About the Camp/History

THE JIM RICHTER MANDOLIN CAMP FOR THE REST OF US Will Be WEDNESDAY JULY 12, 2023 TO SATURDAY JULY 15, 2023. THIS YEAR THE CAMP WILL FEATURE THE INSTRUCTION OF BOTH DON JULIN AND MIKE COMPTON.

Welcome to the Jim Richter Mandolin Camp for the Rest of Us. 2023 will be the Camp’s 10th year. Dating back to 2011, the Camp has focused on providing an educational and nurturing environment for adult mandolin enthusiasts who often feel stuck in their playing and tend to have musical interests outside of bluegrass (though always a welcome genre at Camp!).

The Richter Camp strives to provide a space for all to feel comfortable and supported in seeking better understanding of who they are as musicians. There are no wrong questions nor any wrong notes!

The Richter Camps sprang from a long history of supporting mandolin camps and concerts for the central Indiana/Great Lakes region. These included camps and concerts with Mike Compton, David Grier, David Long, Matt Flinner, Rich DelGrosso, Butch Robins, Roland White and others. We’ve been visited by brilliant luthiers Will Kimble (a friend, maker of my mandolins, and a sponsor) and Steve Gilchrist, and in recent years back to back years by a young (and at the time up and coming) Billy Strings. The intimidate setting—the wonderful Grant Street Inn in Bloomington Indiana—is one that invites friends to stop by, hang out, and chill with the group.

What has made the camp very special in recent years has been the passion that Don Julin puts into his mandolin instruction and nurturing of students. Don is a master of instruction—besides being a killer performer. His work in fleshing out the concept of music performance as communication aligns very well my my own concepts of music as extension of self (and poor self-conceptualization can then create barriers to growing as a musician). Don is an incredible human being and his contributions in and to camp help make it the success that it is.

2023 sees the addition of Mandolin Master Mike Compton. Mike is single-handedly the foundational mandolin influence on Jim and both his playing and instruction have been highly influential. No one knows Monroe and traditional mandolin styles like Mike and his mandolin has been center of many modern bluegrass classics that have dominated mainstream music. He’s an incredibly thoughtful and thorough instructor and never half-asses his teaching. I’m very excited to see Mike join Don and I this year as we flesh out an exciting 10th year of Camp.

Please review the CAMP DETAILS page for more specific information on the layout of the camp. The REGISTRATION page will allow you to enroll in camp and will provide either PayPal payment or snail mail options for tuition.