Patrick Costello

Patrick Costello is a folk musician, teacher, and author whose unconventional approach to learning and teaching music has inspired thousands around the world. His 2003 book The How and the Tao of Old-Time Banjo became an underground classic, praised for its warmth, clarity, and intuitive instruction rooted in the oral folk tradition.

Self-taught and self-driven, Patrick developed his craft while navigating lifelong hearing loss, chronic pain, and a deep sense of outsiderhood. Rather than gatekeep or glorify complexity, he chose to teach from the ground up—starting with rhythm, joy, and community.

In 2024, a series of strokes ended Patrick's ability to play. He has stepped back from teaching and performing, but his books and videos remain freely available as his contribution to the living tradition he spent decades serving.

Patrick's philosophy remains simple: music belongs to everyone. His work continues to be passed from hand to hand, jam to jam, reader to reader—like a favorite folk song that refuses to be forgotten.