Through private music lessons, group lessons, and performance ensembles, AFTA empowers students in the Asheville area to reach their highest potential as artists and human beings.

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Nick teaches banjo, guitar, and mandolin at the Academy! To learn more, or register for lessons, visit their website here. 

Cast Iron Bluegrass was formed in 2019 with a collection of musicians from the vibrant Asheville bluegrass scene. The band has played a wide variety of events and venues and is looking to expand into the greater southeast region. They released their first full-length album in the fall of 2021, Blue Ridge Mountain Haze. The title track is an original song written by banjo player and singer, Andrew Blythe. The remainder of the album includes bluegrass standards that the band regularly performs. 

It's hard to put into words, isn't it, when something just feels right? But that's exactly what it was for Nick and Brew. Maybe you've heard the term "blood harmonies," that special sound siblings  make? Brew and Nick complement each other in just that way. 

And it makes sense. They were raised different- one from the South, the other from the North. One Protestant, the other Catholic. One into the Americana music of Townes Van Zandt, Tyler Childers, and Gillian Welch, the other the Bluegrass world of Bill Monroe, Tony Rice, and the Gibson Brothers. But they've always loved the same things. God. Music. Mountains. 

When they met in the vibrant acoustic scene of Asheville, North Carolina, it was no surprise it just felt right. We think when you hear them, it'll just feel right for you, too. Thanks for visiting! Come back soon.