Friday 3:00-4:00pm – Pre-festival workshop 1

How to Jam – Liz Donaldson of Terpsichore (all instruments, adv. beginner)
If you’ve sat quietly at jam sessions wishing you knew how to jump into the music, this session is for you. Liz will give you tips on jam etiquette and show you how to join in on tunes you don’t know.

Intro to Blues - Scott Ainslie (all instruments, intermediate)
Most broadly the blues reflect the collision of two scales, one from West Africa and one from Europe. We’ll identify the notes of this minor African scale and learn to play them over European major harmonies in order to create blues solos. Depending on the instruments and experience levels, we may also examine the various stock rhythms of Delta and the chord changes involved in ragtime blues.

East Indian Music – Galitcha (all instruments, intermediate)
This is the first time in 8 years that Folk College has offered a workshop on East Indian music. Don’t pass it up!

Scottish Tunes – Elke Baker of Terpsichore (all instruments, intermediate)
We’ll take a quick look at the different kinds of music in the Scottish repertoire–slow airs, marches, jigs, strathspeys and reels–and then we’ll learn a few tunes. We will work both from written music and by ear.

Bluegrass Instrumentals – Hickory Project (all instruments, advanced)
This session will include some jamming, but also learning how to form a good instrumental break, techniques and skills for improvising, playing back-up and lead, and advanced chord progressions.

Railroad Songs – Neal & Coleen Walters of Doofus (all levels)
We’ll go beyond “I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad” to examine some interesting railroad songs that reflect American history.

Classical Violinists Become Folk Fiddlers – Laurie Hart of Anonyme
A classical violin background is a wonderful first step toward playing folk fiddle.  We’ll examine the subtleties that will make your playing sound more “fiddley”.




Friday 4:15-5:15pm – Pre-festival workshop 2

Beginners’ Jam – Cindy Durkee and Clark Parry (all instruments, beginners)
We’ll take it slow and easy with some simple standard tunes. Non-musicians are welcome. Cindy and Clark will have you playing before you know it!

Top Ten Tunes – Neal & Coleen Walters of Doofus (all instruments, adv. beginner)
In jam sessions, does it seem like you never hear the same tune twice? The secret is revealed: There ARE a few tunes that are quite popular in instrumental jams. We’ll look at ten very common tunes so that you can build a repertoire for jamming. Doofus will lead the Saturday night Slow Jam, and we’ll be sure to play these tunes again then. We’ll mostly work by ear, but music will be available as well.

One Song, Many Styles – Mark Fowler (all instruments, intermediate)
This workshop idea arose one night when Mark started to play “This Little Light of Mine” in an Elvis Presley style and then morphed it through the spectrum from singer-songwriter all the way to punk.  We’ll start with some listening examples and try to identify the characteristics that establish a style and then we’ll try out these ideas on a simple song.  Words and chords will be provided.

Contradance Tunes – Rachel Hall & Karen Hirshon of Simple Gifts (all instruments, intermediate)
Come experience the joy of playing the music that accompanies these popular American dances.  We’ll play through the medleys planned for this evening’s contradance and learn basic arrangement ideas that make them come alive! Music and chords will be provided. [Note: It’s ok to skip this workshop and play for the dance anyhow.]

Bluegrass Harmony Singing – Hickory Project
We’ll work on bluegrass harmony singing, from 2-part to 4-part, with a focus on learning to hear your part, staying in tune, and other harmony challenges (like how to sing that always-difficult baritone part). We’ll also look at lead-singing technique and learning to sing with more soul. By using songs in a variety of ranges, everyone will learn to sing each voice part.

Blues Guitar – Scott Ainslie (all levels)
We’ll look at the chord forms common to solo acoustic blues, guitar strategies for playing solo, and reducing barre chords to leave strings open and enlarge the sound of the guitar. We’ll focus first on standard tuning and then on major open tunings.

Drum Circle – Rich Blair (all levels)
The perfect way to start the weekend – make new friends as you drum together. Don’t have a drum with you? Just bring any object you can bang on to get a sound.


Friday 5:30pm – Dinner on your own or meet in Brumbaugh Lobby to go with a group.


