Kruger Brothers Music Academy
The Academy is held at the Yadkin Valley Event Center at the Holiday Inn Express in Wilkesboro, NC. While we enjoy performing at venues across the country and in Europe (and more recently Australia), the Academy is the highlight of our musical year.
Cancellation Policy
Due to limited availability and our wish to give everyone the opportunity to attend, we kindly ask that you give us as much notice as possible should you have to cancel your reservation.
- Cancellations should be made in writing via email to office@doubletimemusic.com
- Cancellations that were made 48 hours or more in advance of March 23, 2023, will receive refund via a mailed check or the option to donate your registration fees to an Academy scholarship.
- Cancellations made under the 48-hour notice, may be subject to a service fee of $300 per registrant for fees already acquired by Kruger Academy for lodging, catering, etc. (In consideration of unforeseen events, every effort will be made to keep this service fee to the minimum.)
Returning This Year +
Josh Goforth
Josh Goforth must have been born musical—he was already playing piano in church at the age of four—but it was an experience he had in the sixth grade that really lit the fuse of his precocious musical career. A performance at Goforth’s middle school by Sheila Kay Adams caused him to start thinking about the musical heritage and stories of his native Madison County, NC. Josh was able to listen and learn from local masters like Gordon and Arvil Freeman and Jerry Adams. Goforth is a highly accomplished storyteller and acoustic musician playing close to 20 different instruments.
After high school he went to East Tennessee State University to study music education with a Euphonium concentration, and to be a part of ETSU’s famous Bluegrass and Country Music Program. In 2000, he played fiddle for the movie Songcatcher, both onscreen and on the soundtrack. He has toured extensively with a variety of ensembles, including the ETSU Bluegrass band, David Holt, Laura Boosinger, and with several bluegrass bands like Appalachian Trail, the Josh Goforth Trio, the Steep Canyon Rangers and Open Road. He has performed in all 50 US states, all over Europe, Asia, and Australia. In 2000, 2003, and 2005, he was named Fiddler of the Festival at Fiddler’s Grove and, after winning the third title, was designated “Master Fiddler” and retired from that competition. He has performed at the Grand Ole Opry, the Lincoln Center, as well as Carnegie Hall. In 2009 he was nominated for a Grammy for his album with David Holt entitled “Cutting Loose”. He currently is on faculty at the Academy for the Arts in Asheville and performs all over the world.
Laura Boosinger
Laura Boosinger has been studying and performing traditional Southern Appalachian music since she was a student at Warren Wilson College in the 1970’s. It was at WWC where she began to learn clawhammer banjo, learned how to call southern mountain square dances and attended Shaped Note Singing School with North Carolina Folk Heritage Award winner Quay Smathers.
Laura performs solo, with her duet partner Josh Goforth and with The Midnight Plowboys, a legendary roots string band from Asheville, NC. Her latest recording, Most of All, with Josh Goforth has received extensive airplay throughout the US and the UK. Laura was part of the GRAMMY nominated Big Bend Killing in 2017. She sang Tom Dula (Dooley) accompanied by the Kruger Brothers and Emma McDowell. Laura is the Executive Director of the Madison County Arts Council (NC) where she produces concerts, manages the money and acts as the coordinator for an exemplary JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians) program. Laura serves as a consultant to the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina. She is the “voice” of BRMT’s podcast Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails. In 2017 Laura was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame.
“Many artists can put on a good performance and entertain, but only a very few can put on a show that mesmerizes the audience with pure music that comes straight from the heart. Laura Boosinger is one of those rare individuals. She can bring a smile to any face and melt any heart. She brightens a room as if the lights were turned up.”
– Friends of the Hendersonville Library
Registration Packages & Rates +
The Total Package – $985
The best way to enjoy the Academy! This package offers full Academy attendance including jam sessions, concerts and meals plus three night’s lodging at the Holiday Inn Express.
The Academy Package – $785
A favorite of locals and those wanting to stay in the broader Wilkes area. This package offers full Academy attendance including jam sessions, concerts and meals. *This package does NOT include lodging.*
The Partner Package – $485 (With purchase of Total or Academy package)
Making the trip and want to partake in the festivities? This package offers plus-one access to jam sessions, concerts and meals. *This package does NOT include lodging unless accompanied by The Total Package registrant.* **This package does NOT include class registration.**
Location +
The Yadkin Valley Event Center is the only facility of its kind in northwest North Carolina. Located inside the hotel, we offer 5000 sq. ft. of meeting space for conferences, retreats, business meetings, trade shows, reunions, conventions and events.
