2015 Faculty
2015 SCHEDULE
Friday, May 22, 2015
10 am - 1 pm Master Classes
(SEPARATE REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
See Master Classes page
Fiddle Techniques - Laurie Hart
(intermediate/advanced)
Blues Guitar - Eleanor Ellis
(intermediate/advanced)
Folk Cello - Natalie Haas
(intermediate/advanced)
Ukulele - Jamie O’Brien
(intermediate/advanced)
Mountain Dulcimer - Jeff Berman
(intermediate/advanced)
Songwriting - Joel Mabus
(all levels)
Folk Music Skills - The Barefoot Movement
(all instruments, advanced beginner)
1:00 pm General Folk College Registration Opens
1:30, 2:30 & 5:30 pm Newcomers’ Orientation & Walking Tour
3:00-4:00 pm Workshops
Percussion Basics - Jeff Berman
Bring a drum or any object that can be used as a drum, and learn the basics of playing percussion in folk music.
Vocal Improvisation for Beginners - Debbie Rifkin
A basic intro to McFerrin-style circle singing, using your voice to improvise.
Jimmie Rodgers Songs - Henry Koretzky
Learn songs of Jimmie Rodgers, an early 20th century country singer. Lyrics and chords will be provided.
Tunes You Already Know Played by Ear - Linda Littleton & Karen Hirshon of Simple Gifts
(all instruments, advanced beginner)
This will be a fun workshop to help you build your repertoire by using tunes you "already know". We will work from a list of common songs such as Happy Birthday and Oh Susannah.
Easy International Tunes - Rachel Hall
(all instruments, advanced beginner)
Learn a sampling of tunes from around the world! Sheet music and chords will be provided.
Midwestern Tunes - Joel Mabus
(all instruments, intermediate)
Learn tunes with roots in the midwestern US. We'll work by ear with music provided at the end.
Irish Reels - Changeling
(all instruments, intermediate)
Come learn a few reels that are popular at Irish sessions. Music and chords will be provided.
Rhythmic Backup - Yann Falquet
(all instruments, advanced)
We'll explore subtleties of playing good rhythm.
Playing the Blues - Eleanor Ellis
(all instruments, advanced)
Blues isn't only for harmonica and guitar - bring your voice, mandolin, fiddle, pennywhistle, percussion or whatever you play, and add to the fun as we work up a blues song or two.
4:15-5:15 pm Workshops
Try a Ukulele- Jamie O’Brien
(beginner, instruments provided)
You'll discover why these little instruments have captured the heart of people everywhere. It's so much and fun and easy to do!! Learn a few chords....sing a hundred songs!!! The session is targeted to total beginners. Ukuleles will be provided.
Duo Singing - Red Tail Ring
There's a whole spectrum of ways to make sound with two voices. We'll discuss and experiment with different approaches to singing with a partner.
Songs of Scalawags, Rapscallions, and Reprobates - Jerry Trusty
We'll have a fun time with some interesting and colorful songs. Lyrics and chords will be provided.
How to Jam - Henry Koretzky
(all instruments, advanced beginner)
Learn some jam skills that will help you join in the jams over the weekend. How do you figure out what to play, and what do you do if you don't know the tune being played?
Slow & Easy Tunes - Gordon Bonnet & Debbie Rifkin
(all instruments, advanced beginner)
Come learn a few fun tunes that are easy to play! Sheet music and chords will be provided.
French Canadian Tunes - Yann Falquet & Laurie Hart
(all instruments, intermediate)
Laurie will work with melody players, teaching a Québécois reel or two by ear, while Yann works with the backup musicians (chords and foot-tapping). Then we'll put it all together. Sheet music will be provided after the workshop.
Modal Tunes - Natalie Haas
(all instruments, intermediate)
Modal tunes are tunes that don't follow the common major and minor scales used in most western music, and as a result they sound wonderfully exotic and fresh. Come to this workshop to learn a few modal tunes, and break free of the straight and narrow!
Improvising Melody Backup for Songs - Changeling
(all instruments, advanced)
Learn what to play on your instrument to accompany a singer. We'll explore the process step by step, from learning the chords through to playing harmony lines and tags.
Swing Tunes - Joel Mabus
(all instruments, advanced)
You’ll learn some swing tunes, and you’ll also learn how to make it swing. Remember, “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing!”
