • Fee: $185.00 for two days
  • Contact: Rick Thum to register. Limited Seating. Pre-registration required to insure your place in the class.
Rick Thum’s A-Z Hammered Dulcimer Workshop
Intensive training workshop on all levels for beginning, intermediate and advanced students. This class will start you on your journey to taking your playing to the next level. You will get all of the information to start using your entire dulcimer. This class will teach both music readers and non readers to be able to play and use your entire dulcimer very freely. This class teaches the mechanics of music on your hammered dulcimer.
  • July 13-15, 2026 (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)
  • Time: 9-12 noon; 1-4pm, all three days; and 4:30-6:00pm (Mon-Tues)
  • Evart United Methodist Church 619, Cherry Street
  • Fee: $250.00 for all three days
  • Contact: Register at Rick Thum. Limited Seating. Pre-registration required to insure your place in the class.
Mark alan wade - hammered & Mountain dulcimer
Join Mark on Wednesday before Evart's FunFest (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) for a small group workshop for hammered and mountain dulcimer at a fraction of the cost of one-on-one lessons. Settle in before the hustle and bustle of FunFest and enjoy focused time with your dulcimer in the air-conditioned high school. Mark has curated engaging topics that will cover extended class sessions which cater to multiple levels, with Mark differentiating instruction to suit each student's needs. Whether you are a beginner or more advanced player, there will be valuable takeaways for everyone. Seating is limited, so reserve your spot today. Click here to see more details on each class. Session: 1 9:30-10:45am Hammered Dulcimer - Intermediate through AdvancedSession 2: 11:00-2:15pm Hammered Dulcimer - novice thru intermediateSession 3: 1:15-2:30pm Hammered Dulcimer - novice thru int/adv Session 4: 3:00-4:15pm Mountain Dulcimer - all levels
  • Wednesday, July 15, 2026
  • Fee: ALL Four Sessions: $117.00; Any 3 sessions $99.00; Any 2 sessions $70.00; Any 1 session - $40.00.
  • Location: Evart High School
  • Contact Mark Wade to view class descriptions, register and submit payment.
Dave Haas - mountain dulcimer
Track 1: Advanced Beginner 9:00am-12:00pm $145.00
Improve your strum and fingering to play smoother and faster.Learn backup chords in several positions and how to accompany others.Discover tips to participate in jam sessions. Explore how to play slow tunes beautifully by plucking the strings one at a time (arpeggios)Learn how to play harmonics and add them to your tunes.DAD tuning. Bring a Capo and a smile! You will be glad you took this workshop! New material from last year.
Track 2: Intermediate 1:00-4:00pm $145
Improve your strum and fingering to play faster, cleaner, and smoother.Play slow songs with increased clarity and expression using arpeggios.Learn 3-finger chord shapes, and fingerings to transition between the shapes.Add variation to your play moving the melody to the bass and octave regions of the fretboard.Discover how to provide accompaniment to those playing the melody.Become proficient at slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and harmonics.Explore how to create an arrangement of a song.DAD Tuning. Bring a capo and a smile! You will become a better dulcimer player!New material from last year.
  • 3 day workshops held July 13, 14, 15, 2026 (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)
  • Location: Osceola County Fairgrounds TBA
  • Contact Dave Haas to register for one or both workshops.
  • Fee $145 per workshop
Brett Ridgeway - Mountain Dulcimer
USING YOUR DULCIMER FOR WORSHIP AND MINISTRY
This is a mountain dulcimer hymn workshop that is Bible-based and is for those with a desire to play for the Lord, to worship Him through their music, to play in church, to make a difference for Him with their music. It is for those who want to use their musical abilities to worship Him using biblical parameters. Many people use the same standards to get ready for a concert or to perform as they do to playing for the Lord…when there is a huge difference in “performing” and “praising.” There is a difference in preparation, there should be a difference in presentation, and preparedness. and there should be a difference in our poise. The Bible addresses each of these things and for the most part, they are ignored by many. The Bible talks a lot about music and in many aspects. Many misunderstand even why there are psalms and hymns. Plus, there are so many who would love to play in church and face a crippling fear that prohibits them…also addressed in the Bible. (I have addressed overcoming fear before but not from the biblical standpoint.)
In this workshop, YOU WILL LEARN SEVERAL HYMNS and we will address many biblical principles to apply and consider. This WILL be a hands-on workshop teaching hymns just as any other workshop with a whole lot more!
You will also receive a downloadable Mountain Dulcimer Book, the complete workshop as a follow-up.
  • Monday, July 13, 2026 9:00-12:00 noon and 1:00-4:00PM
  • Tuesday, July 14, 2026 9:00-12:00 noon and 1:00-4:00PM
  • Wednesday, July 15, 2026 9:00-12:00 noon.
  • Location: Osceola County Fairgrounds TBA
  • Fee: $185 for all three days
  • To reserve and purchase your space for the workshop, go to his website: Brett Ridgeway.
Stephen Seifert - Mountain Dulcimer
Mountain Dulcimer A to Z Three Day Intensive Workshop
Join nationally known performer and teacher Stephen Seifert for a three-day, all-levels Mountain Dulcimer A to Z intensive held just before Evart Funfest. This hands-on workshop covers technique, musicianship, repertoire, and creative approaches to playing, with options for beginners through advanced players to work side-by-side successfully. I’ve reserved a space in the Evart, Michigan, area for three days of mountain dulcimer workshops. A non-refundable deposit of $132.50 is required to secure a seat in this class. The other half is due on the first day of class. If you can’t make the class after paying the deposit, you can apply it towards other events and products. Keep reading for all the details.
