Registration is now open to attend the fifth annual Crown of the Continent Guitar Workshop in Bigfork on Aug. 24-31.

A professional staff of teaching musicians will be joined by world-renowned guitar artists for the workshop held at Flathead Lake Lodge, a four-star guest ranch situated on the shore of Flathead Lake near Glacier National Park. Master guitar alumni include blues giants Joe Bonamassa and Robben Ford, jazz greats Lee Ritenour and Pat Metheny, and songwriters Livingston Taylor and Mac McAnally, to name a few. 

The workshop’s informal teaching environment provides the students an opportunity to interact with the faculty and artists. 

“What I have found to be unique about this workshop and festival is the total accessibility of the performers to everybody here,” McAnally, who has garnered six consecutive Country Music Artist of the Year awards, said. “This accelerates the learning process and is a more efficient process than the one I had to go through.”

“The lectures have been great. To be able to sit in a cabin and listen to Pat Metheny describe his practice routine — that’s a pretty cool experience,” student and 2013 scholarship winner Emily Elbert said.

Complementing these legends will be a stellar professional teaching staff offering daily instruction in seven guitar genres. Courses and instructors this year include jam class with Dennis McCumber; “The Versatile Guitarist” with Matt Smith; rock fusion with James Hogan; advanced rock/blues with Jeff McErlain; intermediate rock/blues with Tobias Hurwitz; advanced jazz with Jody Fisher; intermediate jazz with Mark Dziuba; classical with Andrew Leonard; acoustic finger style with Doug Smith; singer-songwriter with Bret Boyer; and beginner and beyond with Susan Mazer.

An early bird registration discount is offered to participants through March 31. A discount is also available to workshop alumni if registered by Feb. 15. To see videos about the workshop from the past four years and to register, visit the website www.cocguitarfoundation.org or call the Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation at 855-855-5900.

The roster of Artists in Residence for the 2014 Workshop is also starting to fill. So far it includes returning classical/flamenco guitarist Dennis Koster and Grammy winner Ritenour, a jazz/fusion legend. More world-class artists will be announced soon as they finalize their 2014 performance schedules.

Each Artist in Residence will teach a master class for the workshop and conduct a public performance at the festival during the week.