Rachel Eddy: Old Time Fiddle, Banjo, & Guitar

Old Time Banjo 1 – Friday, 1:30 to 2:30 pm
Good Economy of Motion with the Claw:  This time will be spent talking about how to have a smooth well oiled claw to hammer on your banjo! We will go over drop-thumbing for all strings and discuss many of the options the drop thumb can provide to your playing.  

Old Time Fiddle 1 – Friday, 2:45 to 3:45 pm
Playing Fiddle with the Whole Self:   Let's talk about how to go beyond playing notes with our hands and fingers, and explore how to access the music from a deeper place.

Old Time Guitar – Saturday, 10:30 to 11:45 am
Solid Backup Guitar for Old time: This class will focus on how to offer support to the jam as a guitar player...how to drive the bus, if you will!  Alternating bass notes, walking bass lines between chords, good tone will be among the topics discussed.  

Old Time Fiddle 2 – Saturday, 2:30 to 3:45 pm
Keeping the Rhythm and creating the Groove: This will build on the ideas from the first session and put them into action with pulses, bow rocks, note phrasing, double stops, and more.  

Old Time Fiddle 3 – Sunday, 9:30 to 10:30 am
Playing Fiddle with the Whole Self while Keeping the Rhythm and Creating the Groove: In this final fiddle session, we will practice the skills we've learned while searching for our individual balance point of fiddling, and good economy of motion.  

Old Time Banjo 2 – Sunday, 10:45 to 11:45 am
Syncopating your Drop Thumb: We will learn something simple to get your thumb syncopating notes, and discuss how it can be worked into your playing.  

Judy Hyman: Old Time Fiddle

Teaching approach: In each of Judy’s classes you’ll learn a tune (or two?).  Judy will teach the basic notes and then focus on bowing details that create the danceable rhythm characteristic of old-time Appalachian music. The tunes and techniques will be broken down and clearly taught so that you can learn by ear. While the pacing will be at an intermediate/advanced level, all are welcome to attend. Less experienced fiddlers can stay with the notes of the tune. More advanced players will learn bowing and other stylistic details.  If there’s time and interest, we can take a breather and talk about playing for dances, amplifying your fiddle, violin technique for fiddlers, and fiddle technique for violinists.  Be sure to bring an electronic tuner, a recording device (a phone is fine) and extra strings.

Old Time Fiddle 1 – Friday, 1:30 to 2:30 pm
Crooked tune(s):  Let’s talk about “straight” tunes vs. “crooked tunes” and learn a crooked one (or more) in “standard” tuning (GDAE).

Old Time Fiddle 2 – Saturday, 10:30 to 11:45 am
A tune from Gribble Lusk and York: Let’s tune our fiddles to “high basses” (ADAE) and learn a D-tune from the repertoire of Tennessee string band Gribble, Lusk, and York, as well as some history and context about this important African American trio.

Old Time Fiddle 3 – Saturday, 1:00 to 2:15 pm
A cross-key tune from Edden Hammons: There were a lot of musicians in the extended Hammons family of West Virginia.  We’ll learn a spooky cross-key (AEAE) tune from the repertoire of the highly accomplished Edden Hammons (1875-1955).

Jason Anick: Swing/Bluegrass Fiddle & Mandolin

Swing/Bluegrass Mandolin – Saturday, 2:30 to 3:45 pm
Essential Swing/Bluegrass Mandolin Chord Shapes: A breakdown of all the essential chord shapes Jason uses in swing and bluegrass settings. 

Gypsy Jazz Mandolin – Saturday, 4:00 to 5:00 pm
Introduction to approaching Gypsy jazz, pioneered by Django Reinhardt, on the mandolin. We will work on essential arpeggio patterns and explore ways to accurately play “la Pompe” rhythm. 

Swing Fiddle 1 – Sunday, 10:45 to 12:00 pm
Four Ways to Make Your Fiddle Swing:  A deep dive into four essential tools for perfecting your swing feel -- proper bowing patterns, playing with drums, using ghost notes, and laying back.