Friday 7:00pm – Staff Concert – Huntingdon County Fairgrounds
Anonyme • Galitcha • Terpsichore • The Wiyos


Friday After the Concert – Huntingdon County Fairgrounds (starts approx. 15 minutes after concert ends)
Contra Dance with Open Band – Rachel Hall & Karen Hirshon (band leaders) and Bob Nicholson (caller)
Slow Jam – Clark & Cindy: Tunes and songs at a slooooow tempo with plenty of TLC
Bluegrass Jam – The Hickory Project
Mixed Styles Jam – The Wiyos

Friday 11:30pm – Jamming
Intermediate-level jam with Mark Fowler, Howard Blumenthal & Peggy Shutes in the dorm lounge.
 

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Saturday 7:00-8:00am – Breakfast in Ellis Hall

Saturday 8:15-8:45am – Orientation Meeting – Auditorium
Meet the staff, sign up for a folk band, and get oriented as to what’s happening for the rest of the weekend.

Be sure to hand in your Folk Band form by 9:00am if you’d like to be coached
with like-minded musicians in a band setting. See Saturday 2:45 for details.


Saturday 9:00-10:15am – Workshop 1

Beginners’ Intensive – Clark Parry & Cindy Durkee
Clark and Cindy are gentle, patient teachers who will get you started on a musical journey with simple chords, rhythms and melodies. You’ll get to try mountain dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and bass, and we’ll slowly and gently work toward becoming musicians. Although we’re offering this as a two-part intensive (continuing at 10:30), it’s absolutely fine to go to one part and not the other.

Hearing Chord Changes – Parrish and Joe of The Wiyos  (all instruments, adv beginner)
You’re at a jam, and someone suggests a tune you don’t know. What do you do? An important skill toward surviving a jam session is to learn to hear chord changes. This workshop will teach you to hear and identify common chords and chord changes and to understand where and when they occur. We’ll also explore how to anticipate what chord is coming and more.

Easy Indian Tunes – Members of Galitcha (all instruments, adv. beginner)
Introduction to East Indian folk tunes - lovely uncomplicated tunes that you can play along with. The workshop will also touch upon Bollywood film songs, the big craze of India.

Balkan Tunes – Gordon Bonnet of Anonyme (all instruments, intermediate)
Balkan tunes are generally in “non-standard” meters, i.e., each measure has something other than the 2, 3, or 4 beats that we’re used to in western music. We’ll probably cover just one tune (two tops) and mainly focus on how to count and feel the rhythm. It’ll turn your head around! This class will be mostly by ear, with sheet music available if needed.

French Canadian Tunes - Laurie and Julia of Anonyme (all instruments, intermediate)
We will learn one or two upbeat reels by ear. The mysteries of French Canadian syncopations, foot tapping, and bouncy bowing style will be revealed! Some sheet music may be provided at the end of the workshop.

Hot Licks – Hickory Project (all instruments, advanced)
Learn to make your playing dynamic, exciting and more professional by examining “hot licks” in a variety of styles.  These will be ones that are well-known in bluegrass circles in addition to ones that the Hickory Project has popularized.  We’ll also discuss when to use them, when not to, and ideas for improvising your own.

English Country Dancing – Liz Donaldson of Terpsichore (all levels of dancers)
What better way to start the morning than with some beautiful and exciting English country dancing? No experience is necessary. Wear soft-soled shoes if you have them. Live music will be provided by Rachel Bell.

Slide Guitar – Scott Ainslie (all levels)   
Learn techniques that will make or break your slide playing – including right and left hand muting, hand posture, and instrument posture. Scott says: “I spent years wandering around in the wilderness of slide guitar before perfecting these techniques. These are the keys to the kingdom of slide guitar, and I’m going to save you that particular walk in the woods.”

Old Time Banjo – John and Neal of Doofus (beyond beginner)
Tips and techniques for playing old time banjo, plus you’ll learn a couple of tunes.


 Saturday 10:30-11:45am – Workshop 2

Beginners’ Intensive – Clark Parry & Cindy Durkee
Clark and Cindy are gentle, patient teachers who will get you started on a musical journey with simple chords, rhythms and melodies. You’ll get to try mountain dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and bass, and we’ll slowly and gently work toward becoming musicians. Although we’re offering this as a two-part intensive (beginning at 9:00), it’s absolutely fine to go to one part and not the other.