5:30-6:30 pm Dinner
For those who pre-paid – limited number of extra meals for purchase; inquire at info desk.
7:00pm Concert:
Simple Gifts
Appalasia
Eleanor Ellis
The Barefoot Movement
After the Concert
Slow Jam - Karen and Linda of Simple Gifts
Singing Jam - Red Tail Ring
Swing Jam - Joel Mabus
Old Time Jam - The Barefoot Movement
Sheet Music Read-Through - Gordon Bonnet
11:00pm Late jam at the dorm
Dorm Jam – Jerry Trusty
Saturday, May 23, 2015
7:30-8:30 am Breakfast
For those who pre-paid – limited number of extra meals for purchase; inquire at info desk in Good Hall lounge.
8:45-9:15 am Orientation
Meet the staff, sign up for a folk band, and get oriented as to what’s happening for the rest of the weekend.
9:30-10:45 am Workshops
Quebecois Foot Percussion - Yann Falquet
(for all)
Learn how to tap your feet in the lively Québécois style to accompany fiddle tunes and songs.
Chinese Instruments - Mimi Jong of AppalAsia
(instruments to try)
Mimi will bring several erhus, a zhonghu and a goal for you to try during this workshop.
Stephen Foster Songs - Sue Powers
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.
How to Jam - Laurie Hart
(all melody instruments, advanced beginner)
Laurie will help you get ready to jam via ear training (listening and imitating), singing tunes and then playing, discussing how fiddle tunes work, how jam sessions work, and the most efficient way to practice and build your repertoire. And we'll get some experience in how to begin to learn a tune that's flying by at session-speed.
Variations on Irish Tunes - Deborah Colon of Changeling
(all instruments, intermediate)
Learn how to "mess" with tunes, making small changes to the melody that add variety without fundamentally changing the tune.
How to be a Great Backup Player - The Barefoot Movement
(all instruments, intermediate)
Learn how to "mess" with tunes, making small changes to the melody that add variety without fundamentally changing the tune.
Bulgarian Tunes - Gordon Bonnet & Debbie Rifkin
(all instruments, advanced)
Macedonian tunes often have unusual meters such as 7/8 or 11/16. Learn how to count and play a few of these wonderfully exotic tunes. Sheet music will be provided.
Songwriting - Joel Mabus
We will discuss a variety of songwriting techniques: how to get started, how to take a good idea and mold it into a song, and what makes a song work.
Folk Cello - Natalie Haas
(all levels beyond beginner)
Learn techniques for using your cello as a folk instrument.
Intro to Flatpicking Guitar - Henry Koretzky
(advanced beginner)
Learn to play fiddle tune melodies on your guitar using alternating picking and other techniques.
Mini Lessons: Fiddle, Mandolin, Guitar - Karen Hirshon of Simple Gifts
(all levels)
Sign up for a short one-on-one session with Karen.
11:00-12:15 Workshops
Try a Fiddle- Karen Hirshon of Simple Gifts
(instruments provided)
Have you ever wanted to try a fiddle but never had the opportunity? Now is your chance to try this versatile instrument. Instruments will be provided, or bring your own.
Celtic Songs of War & Outlaws - Karl Colon of Changeling
Before B movies and late-night TV, the Celtic peoples entertained themselves and each other in the long evenings with songs and stories–the bloodier the better. They also passed along their history and cultural values, sometimes coded in songs to hide their meaning from the authorities. Come hear stories of figures like Shane Crossagh and Johnny Cope, and bring along your own favorite outlaw or wartime song to share.
Contradance Basics - Bob Nicholson
(for dancers)
Contradancing is easy enough that you’ll be fine at the evening dance even if you’ve never tried it before. But you’ll have a better time if you come to this workshop to learn the basics.
How to Learn Tunes by Ear - Deborah Colon of Changeling
(all instruments, advanced beginner)
Trying to learn tunes by ear can be tough. Deborah will share tips and shortcuts to make it easier.
Old Time Tunes - The Barefoot Movement
(all instruments, intermediate)
Trying to learn tunes by ear can be tough. Deborah will share tips and shortcuts to make it easier.
Chinese Ensemble Music - Mimi Jong of AppalAsia
(all instruments, intermediate)
Working from sheet music, we'll play some Chinese tunes arranged for a small ensemble. This is your chance to learn something really different and exotic!
Cool Riffs - Natalie Haas & Yann Falquet
(all instruments, advanced)
You'll learn a few riffs that can be inserted into multiple tunes to spice them up!
