Todd Collins

“New Orleans is important to American culture; it’s the birthplace of many forms of music—including rock.” As part of his American Music class, Professor Todd Collins takes his students there to hear live music, taste the unique culinary delights and otherwise appreciate the cultural vibes of this great American city.

Professor Collins established and continues to develop the Music Recording Program at CCM and has assembled and conducted numerous workshops, seminars, talks and concerts including, for several years, “A Day of Bluegrass”.

He performs with some of the most gifted musicians in the northeastern United States, with forays to such diverse locales as New Mexico, Maine, Scotland, and England working in a variety of settings ranging from traditional and progressive bluegrass to swing, contemporary jazz with his own trios and quartets, acoustic blues, rock, and classical.

Collins’ recording credits include film and television, along with session work on a wide array of projects. He was the mandolinist for the Disney film soundtrack “Tom and Huck” and as a producer has collaborated with a wide range of acoustic musicians and jazz players on many commercial releases. His own recordings include “Blue Soul” and “Barbella Mandolin Duets” recorded with John Skehan (Railroad Earth). In addition he has been commissioned to compose works for modern dance companies in the New York/New Jersey area, including the Montclair State University Dance Department, and the County College of Morris Dance Department.

Professor Collins has been privately teaching mandolin, guitar and clawhammer banjo for over thirty years and also gives workshops for guitar and mandolin in the States and abroad. Todd was the mandolin instructor for the “Bluegrass Masters Workshops” at the popular Big Apple Bluegrass Festival in New York City.

His first book of Bill Monroe transcriptions “Monroe Instrumentals”, was a best seller for Mel Bay Publishing and he has subsequently released three other books with them; “Classic Bluegrass Solos (of Bill Monroe)” (2007), “Fretboard Studies for the Improvising Mandolinist” (2013), and “Modes on the Mandolin: Improving Your Improvisation” (2013). He also penned “Absolute Beginners Mandolin” (2007) for Amsco Publishing.