VIRTUAL MLAG WORKSHOPS 2026
Registration for Virtual MLAG 2026 will not begin until May of 2026.
We’re planning a great lineup of workshops on many diverse topics for MLAG 2026! The final virtual workshop schedule won’t be available until some time in May, 2026 so it’s a work in progress but you can see what we’re thinking as the schedule develops.
All times will be Eastern Daylight Time.
Tuesday, June 2rd - 2:00 pm
Practice Webinar: Join us to make sure your system is working correctly and you are not experiencing any problems with Zoom.
Wednesday, June 3rd - 4:15 pm
Welcome to Virtual MLAG: Each evening our free Social Hours give you an opportunity to catch up with friends, share experiences and ideas, and just enjoy each other’s company for a relaxing hour. On some days, we may ask one of our performers to stop by and and hang out.
Wednesday, June 3rd - 7:30 pm - Board Member Concert
Orientation, Introductions, Special Tributes, and Board Members Concert. The Mountain Laurel Board Members will perform a few songs on autoharp and other instruments to get the festivities off to a solid musical start.
Thursday, June 4th - 11:30 am - Joel Mabus
“Songs of Hank Williams” (all): Who doesn’t love a great Hank Williams favorite? This hour will take you back to the days of honky-tonk and “real” country music and you will share some great tunes with your MLAG companions.
Thursday, June 4th - 1:45 pm Workshop Leaders and Invitational Concert
We'll kick off our festival with our theme song and a few announcements, and then introduce our staff, workshop leaders, and performers. We'll honor some folks we've lost in the past year, and then the board members will perform a few songs to get the music started!!"
Thursday, June 4th - 3:00 pm - Eileen Kozloff
“Chair Yoga for Musicians” (All) This gentle yoga class will focus on breath work, flexibility, acupressure, and posture. Grab an armless chair, scarf (guitar strap or belt), and prepare to de-stress and administer self-care.
Thursday, June 4th - 4:15 pm - Thursday Social Hour
Each evening our free Social Hours give you an opportunity to catch up with friends, share experiences and ideas, and just enjoy each other’s company for a relaxing hour. On some days, we may ask one of our performers to stop by and and hang out.
Thursday, June 4th - 7:30 pm - Thursday Night Concert
Our featured performers take the stage! The Thursday lineup features Jo Ann Smith, Doug Pratt, Autoharp Hall of Fame, Spinning Lily, and Evo Bluestein.
Friday, June 5th - 11:30 am - Mike Herr & Amy Basse
“Keeping Up With Fiddle Tunes”; Amy and I will demonstrate how to play along with fiddle tunes without having to play all the notes.
Friday, June 5th - 1:45 pm - Guided Virtual Jam
The Jam Band will be in the Shippensburg auditorium, along with In Person jammers… and you can listen in and play along from home! We will mute your audio, but you will see the group playing in the hall as you join in the fun.” It’s a grand experiment in virtually playing together.
Friday, June 5th - 3:00 pm - Evo Bluestein
I credit John Denver for introducing me to the autoharp through his recording of Bryan Bowers’ “Berkeley Woman.” Many of Denver’s songs fit well with the autoharp. In this session we’ll play and sing some of Denver’s most popular songs, as well as some that may be less well-known, and some songs by others that he often sang. Open to all levels and all types of ’harps. Bring your voice!
Friday, June 5th - 4:15 pm - Friday Social Hour
Each evening our free Social Hours give you an opportunity to catch up with friends, share experiences and ideas, and just enjoy each other’s company for a relaxing hour. On some days, we may ask one of our performers to stop by and and hang out.
Friday, June 5th - 7:30 pm - Autoharp Championship
34th Annual Mountain Laurel Championship Contest
Saturday, June 6th - 10:15 am - Jo Ann Smith
“The Essential Suspended Fourth: What is a suspended fourth chord (Sus4), and why do you need one (or even two or three)? In this workshop, we will learn all about Sus4 chords and what makes them special. Not only will you receive instructions on how to MAKE a Sus4 chord for your own autoharp, you will also be shown how and where to use them in the context of music that you already know. You'll also learn neat tricks for using them in tandem with other chords!
Saturday, June 6th - 11:30 am - Gunna Yun CD Celebration Cindy Harris, MC
Cohen-Grappel Recording Endowment Winner, Gunna Yun, had a banner year at MLAG in 2025. She placed second in the contest, and she was the recipient of our recording endowment the same year! Her recording is now being released for you to enjoy. Come spend an hour with her, hear about her experience making her studio recording, hear some of her music, and celebrate with cake!
Saturday, June 6th - 3:00 pm - Doug Pratt
“Waltzing the Autoharp: Learning hymns of the faith for using the autoharp in worship services, hospice care, nursing home ministries, etc. Chromatic recommended as so many hymns move beyond a diatonic setup.
Saturday, June 6th - 4:15 pm - Closing Social Hour
Each evening our free Social Hours give you an opportunity to catch up with friends, share experiences and ideas, and just enjoy each other’s company for a relaxing hour. On some days, we may ask one of our performers to stop by and and hang out.
Saturday, June 6th - 7:30 pm - Saturday Night Concert
Our featured performers take the stage! The Saturday lineup features Eileen Kozloff, Evo Bluestein, Spinning Lily, and Joel Mabus.
Sunday, June 7th - 10:15 am - Sunday Morning Concert
Our featured performers take the stage! The Sunday lineup features Joel Mabus, Eileen Kozloff, and Doug Pratt.