Performance Tips - Joel Mabus
Where musicianship meets stagecraft – that’s the cutting edge of performance. In this workshop we’ll go over some of the more important details in attitude, delivery and polish that can elevate your set to the next level. Tip # 1: Never leave your wallet backstage!
Fiddle Techniques - Laurel Premo of Red Tail Ring
We’ll focus on bow arm techniques that will improve your tone and articulation. You’ll learn some easy exercises, and we’ll embed our new techniques in real tunes to find more musicality in our playing.
Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar - Jamie O’Brien
Learn to fingerpick your guitar in this popular style.
Mini Lessons: Mandolin , Guitar - Henry Koretzky
Sign up for a short one-on-one session with Henry.
12:30-1:30 pm Lunch
1:45-3:00 pm Workshops
Try a Banjo- Jerry Trusty
(instruments provided)
Starting at the very beginning, you'll learn the basics of clawhammer style banjo. Instruments will be available for you to borrow during the workshop or bring your own.
International Ballads - Red Tail Ring
Join us for an introduction to the old world of ballads, learn a few of them, and take home resources for studying this rich history.
Developing Your Own Singing Style - The Barefoot Movement
Learn to develop your own personal singing style while also making the style appropriate to the song.
Waltzes - Gordon Bonnet
(all instruments, advanced beginner)
The waltz is one of the oldest, and definitely the most romantic, dance forms. In this class, we’ll learn a few easy but beautiful waltz tunes from various folk traditions. Sheet music will be provided but tunes will be taught by ear as well.
Rhythmic Concepts - Jeff Berman of AppalAsia
(all instruments, advanced beginner)
What distinguishes one good player from another? RHYTHM!!! It’s their sense of timing, interpretation, articulation, expression, “groove”, and the melody of rhythm. We will explore how these elements contribute to creating a strong and confident rhythmic concept, and how we can develop these skills for solo and group playing.
Contradance Band Practice - Rachel Hall, Linda Littleton, Bob Nicholson
(all instruments, intermediate)
We’ll play through the music planned for this evening’s contradance and learn arrangements and approaches 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.]
Swedish Tunes - Laurie Hart
(all melody instruments, advanced
Laurie will teach two tunes with ornamentation (and bowing for the fiddlers): a cool polska with an irregular pulse from Dalarna in Northern Sweden, and a joyous regular-beat slängpolska from Southern Sweden. She'll assume you are advanced on your instrument, but it's fine if you know nothing about Swedish music yet. Sheet music will be provided after the workshop.
Mandolin Techniques - Tommy Norris
Laurie will guide you through ear-learning by breaking down the melody into bits you can easily play and remember. We will learn a waltz, schottis, and/or walking tune from Sweden. Sheet music will be provided at the end of the workshop.
Ukulele Techniques - Jamie O’Brien
Techniques for uke players beyond beginning level, and also appropriate for those experienced with strumming, picking, and chording on other instruments.
Blues Guitar - Eleanor Ellis
Dropped D tuning: open tunings can be a useful way to get fresh ideas for arrangements, voicings and sounds on the guitar, and this simple tuning works well with all styles of music. We'll begin with an overview of the tuning - basic chords, turnarounds, intro, etc - and will put these elements together to learn a song such as "Big Road Blues" by Delta bluesman Tommy Johnson.
Mini Lessons: Fiddle - Debbie Rifkin
(all levels)
Sign up for a short one-on-one session with Debbie.
3:15-4:45 pm Folk Band Rehearsal
Based on the form you filled out during orientation (Saturday 8:45am), 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.
5:00-6:00 pm Dinner
For those who pre-paid – limited number of extra meals for purchase; inquire at info desk in Good Hall lounge.
7:00 pm Faculty Concert
Changeling
Red Tail Ring
Natalie Haas & Yann Falquet
Joel Mabus
After the Concert
Contradance – Simple Gifts will lead an open band with music and chords provided. Bob Nicholson will call the dance.
Irish Session - Changeling
Blues Jam - Eleanor Ellis
Slow Jam, - Henry Koretzkyl
11:00 pm Late jam at the dorm
Dorm Jam – Jerry Trusty
Sunday, May 24, 2015
7:30-8:30 am Breakfast
For those who pre-paid – limited number of extra meals for purchase; inquire at info desk in Good Hall lounge.
