Our Teachers

Nick Cameron

Nick Cameron is a Baltimore-based award-winning composer, vocalist, mandolinist, audio engineer, and educator. Cameron currently performs with Nick Cameron and the Heard Mentality (singer-songwriter), Cherry Blossom Special (bluegrass), Corned Beef Hash (Irish/klezmer fusion), and the Apollon Mandolin Quartet. As an educator, Cameron can be found teaching private lessons, instructing at the university level, and running jams and workshops in the Washington/Baltimore area.

As a teacher, Nick believes the most important aspect of music-making is sustainability. By learning to use their instrument properly, students can avoid long-term health issues associated with poor technique, so that music-making is physically sustainable. Nick also thinks it’s important to keep the spark of joy from music-making alive, so it is emotionally and intellectually sustainable too. Given his extensive experience in a multitude of genres, Nick is comfortable teaching in a variety of styles, including musical theater, classical, jazz, rock, folk, country, and bluegrass. In addition to voice and mandolin, Nick also teaches guitar, bass, octave mandolin, music theory, composition, songwriting, and audio production.

‍Cameron holds an M.M. in Composition from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a B.S. in Music Technology from the University of North Carolina, Asheville.

Gabby Cameron

Gabby Cameron is a singer-songwriter, banjoist, and ethnomusicologist who teaches voice, banjo (clawhammer and three-finger styles), introductory guitar, introductory piano, and songwriting. She works for GRAMMY Award–winning banjoist Béla Fleck at Blue Ridge Banjo Camp. Cameron was also an Artist in Residence at Strathmore in 2025. In 2022, she received the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Bluegrass Scholar of the Year Award. She holds a B.A. in Music and Neuroscience, and an M.A. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Maryland.

Gabby’s teaching philosophy emphasizes developing a joyful and sustainable relationship with one’s instrument. While she is eager to teach students how to play, she is most excited to teach students how to practice. By encouraging self-reflection in lessons, students quickly learn that self-assessment is paramount to maintaining a lifelong joy of craft. Gabby’s background in neuroscience informs her approach to practicing smarter, not harder, and helps her identify small adjustments students can make to achieve their goals. Gabby has experience working with both children and adults of all ages.