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Maddie Witler

Mandolin and Guitar

Maddie Witler hails originally from LaCrescenta, CA. Maddie picked up the mandolin when she was 14 and fell in love with the instrument and bluegrass music. She spent the next few years studying with mandolinist Evan Marshall, with whom she worked her way through a lot of Bach, Jazz, and other musical styles, as well as bluegrass. Maddie attended the Berklee College of Music from 2010-2014. While in school she studied with some of her musical heroes including John McGann, Joe Walsh, Julian Lage, Mike Compton, Andy Statman, and many others. Maddie met her band mates in the Lonely Heartstring Band while at Berklee, and has been a member of the band since it began in 2012. Over the years she has also performed with folks like Peter Rowan, Darol Anger, Michael Daves, Tony Trischka, Molly Tuttle, and many others. She currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.

lonelyheartstringband.com

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS:

Right Hand Technique 1 - Mandolin & Guitar (Adv Beg to Int): In this class we’ll get into the mechanics and basics of pick technique through discussion of what makes technique “good”, analyzing the technique of great players, and by applying what we learn on our instruments.

Right Hand Technique 2 - Mandolin & Guitar (Int to Adv):  We’ll go through a series of right hand exercises that encompass nearly every possible combination of string crossings on the mandolin, or every combination of any four strings on the guitar. These exercises can help with developing accuracy, speed, and fluidity in your playing.

Improvising - Mandolin & Guitar (Intermediate): We’ll talk about how to approach playing improvised solos in the context of songs and fiddle tunes. We’ll discuss the basics of understanding scales and harmony, how to break down a melody into its most basic parts, developing ideas within a solo, and how to use dynamics and groove to make your soloing more effective.

Playing in an Ensemble - Mandolin (Adv Beg to Int): We’ll discuss the roll of the mandolin in a group.  How the mandolin fits into different ensembles and different rhythmic feels. We’ll explore different styles of accompaniment and discuss when to use them.

Tony Rice Style Guitar (Intermediate): We’ll do an overview of some of the things Tony Rice has brought to the world bluegrass guitar. We’ll talk about Tony’s approach to rhythm and backup in bluegrass. We’ll listen to and maybe learn a couple classic Tony solos, and we’ll talk about his place in the larger context of bluegrass.