The concert supports Walker Creek Music Camp’s mission to provide world-class music education and access to traditional American roots music for students of all ages. Proceeds from the event help fund classes, youth programming, and scholarships.
Audience members can expect an inspiring evening of live music featuring celebrated Walker Creek faculty showcasing bluegrass, old-time, jazz, swing and other forms of American roots music.
Performing artists:
Walker Creek All-Stars
A “supergroup” of current and past instructors who bring extraordinary musical experience and a shared commitment to mentoring the happy campers at WCMC.
Yoseff Tucker – guitar, vocals A fixture of the Northern California bluegrass scene, Yoseff Tucker teaches flatpicking guitar at Walker Creek. His band Yoseff Tucker and the Bow Ties won the prestigious RockyGrass Band Competition in 2018 and performed at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in 2025.
Tod Livingston – dobro, vocals With more than 20 years of professional performing, touring, and teaching, Tod Livingston has shared the stage with legends including Earl Scruggs, Jim Lauderdale, Missy Raines, Tim O’Brien, Bryan Sutton, and Matt Flinner. He currently tours with the Sam Grisman Project.
Bethany Raine Sorkey – bass, vocals A veteran of the Bay Area acoustic music community, Bethany Raine Sorkey has performed with beloved groups including the Good Ol’ Persons, Any Old Time, and The All Girl Boys. Known for her steady rhythm and expressive vocals, she brings warmth and depth to every ensemble.
Ryan Breen – banjo, vocals A cornerstone of the West Coast bluegrass scene, Ryan Breen founded the long-running band Windy Hill in 2007. A regular presence at Bay Area bluegrass events, he has also performed with The Brothers Comatose.
Tom Bekeny – mandolin, vocals A returning Walker Creek instructor, Tom Bekeny has performed, toured, taught, and recorded for more than five decades. A longtime member of the Kathy Kallick Band and the fiddle player for High Country since 1988, his career includes collaborations with Laurie Lewis, Peter Rowan, David Grisman, Jerry Garcia, and banjoist Bill Evans.
Paul Shelasky – Fiddle Paul Shelasky is a celebrated California fiddler and two-time California State Fiddle Champion known for his fiery, inventive style that blends bluegrass, swing, and old-time traditions. A longtime fixture of the Northern California acoustic music scene, he is best known for his work with the influential bluegrass band Good Ol’ Persons and the early Bay Area group Phantoms of the Opry. Over the years he has collaborated with leading artists including John Reischman, Laurie Lewis, and Kathy Kallick. A gifted multi-instrumentalist and composer, Paul’s nightly teacher jams at WCMC are a beloved highlight of the week, bringing campers together for unforgettable music and inspiration.
Hildaland
Hildaland is a duo blending Scottish and American traditional music into a distinctive contemporary sound. Fiddler Louise Bichan, originally from Orkney, Scotland, and mandolinist Ethan Setiawan, from Goshen, Indiana, met while studying at Berklee College of Music.
Bichan is an award-winning fiddler who has appeared on the BBC and performed at Edinburgh Castle and the Cambridge Folk Festival. Setiawan is widely recognized as a virtuosic mandolinist, winner of the National Mandolin Championship, and has performed with artists including Darrell Scott and Julian Lage.
Together, they create music that moves seamlessly from Scottish tradition to progressive bluegrass and jazz, inspired by both place and journey.
Pacific Drive
Pacific Drive was born at Walker Creek Music Camp in 2015—at dances, beside the pond, and in late-night jam sessions that stretched well past midnight.
The band features fiddler Dana Frankel, mandolinist David Thiessen, guitarist Jesse Fichman (formerly of AJ Lee & Blue Summit), bassist Helen Foley, and banjoist Sam Reed. Lifelong friends who grew up in California’s bluegrass community, they deliver hard-driving traditional bluegrass, tight harmonies, and the unmistakable chemistry of musicians who have played together since their teens.
About Walker Creek Music Camp
Walker Creek Music Camp is a California nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation (EIN 99-3474773) dedicated to teaching, preserving, and celebrating American roots music traditions. Founded in 2013, the camp welcomes students of all ages to experience its world-class music education program held twice each year at the Walker Creek Ranch Conference Center, just west of Petaluma.
Walker Creek’s Music & More (M&M’s) youth program offers tuition-free instruction for children ages 6–13, and also provides scholarships and work-trade opportunities that make music education accessible to all—ensuring that traditional music continues to thrive for generations to come.
Website: walkercreekmusiccamp.org
Facebook: facebook.com/WalkerCreekMusicCamp
Instagram: instagram.com/walkercreek_musiccamp
Thank you so much, your support is invaluable.