Guests at the Holiday Inn Express Wilkesboro can start the day with a complimentary hot breakfast in our spacious dining area before heading out to enjoy year round activities in Wilkes County. Each room has a private bathroom, flat screen TV, microwave, refrigerator, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a well-lit work desk.
Staying on site at the Wilkesboro Holiday Inn Express allows participants the opportunity for longer jam sessions and interaction among participants and the Kruger Brothers. Short and simple; it just gives everyone more time.
What to Expect +
Highlights include:
- Individual instrument classes in guitar, banjo, bass guitar, upright bass and fiddle, as well as guided traditional singing with clawhammer banjo.
- Three full days and four nights of classes, jamming and sharing time with like-minded people.
Attending our 2023 Music Academy offers:
- An opportunity for classical and folk musicians to meet in Wilkesboro, the heart of American Folk Music, and to participate in the merging of the musical world of both genres.
- A unique, one-of-a-kind, musical workshop.
- A discovery of the unity of the musical world through illuminating workshops, group discussions, jam sessions, targeted lectures and concerts.
- An understanding of and appreciation for music on a deeper level.
- A shared insight into the inner workings of the “emotional language” of music.
- An opportunity for participants to perform at the Academy “Night of the Stars” on Saturday evening.
- Three uplifting days filled with music and great food.
- The opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones.
New This Year +
Josh Goforth
Josh Goforth must have been born musical—he was already playing piano in church at the age of four—but it was an experience he had in the sixth grade that really lit the fuse of his precocious musical career. A performance at Goforth’s middle school by Sheila Kay Adams caused him to start thinking about the musical heritage and stories of his native Madison County, NC. Josh was able to listen and learn from local masters like Gordon and Arvil Freeman and Jerry Adams. Goforth is a highly accomplished storyteller and acoustic musician playing close to 20 different instruments.
After high school he went to East Tennessee State University to study music education with a Euphonium concentration, and to be a part of ETSU’s famous Bluegrass and Country Music Program. In 2000, he played fiddle for the movie Songcatcher, both onscreen and on the soundtrack. He has toured extensively with a variety of ensembles, including the ETSU Bluegrass band, David Holt, Laura Boosinger, and with several bluegrass bands like Appalachian Trail, the Josh Goforth Trio, the Steep Canyon Rangers and Open Road. He has performed in all 50 US states, all over Europe, Asia, and Australia. In 2000, 2003, and 2005, he was named Fiddler of the Festival at Fiddler’s Grove and, after winning the third title, was designated “Master Fiddler” and retired from that competition. He has performed at the Grand Ole Opry, the Lincoln Center, as well as Carnegie Hall. In 2009 he was nominated for a Grammy for his album with David Holt entitled “Cutting Loose”. He currently is on faculty at the Academy for the Arts in Asheville and performs all over the world.
Laura Boosinger
Laura Boosinger has been studying and performing traditional Southern Appalachian music since she was a student at Warren Wilson College in the 1970’s. It was at WWC where she began to learn clawhammer banjo, learned how to call southern mountain square dances and attended Shaped Note Singing School with North Carolina Folk Heritage Award winner Quay Smathers.
Laura performs solo, with her duet partner Josh Goforth and with The Midnight Plowboys, a legendary roots string band from Asheville, NC. Her latest recording, Most of All, with Josh Goforth has received extensive airplay throughout the US and the UK. Laura was part of the GRAMMY nominated Big Bend Killing in 2017. She sang Tom Dula (Dooley) accompanied by the Kruger Brothers and Emma McDowell. Laura is the Executive Director of the Madison County Arts Council (NC) where she produces concerts, manages the money and acts as the coordinator for an exemplary JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians) program. Laura serves as a consultant to the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina. She is the “voice” of BRMT’s podcast Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails. In 2017 Laura was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame.
“Many artists can put on a good performance and entertain, but only a very few can put on a show that mesmerizes the audience with pure music that comes straight from the heart. Laura Boosinger is one of those rare individuals. She can bring a smile to any face and melt any heart. She brightens a room as if the lights were turned up.”
– Friends of the Hendersonville Library