8:45-10:00 am Workshops
Hymn Singing - The Barefoot Movement
(for all)
A good old-fashioned hymn sing with focus on old-time hymns. Bring your instrument if you play. Song sheets with chords will be provided. This workshop is free and open to the public. (Ends 9:45)
Beginning Jawharp- Laurel Premo of Red Tail Ring
Jawharp (also knows as Jew's harp) is one of the world's oldest musical instruments, having been traced back to the 4th century BC. You can buy one at this workshop and learn the beginning techniques, as well as a little about overtone music.
Songs of the Piedmont - Eleanor Ellis
Songs of the Piedmont: Blues from the Piedmont region is rhythmical, syncopated, and fun to play and sing. We'll learn some songs from this tradition and talk a bit about the culture and the musicians who gave rise to this musical style.
Tunes That are Cooler Than They are Hard - Rachel Hall
(all instruments, advanced beginner)
Come learn a few tunes that are super cool and not so hard to play. We’ll work by ear but music will be available if needed. This is also a good choice for intermediate/advanced players as there will be different levels of difficulty suggested.
Backing Up Jigs, Reels & Hornpipes - Changeling
(all instruments, intermediate)
You'll learn how to tell whether a tune is a jig, reel, or hornpipe, and what backup rhythms to use once you know.
Hawaiian Tunes - Jamie O’Brien
(all instruments, intermediate)
Learn to play beautiful tunes from Hawaii!
Faking It - Henry Koretzky & Jerry Trusty
(all instruments, advanced)
There are plenty of situations where we need to look, sound, and act like we know exactly what we're doing musically but we're actually flying by the seat of our pants. Learn the fine art of faking it!
Making a Home Recording - Tommy Norris
Learn about software, hardware, techniques, and approaches to making your own recording.
Mountain Dulcimer Techniques - Jeff Berman of AppalAsia
(all levels beyond beginner)
Tips and techniques for getting the most out of your dulcimer playing, including left-hand techniques to make your playing more fluid, approaches to chord playing, and a solid look at rhythm, phrasing, timing, and expression.
Fiddle Bowing - Laurie Hart
(intermediate/advanced)
We will learn two reels and work on some tricky accented bowing patterns, including the double shuffle (American) and the moveable accent pattern (Québecois). Sheet music will be provided after the workshop. This workshop will focus on new bow techniques not covered in the master class, so it will make a great part 2. It's also fine to attend if you did not do the master class.
10:15-11:30 am Workshops
Beginners’ Jam - Henry Koretzky
A fun, supportive jam for those who are new to their instruments and new to jamming.
Shape Note Singing - Rachel Hall
Shape Note Singing, also called Sacred Harp Singing is a 200-year-old American tradition of singing four-part harmony by following music with shaped notes. The music is sung loud with strong rhythms, simple open harmonies, and a strong sense of community. It’s easier than it sounds!
Making a Song Your Own- Red Tail Ring
Learn how to customize a song to take advantage of your strengths and present your own interesting version.
English Country Dance Tunes - Debbie Rifkin & Gordon Bonnet
(all instruments, advanced beginner)
These are beautiful, flowing tunes. We’ll work from sheet music and play through three or four different types of ECD tunes. There will also be tips for how to harmonize.
Appalachian-Asian Fusion Tunes - Members of AppalAsia
(all instruments, intermediate)
Learn tunes that bring together elements of Appalachian and Asian genres.
Scottish Tunes - Natalie Haas
(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.
Tunes from Kentucky - The Barefoot Movement
(all instruments, advanced)
Members of The Barefoot Movement have picked some of their very favorite tunes to teach you!
Guitar Summit - Guitar Faculty
(demo/discussion for all)
Discussion and demonstration of all things guitar.
Percussion: Beyond the Basics - Jeff Berman
For those with some percussion background, we'll look at more advanced techniques and concepts to take your percussion playing to the next level.
Irish Fiddling - Deborah Colon of Changeling
Explore how to choose and use ornaments and bowings to give that Irish lilt and make the tune your own. You'll learn tricks for making a tune sound complicated in the simplest of ways.
11:45 am Group Photo
Bring your instrument and smile!
12:00-1:00 pm Lunch
1:15-2:15 pm Band Rehearsal
Another rehearsal with the same band as yesterday.
2:30-4:30 pm Student Concert
5:00 pm Dorm Checkout