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What is Mary Flower?
Mary Flower is an American fingerstyle acoustic blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and guitar instructor based in Portland, Oregon. Her site presents her as a recording and touring artist, a teacher at music camps and festivals (online and in person), and a regular contributor to Acoustic Guitar magazine.
Her work spans more than one narrow style. The page describes her as deeply versed in vernacular styles — blues, jazz, and old-time New Orleans music — and notes she is the artistic director of an annual guitar intensive, Menucha's Blues in the Gorge. She was also honored with the Best of the West award by Folk Alliance Region West.
If you're deciding whether to explore further, start with what you want:
- Her playing or albums: look for the "Latest Album" and "Praise for Livin' With the Blues Again" sections on the front page.
- Live shows: check the "Upcoming Gigs" listing.
- Learning guitar: her instructional DVDs are offered as digital downloads, and she teaches at camps, festivals, and private lessons — useful if you want fingerstyle blues technique rather than general beginner guitar.
- Staying informed: the mailing list signup is the simplest way to hear about gigs and the annual camp.
A practical next step: if you're a guitarist, compare her instructional downloads with the camp dates before committing, since the camp is a fixed yearly event and the downloads let you work at your own pace.
What guitar styles does Mary Flower play?
Mary Flower plays fingerstyle acoustic blues as her core style, with a broader range that also draws on jazz, old-time music, and New Orleans traditions. Her own site describes her as “deeply versed in an array of vernacular styles,” and Acoustic Guitar Magazine’s review of Livin’ with the Blues Again places her stylistic range alongside players known for moving across many American roots idioms — broader than many blues-focused contemporaries, though not necessarily as gritty a singer as some.
In practical terms, that means you can expect:
- Fingerstyle acoustic blues — the foundation of her playing and teaching.
- Jazz and old-time influences — woven into her arrangements rather than treated as separate sets.
- New Orleans and other vernacular American styles — part of the mix on recordings and in performance.
- Instructional focus — she teaches at camps and festivals, offers online and in-person lessons, and writes for Acoustic Guitar, so her style is also something you can study rather than just listen to.
If you want to hear the range for yourself, start with Livin’ with the Blues Again or the Chants of Rain project mentioned on her site, then compare those recordings with her instructional material if you play guitar. For a live or learning context, her annual guitar intensive, Menucha’s Blues in the Gorge, is the most direct way to see how she blends these styles in a teaching setting. You can find details at Mary Flower.
How can I take guitar lessons from Mary Flower?
You can take lessons from Mary Flower both online and in person. Her site states that she teaches at music camps and festivals, offers lessons online and in person, and writes articles and tips as a regular contributor to Acoustic Guitar.
H3 Practical routes
- Private lessons (online or in person): This is the most direct option if you want feedback on your own playing. She is based in Portland, Oregon, so in-person lessons suit local players; online lessons work if you are elsewhere.
- Music camps and festivals: She teaches at camps and festivals, which gives you several days of intensive instruction plus playing with other students. Her site names Menucha's Blues in the Gorge, a guitar intensive she directs each year, with dates listed as Oct 7–11 in '26.
- Instructional DVDs as downloads: Her instructional DVDs are available as digital downloads on the DVD page. This is self-study rather than live teaching, but it is the lowest-commitment way to sample her approach before booking a lesson.
H3 Which fits you
| Option | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Private lesson | Specific problems, personalized feedback | Scheduling depends on her availability |
| Camp or festival | Immersion, repertoire, meeting other players | Fixed dates and travel |
| Downloadable lessons | Trying her teaching style first | No feedback on your playing |
H3 Next step
Use the contact route on Mary Flower to ask about lesson format, availability and what you should prepare. Say whether you want online or in-person, your experience level, and the styles you care about — her repertoire spans blues, jazz and old-time New Orleans music, so naming a direction helps her place you. If you are considering the camp instead, ask about the dates and how to register.
Where are Mary Flower's upcoming gigs?
Mary Flower's upcoming gigs are listed on the "Upcoming Gigs" section of her website, Mary Flower. That page is the authoritative place to check current dates, since tour schedules change frequently.
For the most reliable plan:
- Open the site and look for the "Upcoming Gigs" heading on the front page.
- Check back closer to the date you're considering, as listings are often updated as shows are confirmed.
- If you want advance notice, use the "Join My Mailing List" option on the same site; artists frequently announce new dates to subscribers first.
As a next step, if you're planning around a specific city or festival, note that her site also mentions an annual guitar intensive, Menucha's Blues in the Gorge, with dates listed for October 7–11, 2026. That's a camp rather than a standard concert, but it's a concrete event to watch if you're interested in her teaching as well as her performances.
What is Menucha's Blues in the Gorge camp?
Menucha's Blues in the Gorge is an annual guitar intensive directed by fingerstyle acoustic blues guitarist Mary Flower, who is based in Portland, Oregon. It is a multi-day camp-style gathering for guitar players, held each year with dates that change; the site lists the upcoming session as October 7–11.
What to expect
- Format: An intensive rather than a casual festival — several consecutive days focused on guitar study.
- Focus: Acoustic blues and related vernacular styles, the territory Flower is known for as a performer and instructor.
- Instruction: Flower teaches at music camps and festivals, gives online and in-person lessons, and writes for Acoustic Guitar, so the camp reflects a working teacher's approach rather than a one-off performance event.
Who it suits
Players who want structured, sustained practice time with a specialist, and who are comfortable learning in a group camp setting. If you are looking for a single concert or a beginner's taster session, this is a different kind of commitment.
Next step
Check the current dates, registration details and any prerequisites on the camp's own page, reached via Mary Flower. If the timing does not work, the same site points to her instructional DVDs, now offered as digital downloads, as a lower-commitment alternative.
How can I buy Mary Flower's albums and instructional DVDs?
Buy Mary Flower's albums and instructional materials directly through her own site. The homepage is built around a "Latest Album" section, and the page notes that her instructional DVDs "are now available as digital downloads on the DVD page" — so the DVD page is the place to look for lessons, while album purchases are pointed to from the front page.
Practical paths
- Albums (CDs and digital): Start at Mary Flower and use the "Latest Album" area, which links to the current release. Older titles may appear elsewhere on the site or at live shows.
- Instructional DVDs as downloads: Go to the DVD page on the same site. These are digital downloads rather than physical discs, so you buy and receive them online — no shipping wait.
- At gigs and camps: Her "Upcoming Gigs" listings and the Menucha "Blues in the Gorge" guitar intensive (she is artistic director) are natural places to buy CDs in person and, often, to ask about lesson materials.
- Lessons, if that's your real goal: She teaches online and in person and writes for Acoustic Guitar, so if you want instruction rather than a product, the site's lesson/contact route may serve you better than the DVD page.
How to choose
| What you want | Where to go | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Her newest recorded music | "Latest Album" section on her site | Physical vs. digital depends on what the page offers |
| Structured self-study | DVD page (digital downloads) | Instant access, but no physical disc or case |
| A personal lesson | Site contact/lesson info | Costs more per hour, but tailored feedback |
| A live purchase | Upcoming gigs and camps | Limited to event dates and locations |
For a concrete example: if you're a fingerstyle player who wants to work through her arrangements at your own pace, buy the DVD downloads first and pick up the latest album at the same time so you can hear the technique in context. If you'd rather have guidance, book a lesson instead — the recordings will still be there later.
Next step: open Mary Flower, check the DVD page for the download options, and look at the gig and camp listings if you'd prefer to buy in person.
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