Learning by Ear – Elke and Liz of Terpsichore (all instruments, advanced beginner)
You’ve been taking lessons and perhaps played in an orchestra, but this whole idea of learning folk tunes without any sheet music has got you paralyzed? Do you attend jam sessions with a bag of music books, only to find that by the time you’ve found the music, everyone’s moved on to a different tune? We’ll take the mystery out of learning by ear and break tunes into reasonable segments that everyone can access.

Easy Scandinavian Tunes – Laurie Hart of Anonyme (melody instruments, advanced beginner)
Laurie will guide you through ear-learning by breaking down the melody into bits you can easily play and remember. We will learn easy tunes from Sweden and/or Norway. Sheet music will be provided at the end of the workshop.

Using Syncopation – The Wiyos (all instruments, intermediate)
Syncopation can really snaz up your playing. Learn when and how to use it, and learn some rhythm licks that sound great and are fun to play!

Old Time Songs & Tunes – Neal & Coleen of Doofus (intermediate instruments, all levels singers)
We’ll start off with some simple songs and tunes and then work up to some more obscure ones you may not have heard. We’ll mostly work by ear, but music will be available as well.

Jazz Improvisation – Linsey Wellman of Galitcha (all instruments, advanced)
Come learn advanced techniques in improvisation, using standard chord progressions as the basis for improvisation exercises.

Song Arranging – Heidi & John Cerrigione of Doofus (all levels)
Song arrangements can be boringly formulaic or exceptionally interesting.  Learn how to make yours glow!

Bluegrass Mandolin – Anthony Hannigan of Hickory Project (beyond beginner)
Tips and techniques for good tone production, building speed, and right and left hand techniques for playing more difficult music. We will learn some tunes and their accompanying chords.

Technology for Folk Musicians – Mark Fowler (for all)
We’ll look at computer programs as well as stand-alone equipment that folk musicians can use to help practice, learn, arrange, and share folk music.  (We’ll leave discussions of sound processing and sound reinforcement technology to others!)  You’ll get to try various technologies such as “Band-in-a Box”, phrase trainers, notation methods, and more.


Student-run workshops are your chance to share your skills and learn from each other.
Stop by the registration desk to sign up to lead a workshop.
Check the postings in the lobby to see what workshops are being offered.

Student-run workshops will be Saturday 4:30pm, Sunday 8:00am, and Sunday after the concert.


 Saturday 12:00-1:00 – Lunch in Ellis Hall
For those who pre-paid – limited number of extra meals for purchase; inquire at info desk in Brumbaugh Lobby.


Saturday 1:15-2:30pm – Workshop 3

Backup Basics – Rachel Hall of Simple Gifts (all instruments, adv. beginner)
Tips and techniques for making your backup playing varied, interesting, and powerful.

Easy Breton Tunes – Gordon and Julia of Anonyme (all instruments, adv beginner)
Learn some simple tunes from Brittany, the Celtic region of France. This class will be mostly by ear, with sheet music available if needed.

Jazz Chords – Mark Fowler (all instruments, intermediate)
Jazz chords (anything other than the standard major/minor/sevenths… e.g., diminished, 6ths, 9ths, 13ths, flat 5s, etc) can be used to spice up folk music!  One of the hardest parts of using jazz chords is understanding when to use them… and to do that you need to understand how the chords are made.  We’ll build a graphical “chord family tree” to understand where jazz chords come from and then play through several examples of how they can be used.

Pennsylvania Tunes – Karen & Linda of Simple Gifts (all instruments, intermediate)
We’ll look at about ten wonderful but relatively unknown tunes collected in Pennsylvania. Sheet music and chords will be provided.

Cape Breton Tunes – Elke Baker of Terpsichore (all melody instruments, advanced)
Cape Breton Island, part of the maritime province of Nova Scotia in Canada, was heavily settled by Scots from the Highlands and Western Islands of Scotland. The Cape Breton fiddle tradition developed from these roots and has unique features that distinguish it from other Celtic styles. Learn some Cape Breton tunes and explore the distinct elements of the style.