Swing Fiddle 2 – Sunday 1:00 to 2:15 pm
Arpeggios & Enclosures for Jazz Violin Improvisation (Open to mandolin or other instruments)

Swing Fiddle 3 – Sunday, 2:30 to 3:45 pm
Violin Fingerboard Mastery: Jason will walk through various fingerboard mapping and improvisation studies featured in his new book, Violin Fingerboard Mastery, published by Hal Leonard. Whether you are looking to unlock your ability to improvise, deepen your knowledge of harmony, compose new works, improve your musical memory, or strengthen your interpretation of classical composers, having an intimate relationship with your violin fingerboard is essential. 

Swing Fiddle & Mandolin Master Class – Sunday, 4:00 to 5:15 pm
Come ready to perform a short piece to Jason and Grant for some personalized feedback. Open to anyone who would like to sit back and simply observe.  Jason and Grant will also discuss their practice strategies and any computer programs or phone apps that they find useful in their practice sessions.  

Grant Flick:
Swing/Bluegrass Fiddle & Mandolin; Nyckelharpa

Swing Fiddle – Friday, 2:45 to 3:45
A survey of swing fiddling likely focusing on stylistic idiosyncrasies of great swing fiddlers (what makes swing swing!?). We'll look at what to listen for in this music as well as methods for practicing in this style. 

Nyckelharpa Demonstration – Friday, 4:00 to 5:00 pm
What is the nyckelharpa, what can it do? I don't really know either but it's a lot of fun. Will talk through how the instrument works and show a lot of the sounds it can make. Might teach some Swedish tunes too if there is interest.  This workshop is dependent on camper interest.  

Bluegrass/Swing Mandolin 1 – Saturday, 9:00 to 10:15 am
Bring your questions for this one! Generally looking at what all the mandolin can do in these idioms and what similarities/differences are between these styles. Possible topics could include improvisation, comping/back up, technique, etc. This workshop will be open ended and driven by student interest.

Bluegrass Improvisation 1 – Saturday 1:00 - 2:15 pm
Create your own fiddle tune melodic variations. Explore melodic based improvisation, using melodic fragments as building blocks for larger musical ideas and how we develop them in variations and solos. Demonstrated on fiddle and mandolin but open to all instruments.

Bluegrass/Swing Improvisation 2 – Saturday, 2:30 to 3:45 pm
Open to all instruments, this will be more of a class on how to improvise in form-based music. We'll discuss how to develop ideas, play over changes, and try some improv games for continual growth. Focus will be about intention behind what we are playing, also applies to non-improvisational music too!

Rhythm Fiddle Basics & Beyond – Saturday, 4:00 to 5:00pm
We will explore how to expand your basic chop to play rhythm fiddle in a duo or a band setting.

Bluegrass/Swing Mandolin 2 – Sunday, 9:30am to 10:30am

Swing Fiddle & Mandolin Master Class – Sunday, 4:00 to 5:15 pm
Come ready to perform a short piece to Jason and Grant for some personalized feedback.  Open to anyone who would like to sit back and simply observe.  Jason and Grant will also discuss their practice strategies and any computer programs or phone apps that they find useful in rehearsals. 

Val Mindel: Southern Old Time Singing, Mandolin & Guitar

Singing The Old Time Way - Part 1 (Friday, 1:30 to 2:30 pm): Loosen up your vocal cords, learn a great song or two during each session and find your old-time voice.

Harmony in old-time and country music (Friday, 2:45 to 3:45 pm):  The basics and (a bit) beyond. In the process we’ll learn a couple of must-know songs.

Singing The Old Time Way - Part 2 (Saturday, 9:00 to 10:15 am): Loosen up your vocal cords, learn a great song or two during each session and find your old-time voice (Part 2).

Old-time mandolin  (Saturday, 1:00 to 2:15 pm): Tunes and useful chord shapes and patterns. We’ll also work on right-hand (picking and strumming) skills.  While all are welcome to attend, this session is intended for intermediate players with some facility on the instrument. 

Essentials in old-time/country singing (Saturday, 2:30 to 3:45 pm): We’ll learn two, maybe three, songs to add to your repertory – complete with harmonies and strategies to help them sound great.

Old-time guitar in an old-time band (Sunday, 9:30 to 10:30 am): Rhythm, runs, right and left-hand strategies and more. It will be helpful to be able to change chords at speed in keys of D, G, A, and C and to use a flat pick (thumb pick OK). Please  have a capo on hand. This session is intended for intermediate players with some facility on the instrument. While all are welcome to attend, this session is intended for intermediate players with some facility on the instrument. 

