LESSONS

FIDDLE : GUITAR : MANDOLIN : BASS : TENOR GUITAR

Private lessons tailored to your ability level and interests.

Sign up now for lessons starting in July. Limited spots.

$30/Half hour lesson

$60/One hour lesson

Scott Sumner, Musician/Instructor

  • 11 years as a professional musician in Nashville

  • 14 years teaching private lessons

  • 12 years teaching instrumental music in public schools

  • 60+ years attending fiddle contests

  • Countless hours practicing and playing

  • Ineffable passion for music

Longer bio below

Interested in lessons?

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Sumner Music Studios is being reborn here in the Walla Walla Valley!

Music and especially fiddle have always been a part of Scott Sumner’s life. Originally from Weiser, Idaho, Scott was introduced to music by his grandpa who played fiddle. His mom, aunt, and uncle would take him to the National Oldtime Fiddlers Contest when he was a little boy, sparking his passion for music. Weiser schools did not have a strings program, so Scott joined band in elementary school as a trombone player. His mom would drive him over and hour one way to Boise State University for private trombone lessons every week.

While still in school the fiddle bug truly caught hold. Early on Scott took lessons from Cindy Thomas and Betty Hopper and was a part of the Bi-County fiddlers. There is so much more to the fiddle story, and that will be coming soon.

Scott studied music at Boise State University and South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. He also studied jazz with Dave Balakrishnan of Turtle Island Quartet in Northern California in the early 1980s. His aspirations of a career in music ultimately led him to Nashville, Tennessee. Scott enjoyed the opportunity to play on stage at the Grand Ole Opry numerous times while touring as the bandleader for Tom T. Hall. After eleven years in Nashville, Scott returned to Idaho in 2000 and taught private lessons until moving to Northeastern Oregon in 2014. From 2014 to 2026 Scott has served both the Dayton, Washington and Milton-Freewater, Oregon schools teaching music and instrumental music to students kindergarten through high school.