  • Monday - Wednesday, July 13-15, 2026 9:00-12:00 noon and 1:00-4:00 pm
  • Location: Osceola County Fairgrounds TBA
  • Fee: $265.00: $132.50 Non-refundable deposit; balance of $132.50 due at class time.
  • To reserve and purchase your space contact Stephen Seifert
Joe Steiner - Beginner Guitar
This workshop is intended for folks who are not yet familiar with the guitar. You will fit right in if you have a guitar but have never really tried to play it. You will also fit in if you’ve tried to play the guitar but haven’t been able to get to the point where your efforts make musical sense.We’ll discuss:~ left-hand fingering techniques for making chords that sound crisp and clean~ left-hand techniques for playing individual notes~ picking and strumming techniques to support your playing in the futureDuring this session, you will:~ learn to read guitar tablature and chord diagrams~ learn some basic chords~ learn basic right-hand technique ~ play a few tunes illustrating how to use chords as accompaniment~ pick simple melodies~ learn basic left-hand techniques like slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs~ have fun!
  • Tuesday, July 14, 2026
  • Times: 1:00 - 4:00 pm
  • Location: Osceola County Fairgrounds TBA
  • Fee: $45
  • Click Here for payment options and to register.
Joe Steiner - Intermediate/Advanced Guitar
If you already know how play chords or pick out a melody on the guitar, this workshop will help get you to the next level. This workshop is not a direct continuation of the beginner workshop, but attendance at the earlier workshop will get you to the point that the concepts we discuss in this workshop will make sense.We’ll explore:~ ways to make your rhythm guitar playing more interesting~ techniques which can be used for lead guitar playing or flatpickingYou will:~ learn left-hand fingering options and approaches to help you play more cleanly~ learn how to use pick direction to put feeling into your playing~ pick out bass notes and learn to use bass runs~ use chord substitutions and understand why they work~ play some songs and tunes to illustrate these techniques~ learn how to use chords and other cues to improvise~ learn how to pick up tunes by ear and arrange on your own ~ take home ideas to improve your playing in the future~ have fun!
  • Wednesday, July 15, 2026
  • Times: 1:00-4:00 pm
  • Location: Osceola County Fairgrounds TBA
  • Fee: $45
  • Click Here for payment options and to register.
Joe Steiner - Clawhammer Banjo - Past Beginner
This is the workshop for you if you already know a few chords or can pick out the melody of a few tunes, but want to learn how to play in the clawhammer style. We’ll discuss:~ what the clawhammer stroke is about ~ how to get an old-timey feel in your playingDuring this session, you will:~ build a clawhammer stroke ~ learn tunings commonly used in the clawhammer style~ learn how to use chords in clawhammer playing~ play a few tunes illustrating basic techniques~ have fun!
  • Tuesday, July 14, 2026
  • Times: 9:00-12:00 noon
  • Location: Osceola County Fairgrounds TBA
  • Fee: $45
  • Click Here for payment options and to register.
Joe Steiner - Clawhammer Banjo - intermediate
If you already play some clawhammer but want to improve your playing, this is the workshop for you! It will more or less be a continuation of the concepts discussed in the past beginner session, but participation in the earlier session is not required if you are already familiar with clawhammer.We’ll discuss:~ how left-hand approach can affect your sound~ how tuning affects the overall feel of a tune~ what we can do to give more of an old-timey vibe to our playingDuring this session, you will:~ refine your clawhammer stroke~ examine options for playing melodies~ learn advanced right-hand techniques like drop thumb, galax lick, and M-skip~ learn intricacies of left-hand fingering approach~ learn some tunes to illustrate left- and right- hand techniques~ learn to pick up melodies by ear in clawhammer style~ learn quick and easy ways to find chord structures for tunes~ explore chord accompaniment options ~ have fun!
  • Wednesday, July 15, 2026
  • Times: 9:00-12:00 noon
  • Location: Osceola County Fairgrounds TBA
  • Fee: $45
  • Click Here for payment options and to register.
Karen brown - drum making
These drums are works of art and sound beautiful! There are three different types of drums to choose from. You will not be disappointed! To register for any of these classes please email Karen or call at 616-706-9685. Bang Your DrumMonday, July 13, 9:00-5:00pm Location: Old Fair Office (Bldg #14)Fee: $65 Max 12 students Each student will make their own gourd drum in this fun class. Color and design up to the students. All materials are provided by teacher. Class length: all day with lunch break.Kit includes: gourd shell, drum hide head. Lacing, ring, stencils, colors, and finish Ocean Drum Tuesday, July 14, 9-5:00pm Location: Old Fair Office (Bldg #14)Fee: $65 Max 10 StudentsEach student will make their own ocean drum. Stencils of ocean themed items will be used as patterns. Wood burning and ink for colors to add to the piece. This is a unique gourd drum to add to anyone's instrument collection. Thunder Drum Wednesday, July 15, 9:00-5:00pm Location: Old Fair Office (Bldg #14)Fee: $65 Max 10 studentsThunder drums are a non traditional drum that is shaken to produce the sound of Thunder. Each student will be designing and decorating their drum during this all day class. Kit includes: gourd shell, rawhide, ring, lacing, stencils, colors, and finish. Use of a mini jigsaw during class time to create the sound holes.