Vocal Techniques – Michael Farkas of The Wiyos (all levels)
Learn some exercises and tips that will help you to maintain a healthy voice and have more fun singing. We’ll look at warm-ups and methods for varying tone and increasing projection.

Bluegrass Fiddle – Sue Cunningham of Hickory Project (intermediate/advanced)
We’ll learn some popular bluegrass fiddle tunes and examine the fundamentals so that you can recognize and anticipate common chord progressions.  We’ll also work on double stops, harmonies, and improvisation.

Try an Autoharp – Heidi Cerrigione of Doofus (for all)
What other instrument can you cradle in your arms and strum next to your ear? Autoharp is a wonderful, versatile and not too difficult instrument, so come give it a try!  We’ll have several autoharps for folks to try out, and you’ll learn the basics of wearing picks, holding the ‘harps and simple strumming.

Indian Percussion Instruments – Members of Galitcha (all levels)
Learn about several traditional Indian drums, including dolki, tabla, and dhol, and try out some of the rhythms used in Indian music.  Bring along a percussion instrument for a drumming jam!
 

Saturday 2:45-4:15 pm – Folk Band Rehearsal
Based on the form you filled out during the orientation meeting (Saturday 8:15am), you’ll be assigned to a band that will rehearse with the help of a staff coach and then perform at Sunday’s Student Concert. There will also be an option to join a non-performing band. Band lists will be posted in the lobby. Make sure to hand in your form by 9:00am!

Saturday 4:30-5:30 – Student-run Workshops
Sign up at the info desk if you want to offer a workshop. A list of available workshops will be posted.

Saturday 7:00 pm – Staff Concert – Brumbaugh Auditorium
Doofus • Simple Gifts • Scott Ainslie • Hickory Project

Saturday after the Concert
Open Mic (Sign up in the lobby) – Auditorium
Slow Jam: Doofus
Indian Jam: Galitcha
Mixed Styles Jam: Elke Baker, Laurie Hart, and Liz Donaldson

Saturday 11:30pm – Jamming
Intermediate level jam with Mark Fowler, Howard Blumenthal & Peggy Shutes in the dorm lounge.

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Sunday 7:45-8:45am – Breakfast in Ellis Hall
For those who pre-paid – limited number of extra meals for purchase; inquire at info desk in Brumbaugh Lobby.

Sunday 8:00-8:45 – Student-run Workshops (after a quick breakfast)
Sign up at the info desk if you want to offer a workshop. A list of available workshops will be posted.
 

Sunday 9:00-10:15am – Workshop 4

Basic Contradance Repertoire – Liz of Terpsichore (all instruments, adv. beginner)
We’ll look at some of the most commonly played contradance tunes, with tips for both melody and backup players. Sheet music will be available if needed.

Introduction to Bluegrass – Hickory Project (all instruments, adv. beginner)
What makes it bluegrass? What songs should I learn? What should I do at a jam session? These questions and many more will be answered by members of the Hickory Project as they discuss where bluegrass comes from and most of all, how to best learn and enjoy this great music that ties so many people together.

Instrumental Accompaniment to Songs - Scott Ainslie (all chording instruments, intermediate)
Bring a song, and we’ll discuss how to strengthen your accompaniment. We’ll work toward enhancing the accompaniment by examining the elements and contrasts that make music musical: volume, pacing, phrasing, density, color/tone, etc. This workshop will be most appropriate for guitar players, but other instruments are welcome as well, particularly instruments that play chords.

East Indian Tunes – Galitcha (all instruments, intermediate)
You’ll learn a simple raga and the rules that apply to it. Then, as a group we’ll construct a song based on that raga.  This workshop will help you to add an East Indian influence to your music and will give you an example of how South Asian tunes are often created.

Getting a Professional Sound – The Wiyos  (all instruments, advanced)
There’s a difference between playing professionally and really sounding professional. We’ll work on polishing your band sound, with a look at how to lock in rhythmically, how to blend your sound, and how to get a distinctive band sound.

