Carlos Valdes-Dapena
Carlos Valdés-Dapena (West Orange, NJ) played saxophone and sang in choirs and musicals as a youth, but his passions were folk and bluegrass. At 18 he got a banjo and began teaching himself. While in college he played in a few bands; in his late 20s, music took a back seat to a business career and raising a family. Years later, he rediscovered his enthusiasm for the banjo while living in Virginia where he attended his first Wernick Method class. He has attended several workshops since and assisted at a few. He currently plays in two local New Jersey bands,The Foggy Minded Boys and The Good Tyme String Band.
“Carlos had a wonderful way of bringing out the best in our group and keeping things moving.”
“I enjoyed his input and instruction. He is a very good instructor.”
“Carlos was absolutely FANTASTIC. He was a joy to work with!”
