2008 Contemporary Folk Week Classes

Please note that some subjects are offered in both mornings and afternoons. Different sections of the same class subject are given letter designations (A, B, C, etc.), and usually cover identical content. To get the most out of your experience, we ask that you do not register for more than one section of the same subject. Please make your class selections carefully to avoid time conflicts, and clearly indicate which section you want on your registration form, using the letter designations.

SONGWRITING A (David Wilcox)
“Getting to Know the Songs That Know Us Best.” In this class, each one of us will bring in and share a recording of the best song we’ve ever heard; a song by someone else that really moves us. As a class, we will listen to each of your favorite songs and have you tell us what it means to you, and then we’ll delve into how a good song does what it does. Examining all the musical elements, we’ll find out what makes a great song come to life. Where’s the moment in the song where you really feel it? What happens musically at that moment, and what did the song do to set that up? Experienced writers will be able to easily apply these lessons to their own songs, but every level of music lover is welcome.

SONGWRITING B & E (Peter Mulvey)
Peter will begin this session by demonstrating a handful of his own songs, playing them and then deconstructing them to illlustrate the moving parts, pistons, gears and mice on little wheels. For the bulk of the workshop, we will focus on the participants’ own songs (including that disassembling process - be ready!) and then various techniques: “alternate tunings as inspiration”, “single string theory for intuitive play”; “use of the back of the notebook as the back of the mind,” etc. All the techniques are brought back inevitably to the students’ own composing process. The instructor will also invite individual sessions outside regular class time.

SONGWRITING C & D (Kate Campbell)
In this course we will focus on how to merge our personal artistic vision with the craft of professional songwriting. How can we enhance our own writing voice by incorporating some basic tools and skills of the professional songwriter without losing our own particular and extraordinary style? We will also discuss ways to better edit our songs. The best way to do this is by example. Participants do not have to bring in songs for class discussion but those who would like to share their songs are welcome. Kate will be using some handouts and those who plan on sharing their songs should bring lyric sheets for the class. This course is designed for any and all levels of ability with more of an emphasis on lyrical structure than musical forms.

WRITING LYRICS (Anais Mitchell)
In this class we’ll focus on lyric writing as part of the poetic tradition. We’ll explore the relationship between songs & poems, the challenges posed by the song-form (melody, rhythm, structure) vs. free verse, the difference between poetry & wordplay, and effective & ineffective lyrics. We’ll be reading poetry in this class, as well as listening to songwriters whose use of language, imagery, and story is especially intrepid and transcends ordinary songcraft. Our goal here is to try and write the kind of lyrics that hold their own even in the absence of music. This class will be a workshop environment; students (and teacher) should come with a draft of a recent song & a recent poem (even those who haven’t written poetry before) and be prepared for group sharing & critique.

WRITING TOPICAL SONGS (Anais Mitchell)
In this class we’ll focus on expanding our notions of what we can write about, beyond the everyday ups and downs of the human heart. Specifically, we’ll bring our creative awareness to the societal & political goings-on that define our present day. We’ll explore the history of topical song, the problem of politics vs. poetry in the English language, and what makes for effective and ineffective topical songwriting. We’ll listen to Child ballads, songs of the labor canon, songs of the 1960s folk revival, and especially, we’ll listen to a LOT of early Bob Dylan. Our goal here is to explore topical songwriting not merely as a vehicle for advancing a particular platform or worldview, but as an opportunity to describe the world around us with the same passion for detail that we use to describe our inmost selves. This class will be conducted in a workshop environment: students (and teacher) should come with a draft of a recent topical song (define “topical” any way you like for this first one) and be prepared for group sharing & critique.

COMMERCIAL SONGWRITING (Kyler England)
“Making Friends with Music Theory”: Music theory doesn’t have to be intimidating like a foreign language or boring like a math problem. In this class, Kyler helps students expand their “toolboxes” harmonically and melodically in exciting new ways that they can put to work in their own unique songwriting style. Using techniques including ‘solfege’ and the Nashville chord numbering system, students will deconstruct their favorite songs as well as examples of hit songs to understand what makes them tick. By better understanding the relationship between melody and chords and chord progressions, students will learn how to build tension and momentum into a melody as well as how to make it more catchy and commercial. Handouts provided. All skill levels welcome.

WRITING MELODIES (Cliff Eberhardt)
The purpose of this class on melody is to expand the students’ musical vocabulary. We do this in several ways, by showing song structure, intros, out-tros, bridges, endings, musical interludes, key changes, etc. Cliff will also show the students by using his own musical vocabulary, how to insert chords to make the melody more interesting and more accessible. We’ll also explore exercises on how a change of environment can awaken creativity, and cover a brief history of modern songwriting to show how the past can be incorporated with the students’ current work. Everyone will try to rewrite one of their existing melodies, and everyone will be given the same set of lyrics to write a melody to and see how differently the songs turn out.