Hymn Singing – Doofus and Clark & Cindy – Stone Church
(Exit Brumbaugh, turn right. Church is at 2nd intersection on the left.)
Non-denominational, no sermon, no collection basket. Just soulful songs anyone can sing. Instruments are welcome too. Ends at 9:45.

Fiddle Styles – All the Staff Fiddlers (Sue, Laurie, Elke, Karen and Linda)
All of Folk College’s fiddling staff will be in one room at the same time, as we examine the differences and subtleties of various fiddling styles and techniques. Bring your questions!

Squeeze Boxes – Rachel of Simple Gifts (concertina & accordion, beyond beginner)
Tips and techniques for squeezing your squeezable instrument!

Sound Reinforcement – Curtis Rockwell, our Tech Director (all levels)
Tips, pointers, and techniques for making the best use of a PA, including how to sing into a microphone, where to place the mic for various instruments, and what to do during a sound check.  You’ll also have an opportunity to experiment with the equipment being used for the concerts.


 Sunday 10:30-11:45am – Workshop 5

How to Play Tunes You Don’t Know – Doofus (all instruments, adv. beginner)
If you’ve sat quietly at jam sessions wishing you knew how to jump into the music, this session is for you. We’ll start from the beginning and show you step by step how to join in on tunes you don’t know.

Scottish Tunes – Elke Baker of Terpsichore (all instruments, intermediate)
We’ll take a quick look at the different kinds of music in the Scottish repertoire–slow airs, marches, jigs, strathspeys and reels–and then we’ll learn a few tunes. We will work both from written music and by ear.

Expanding Your Rhythm Palette – Chris MacLean of Galitcha (no instruments used, intermediate)
A workshop to help you break out of the box and familiarize yourself with rhythm patterns and treatment that is not usually heard in North American music. We’ll listen to various rhythms (including non-standard meters) and clap, stomp, and move to the beat, making sounds with voices and body.

Adding Stuff to the Music – Karen & Rachel of Simple Gifts (all instruments, advanced)
Simple Gifts often finds themselves in a situation where one of them is on the melody, one is playing backup, and the other does something that’s somewhere in between. They’ve come to call this “stuff.” Simple Gifts’ stuff consists of fills, syncopations, and rhythmic and melodic variations. In this workshop, Karen and Rachel share their ideas on how to successfully play the stuff that isn’t melody or backup, though sometimes includes a bit of each, and certainly goes a long way toward making a band’s sound special.

Four-Part Vocal Harmony – Hickory Project
We’ll work on bluegrass harmonies, with a focus on learning to hear your part, staying in tune, and other harmony challenges (like how to sing that always-difficult baritone part). We’ll also look at lead-singing technique and learning to sing with more soul. By using songs in a variety of ranges, everyone will learn to sing each voice part.

Blues Guitar – Scott Ainslie (intermediate/advanced)
We have the option of examining the music of John Hurt, Robert Johnson, Rev. Gary Davis and other Piedmont Blues players, as well as some Muddy Waters, etc. The focus will remain on acoustic blues and be determined by the goals of the students.

Try a Nyckelharpa - Laurie Hart of Anonyme (for all)
This is your chance to try this fascinating and beautifully resonant instrument. You’ll learn the basics of how to hold the ‘harpa, use the bow, and finger the keys. Depending on the size of the group, we may learn a simple tune.

African Drumming – Rich Blair (all levels)
A drum circle and exploration of African polyrhythms. Don’t have a drum with you? Just bring any object you can bang on to get a sound.

The Art of Stagecraft – The Wiyos (for all)
A little bit of acting goes a long way toward spicing up your performance. We’ll examine techniques to help you become more comfortable and aware on stage and to make your presentation more exciting to the audience.



Sunday 12:00-1:00 – Lunch in Ellis Hall

Sunday 1:15-2:15 – Folk Band Rehearsal

Sunday 2:30-4:30 – Student Concert – Brumbaugh Auditorium

Sunday 5:00 – Dorm Checkout

Sunday after the concert (Make sure to check out of the dorm first.)
Intermediate level jam in the auditorium.

Student-run Workshops: Sign up at the info desk if you want to offer a workshop.