The Joe Val Kids’ Academy

The Joe Val Kids’ Academy has become a treasured festival institution. Kids receive two days of instruction in their instruments, plus ensemble and singing classes, culminating in a performance on the main stage of the Joe Val Festival on Sunday.

The Joe Val Kids’ Academy begins on Friday evening at 6 pm, and ends on Sunday after the performance, which starts around noon. The Joe Val Kids’ Academy is meant for students between the ages of 6 and 18. Students are expected to have basic skills on their bluegrass instrument and must be present for all sessions (see schedule below).

The Joe Val Kids’ Academy is funded by donations. Please email [email protected] if you would like to help support the Joe Val Kids’ Academy.

Note To Those Interested in the Advanced Band:

In order to ensure that the Advanced Band has the right mix of instruments and is a reasonable size, we limit participation based on instrument and possibly by seniority (i.e. previous participation). Students who wish to participate in the Advanced Band must complete a short questionnaire with the help of their parents.

To get a copy of the questionnaire, e-mail the Advanced Band Director, Ellen Carlson at [email protected]. The questionnaire must be submitted by February 1, 2026, and students will be informed of their placement before the festival. Students who are not selected for the Advanced Band are strongly encouraged to participate in the greater Kids’ Academy. Preference in future years will be given to students who have shown leadership in the greater Kids’ Academy.

Note About the Schedule of the Advanced Band: Students who wish to participate in the Advanced Band are expected to attend both the sessions of the full Kids Academy and the Advanced Band. Students in the Advanced Band should be comfortable playing the posted Kids’ Academy songs prior to Joe Val because they will be performing these songs with the full group without attending all of the rehearsals.

Below is a schedule of both the full Kids’ Academy and the Advanced Band’s additional sessions. For the full Kids’ Academy time slots, some of this time is spent working with the Advanced Band, and some is spent working separately. As a reminder, students in the Advanced Band must be able to participate in all of the sessions listed below.

Friday at Joe Val

Full Kids’ Academy: 6 pm – 7:30 pm
Advanced Band only: 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Saturday at Joe Val

— morning —
full Kids’ Academy: 10 am – noon
Advanced Band only: noon – 12:30 pm

— afternoon —
full Kids’ Academy: 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Advanced Band only: 4 pm – 5:30 pm

Sunday at Joe Val

Advanced Band only: 9:30 am – 10 am
full Kids’ Academy: 10 am – noon
Main Stage performance at noon on Sunday

We will post the songs for the 2026 Joe Val Kids’ Academy as the festival gets closer.