SONGWRITING & PERFORMANCE (Vance Gilbert)
Vance’s dicta is that songwriting and performance are inextricable entities, so his songwriting classes will be, on the average, 70% about songwriting and 30% performance of the song, while the performance classes will be approximately the inverse of that, depending on individual need. All of this is done in a supportive atmosphere as if it were an “instructive open mike,” Vance working with one student as the others watch. Then it’s YOUR turn!! In these practical classes Vance gets “under the hood” of what you do and want to do. This is all terrific fun too, cause he is both supportive and very entertaining. This stage/song bootcamp is a class you don’t want to miss.

PERFORMANCE & SONGWRITING (Vance Gilbert)
Do you ever wonder what makes a great performance or performer just so? It’s not necessarily guitar chops or an in-tune, dulcet set of vocal pipes. It’s the “thing” as a whole. Ever notice how a so–so song performed well will leave you empty? Or how you think you may have missed a great song because it was, well, “sub-performed?” Well, here is a practical performance workshop in which you’ll have an opportunity to hone your existing song delivery skills or adopt/adapt new ones. Bring a new or troublesome song and practice everything from eye contact, patter dynamics, timing, body positioning and more. Right in the middle of this performance work we’ll look closely at song arrangement, word/phrase choices, phrasing, and “getting the guitar out of the way”. Set list, pacing, patter, large room vs small room, off- vs. on-mike singing, indoor vs. outdoor venue, where to place a cover tune and other fine points will be practiced and examined as time allows.

PERFORMANCE A (David Wilcox & Nance Pettit)
“Singing Your Heart Out.” This a performance workshop that will help you discover the heart of a song and guide you in reaching that emotion when you perform, so that you can bring your audience there with you. For performers who have been at it a while, you know your song well enough that your mind is free to think of other things while you are playing, so what do you think about? We will explore what happens when we sing a sad song with an angry tone, or vice versa, and see which one makes the song most interesting. Every song has a character or emotional tone behind it, and we can fill in the back story to find our motivation as singer, and then use the parallel experiences from our past to help us stay in character. You can learn the subtext of a lyric so that you communicate at a heart level not just the words you are singing, but your own life experience of what the song is about. The deeper you feel it, the deeper they will.

PERFORMANCE B (Cliff Eberhardt)
We’ll start with the number one topic that is so very important – composing a set list. The flow of songs that engages the audience is what makes or breaks a show. The artist should be in charge, from the moment the show begins to the end. We’ll look at how to start the set and how to finish it, how to be unpredictable and yet comfortable, and how to use between-song patter to steer the audience toward an enjoyable experience. Also, we’ll explore how to handle mistakes and the occasional heckler, how to watch seasoned performers to capitalize on one’s strengths, and how to be your own showman.

BOOKING & PROMOTING A PROFITABLE INDIE TOUR (Kyler England)
You have a batch of great songs and you’re ready to hit the road. In this class Kyler talks candidly about her experiences as a road warrior, having played 150+ shows a year for the past 5 years; mostly shows she booked herself. Learn how to do your own booking in the digital age, as well as the pros and cons of working with an agent; structure your tour to make it profitable by playing a variety of venues including listening rooms, coffeehouses, clubs, house concerts, colleges and festivals; promote your shows more effectively using tools like Myspace, email lists and street teams as well as by writing your own press releases and doing radio interviews; survive on a shoestring once you’re out there and have fun doing it. Handouts, including booking resources, provided. All skill levels welcome.

VOCAL CLINIC A & B (Siobhán Quinn)
This class is for road-weary and occasional singers alike, and especially singing guitarists! Everyone has a unique sound from the physical make-up of their vocal cords/resonance chambers; learning vocal technique will help you claim your songs with your voice! Siobhán uses classical/modern technique as a foundation for vocal flexibility while helping you to maintain individual vocal personality. We’ll work individually to explore and enhance your voice and you will develop a personal basic regimen to maintain skills you learn in the workshop. Siobhán is an encouraging teacher who will help you to bring out the best parts of your voice within each song you sing. Be prepared to work on two songs – one you love to sing, and one you really want to sing. They do not have to be your own. We will cover 1) vocal/breath warm-ups leading up to advanced workouts, 2) physiology of the voice, how to use each part – knowledge crucial to getting the most out of your instrument, including vocal health issues, 3) specific issues and exercises for songwriters/ guitarists, such as posture with instrument, lack of breath, singing flexibly within your range, positioning and strengthening exercises to shake out the unsteady parts of your voice. We’ll spend the first day on the basics and physiology to get everyone onto the same page – then hit the ground running vocally, focusing on excellent technique to capture your best performance.