Chris Luquette: Bluegrass Guitar & Mandolin

Guitar

Bluegrass Guitar 1 - Rhythm Fundamentals (Friday, 1:30 to 2:30 pm): Rhythm Guitar is at the core of bluegrass music. We'll learn how to accent different beats, use dynamics, learn to groove, and excel in a jam session or band setting.

Bluegrass Guitar 2 - Rhythm Next Steps (Saturday, 1:00 to 2:15 pm): Analyzing legacy players and their approaches, we'll dive deep into bass runs, accents, pick strokes, groove types and dynamic ranges. 

Bluegrass Guitar 3 - Lead Playing (Sunday, 1:00 to 2:15 pm): Using techniques developed for stage, we'll analyze both hands and create tools using scales and tunes to create lush and driving bluegrass solos.

Mandolin

Bluegrass Mandolin 1 - Rhythm Fundamentals (Friday, 2:45 to 3:45 pm): The mandolin chops right?  Yes, but so much more! We'll analyze many styles of rhythm playing and find new and useful chord shapes.

Bluegrass Mandolin 2 - Lead Playing (Saturday, 10:30 to 11:45 am): Using techniques developed for stage, we'll analyze both hands and create tools using scales and tunes to create lush and driving bluegrass solos.

Double Stops on Bluegrass Mandolin 3 (Sunday, 10:45 to 11:45 am): One of the simplest, but most underused tools in mandolin playing. The double stop. We'll find them everywhere, and figure out how to use them in our favorite tunes.

Katie Martucci: Vocal Technique, Song Repertoire & Guitar

Swing Guitar for Advanced Beginners or Intermediate Players (Friday, 2:45 to 3:45 pm): Learn some tunes! We'll practice moveable swing chord shapes and work on basic comping for a handful of classic swing tunes. (Try it out at the jam on Saturday night?) 

Embodied Voice (Saturday, 10:30 to 11:45 am): Whether or not you identify as a singer, your voice is a primary tool for expression. This workshop will help you to connect more deeply with your voice. Drawing from a variety of different modalities, participants will learn about vocal technique (breath work, resonance, tone) and will practice basic ear training to feel more grounded and confident in their own singing. Students will also experience singing in an ensemble through improvisation exercises like Pauline Oliveros' Tuning Meditation, Bobby McFerrin's Circle Songs, and various songs and rounds.

Music of Connie Converse  (Sunday, 10:45 to 12:00 pm):  Learn to sing and play the songs of enigmatic singer-songwriter Connie Converse! Lyrics, chords and TABs will be provided. Material will be most applicable to intermediate singing guitarists, but all levels and instruments are welcome to join.

Songwriting & Arranging 1 (Saturday, 1:00 to 2:15 pm): Looking for some creative accountability? Interested in learning how to arrange your songs? Curious about responding to a songwriting prompt?  If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, join the Songwriting & Arranging workshop where we'll work on developing new original material and explore arranging originals or covers for solo or group performances. Open to singers, instrumentalists, or those who are both!

Songwriting & Arranging 2 (Sunday, 1:00pm to 2:15 pm)

Singing Jazz Vocal Harmony Master Class  (Sunday, 4:00 pm): I’ll be helping Dave Davies with this jazz vocal harmony master class.  It will be a fun and ear opening session!

Joe Crookston: Songwriting, Singing & Finger Style Guitar

The Art of Songwriting That Isn’t Self-Absorbed Nonsense  - Part 1 (Friday, 1:30 to 2:30 pm): Joe has made his living for 20 years writing and singing songs. He was given a Rockefeller Songwriting grant and was awarded Album of the Year from Folk Alliance International.  Based and rooted in traditional music, his songs are specific AND Universal. In these workshops we will write.  You will journal and develop a song. We will explore imagery, nouns, subconscious association, metaphor and most of all, lyrical honesty. “Get to the point”. “Not a word wasted”. Songs come from you but they should be about ALL of US. This workshop will be a personal and musical exploration as we discover the John Prine, Towns Van Zandt and Gillian Welch inside you. Bring instruments & notebooks.

