Apply Now for the Black Banjo & Fiddle Fellowship

The Black Banjo & Fiddle Fellowship (BBFF) is a collaboration between the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music and the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention. The BBFF project aims to repatriate old-time music in African American communities and illuminate the Black experience in creating old-time music. BBFF is a two-year paid fellowship program that trains Black musicians in old-time music and its rich history. To repair the historical and cultural ruptures that erased the Black origins of banjo and fiddle music and to ensure that the tradition is sustained in Black communities, the BBFF is also a teacher-training program. It will train apprentices to teach the music, ensuring that it can be passed down from generation to generation. 

Through the guidance and support of Teaching Artist mentors, fellows will become proficient in old-time banjo and fiddle playing and deepen their knowledge of African American banjo and fiddle playing in the evolution of old-time music. They will cultivate skills in teaching, performing old-time banjo and fiddle music, and leading jam sessions.

The BBFF is a paid fellowship. Awards will be up to $15,000 over the period of two years (2023-2025).

Applications are due February 15, 2023. Learn more and apply.