ADVENTURESOME GUITAR FOR SONGWRITERS I (Brooks Williams)
“Beyond the First Four Frets.” This class is designed for guitar-playing songwriters and singers who are looking to spice up their songs with new guitar ideas. If you feel like your guitar skills have reached a plateau, or if you’ve ever wondered if there is music beyond the first four frets of your guitar, then this workshop is for you! We will focus on chords and groove, specifically, moving chords up the neck of the guitar and experimenting with strumming and picking rhythms. We’ll do this in real time with lots of hands-on playing by learning songs in first position (the first four frets) and then learning the same songs in one or two other places up the neck of the guitar. All chords and rhythms will be taught in the context of song examples. This workshop is best suited for players with knowledge of all the basic first position chords (e.g., C, C7, A, A7, Am, G, G7, E, E7, Em, D, D7, Dm, F, Bm, B7).

ADVENTURESOME GUITAR FOR SONGWRITERS II (Brooks Williams)
“A Guitarist’s Toolkit.” Like Adventuresome Guitar I, this class is ideally suited for guitar-playing songwriters and singers who feel as though their guitar skills are stuck in a rut. This workshop offers students specific ways to spice up their songs with new guitar ideas. The focus of this workshop is playing single notes around and between chords, specifically, connecting chords with bass lines, riffs, and melodies. We will develop a “toolkit” of skills for you to draw on as you write and arrange other songs. This is a hands-on workshop with lots of playing. The topics will be taught in the context of song examples. This workshop is best suited for players who know all the basic first position chords (e.g., C, C7, A, A7, Am, G, G7, E, E7, Em, D, D7, Dm, F, Bm, B7).

GUITAR TOOLS: STRING THEORY for GUITARISTS A & B (Ray Chesna)
Ray ties it all together and breaks it all down. Be it your own personal style, your songwriting, blues, bluegrass, new age, Celtic, pop, jazz; the one thing that they all have in common is THEORY. This fun and involving course will explore melody (scales) and harmony (chords) in understandable terms and with simple concepts. The insightful, practical instruction will enable the student to easily apply the concepts to the guitar. This has been a popular course for several years now, and, of course, Ray has some new tricks up his sleeve. The more than adequate handouts will allow the student to bring this information home for continued study. Alumni are always welcome.

ORKNEY IMMERSION FOR SINGER/ SONGWRITERS (Steve Baughman)
Un-cliché your guitar accompaniment by tuning to Orkney, (CGDGCD) and gain access to new textures and sounds that you can use to support your singing. This multi-genre tuning is simple and accessible to those with limited open tuning experience. This class will be a solid week of Orkney immersion. We will start by familiarizing ourselves with basic major and minor chords (charts will be provided), then explore partial (aka “non-committal”) chords and textural riffs. By the end of the first day we will be jamming on some simple folk songs. There will also be a performance aspect to this class and each day several students will be asked to share their Orkney explorations and discoveries with the group. This is a more-rock-less-talk, hands-on class and we will spend a lot of time playing. As long as you can easily change chords, you qualify for the class. Come join us and be the first kid on your block to accompany yourself in Orkney.

SPECIAL SESSIONS

INTRO TO ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE (Meredith McIntosh)
The Alexander Technique is a learned method to improve postural and movement dysfunction. All performers can benefit from this proven method to relieve tension and to perform with minimized strain and maximized balance.

A LEGAL CRASH COURSE FOR MUSICIANS,
SONGWRITERS & PERFORMERS (Bob Hicks)
Bob’s presentation will cover the legal issues of copyrights, contracts, compact discs, musical consultants, and more. There will also be a question & answer session and written materials for attendees to keep.

FILM: BEFORE THE MUSIC DIES
Never have so few companies controlled so much of the music played on the radio and for sale at retail stores. At the same time, there are more bands and more ways to discover their music than ever. Music seems to have split in two – the homogenous corporate product that is spoonfed to consumers and the diverse independent music that finds devoted fans online and in clubs across the country. This recent award-winning documentary tells the story of American music at this precarious moment, featuring interviews with musicians, industry insiders, music critics, and fans that reveal how music has reached this moment of truth. The film includes extensive interviews with Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Erykah Badu, Dave Matthews, Branford Marsalis, Doyle Bramhall II and Michael Penn.

THE MAKING OF A CONCEPT ALBUM: 800 VOICES (Danny Ellis)
Danny will discuss the writing and recording of 800 Voices, which brilliantly documents his childhood in an Irish orphanage: the infamous Artane Industrial School run by the Irish Christian Brothers.

PANEL DISCUSSION: BEING AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST (staff)
On Friday the staff will present a panel discussion and Q&A session on what it means to be an independent artist in today’s music world.

EVENING ACTIVITIES
Evenings will provide opportunities for performing, trading songs and ideas, and sharing personal experiences. We will have open mikes, which will give everyone the chance to see each other ‘at work’, and to hone the skills acquired in class. Please note that the open mikes are open only to those who have declared themselves to be Contemporary Folk Week students and are taking at least two classes in the Contemporary Folk Week program. On Wednesday evening, there will be a concert by staff members, and on Friday, a Community Sing.