Join the Gravel Gertie Old Time String Band! (Friday, 4:00 to 5:00 pm): This workshop is all about us being a band…sitting in a circle, learning a couple tunes, honing the groove, tightening the melody and pulse and creating a full band sound.  Mandolins, fiddles, bass, banjo, guitar… You bring it and  together we will play it. This is a great workshop for those who love to jam with others and would like to grow their ability to play with an ensemble.  This workshop will be informative and FUN. We’ll talk about dynamics, when to lay low and when to play more, deep listening and locking in to the rest of the group. Tune up, rosin up and let’s make some joyful noise together.

The Art of Songwriting That Isn’t Self-Absorbed Nonsense  - Part 2 (Saturday, 9:00 to 10:15 am)

Guitar Tricks that Give Goosebumps (Saturday, 1 - 2:15pm): In this guitar workshop, we’ll discover new sonic ideas, chord variations and musical tricks for adding interest to your guitar playing. We’ll learn ways to present songs with more feeling, tonal color and explore alternate chord variations, melodic accompaniment, and fingerpicking techniques to make your songs shine.  We will deconstruct a song and build it back with new sounds and variations. This workshop is for all skill levels and will send you home with a grab bag of new ideas.

Intro to Fingerstyle Guitar (Saturday, 2:30 to 3:45 pm):  Joe studied classical guitar in college from Cuban guitarist Jose Pochedley. He has made his living fingerpicking and singing his songs…In this workshop we’ll learn the basics of fingerstyle technique, healthy hand position, Travis-picking style, classical techniques, minimum movement, left hand hammer ons, pull offs and how to create a rhythmic pulse and melodic orchestra using strings and our fingers. We’ll play open tunings, blues and grow our ability to create bass, rhythm and lush sonic landscapes.

Songwriter Circle with Naomi Sommers (Saturday, 4:00 to 5:00 pm):  Share and discuss your original songs.  

Dave Davies:
Swing Vocals and Harmony; Swing Rhythm Guitar

Vocal Improvisation (Saturday, 2:30 to 3:45 pm): These fun and accessible exercises, open to singers and non-singers alike, will unleash musical ideas and notions you didn’t know you had!

Swing Rhythm Guitar (Sunday, 1:00 to 2:15 pm): Get swinging on the guitar with these easy and moveable chord shapes to accompany jazz era songs and melodies.

Swing Vocal Chorus ( Sunday, 4:00 pm): Join Katie Martucci and Dave Davies and learn a swing era song in 4 voice harmony ala Boswell or Andrews Sisters. Reading music helpful but not necessary,

John & Cathy Cadley:
Songwriting, Bluegrass Singing & Guitar

Songwriting (Friday, 2:45 - 3:45 pm):  I’m going to base this on Rick Beatto’’s YouTube series “What Makes This Song Great,” where he deconstructs a song and analyzes all the components, both musically and lyrically, that make the song “great.” We recently had to learn Chris Stapleton’s song “Starting Over” for a wedding and there’s a lot in the song that demonstrates good songwriting, which I will break down line by line. I think being specific is more effective than talking in generalities.

Bluegrass Guitar Accompaniment (Saturday, 9:00 to 10:15 am):  While many bluegrass players want to learn fiddle tunes and hot licks,  95% of the time the guitar is a back-up instrument, so we would cover rhythm, fills, “playing the song” rather than just playing the guitar, how to use a capo in a two-guitar scenario so you’re not both playing  in the same register, the different way you need to play depending on whether you're backing a fiddle, banjo, or mandolin, when to lay back and when to punch it.

Singing Country Covers in Harmony (Saturday 10:30 to 11:45 am):  John and Cathy sing great harmony together and know a lot of country standards.  They will sing for you and teach you how to sing in harmony with a twang.  

Bluegrass & Country Harmony Singing (Sunday, 9:30 to 10:30 am):   We’ll cover intervals, which ones create different moods, what creates the “high, lonesome sound,” how to find them when you’re working out harmonies, how to listen for them in other people’s music, such as the Skaggs & Rice duet album.

Playing Bluegrass & Folk Guitar Leads That Sound Like the Song (Sunday, 10:45 to 11:45 pm):  How to play a solo in a song so you still know what song it is—not just -playing licks to chord changes but first learning the melody and then seeing what else you can do without losing it. David Grier says when he takes a solo he makes sure to reference the melody enough so you always know what song he’s playing.