2008 Fiddle Week Classes

SWING FIDDLE FOR READERS (Andy Stein)
This class for those who read music will address the problems of creating a swing feel on an instrument that is most often taught with “square” classical rhythms and with emphasis on long “singing” tone. We will learn the importance of short notes in jazz improvisation, with syncopation and a good attack on most notes, imitating our friends in the brass section. Chances are, we’ll be able to move faster than the “non-readers” toward our goal of learning to swing on the violin, however, for some of us, reading can be a set-back, as it might have been used in the past as a crutch and a handicap to spontaneity. We’ll also be doing some important listening. After all, that’s what all those Cats we admire used to do: listen to each other’s records, listening with structure, listening with “how could I do that” in mind.t

SWING FIDDLE FOR NON-READERS (Andy Stein)
This class will address the problems of creating a swing feel (uneven 8th notes, for instance) with a bow that naturally takes just about as much time to go one direction as ‘tother. It also needs to be just in the right spot (both along the bow and along the string) to get the clean sound and nice attack, like our friends in the brass section. We’ll also be doing some important listening. We’ll get that Sound and that Feel in our ear, and then we’ll try to use it in finding our own improvising style. We’ll also deal with theory on a need-to know basis, including listening for structure or any other parameters that we decide are important for a particular piece.

INTERMEDIATE FIDDLE TECHNIQUE (Jamie Laval)
If you start out right, you’ll have a much easier and enjoyable experience playing the fiddle. Jamie teaches a sensible, ergonomic manner of holding the violin that will keep you free of pain, with movements that are precise, relaxed, and consistent every time. He teaches how to play well in tune (a life-long ambition), how to develop your ear for good intonation, how to gain speed for rapid tempos without straining, and how to practice efficiently. With these principles, you will be able to approach any musical style. This class will be a constructive, interactive learning environment and no one will be singled out. Audio recorders welcome.

ADVANCED FIDDLE TECHNIQUE (Jamie Laval)
Attaining good violin or fiddle technique is really the study of movement. The most fluid, efficient movements of the bow, fingers, and arms will always produce the sweetest, most facile sounds. Playing with good pitch is essential, and we’ll delve deeply into how to develop good intonation. We’ll introduce the principle called “blocking”, which enables a fiddler to play with good pitch, improved dexterity for the 4th finger, livelier dance tempos, and quick fingering for ornaments. We’ll also study different bowing patterns that produce a good groove or “feel.” We’ll work on incorporating natural body movement and rhythm and learn how to make friends with a metronome! We’ll always use efficient practice methods that produce the quickest results. The class will be taught primarily by ear, but sheet music of tunes and bowing styles will be given out for home study. We will encourage a fun, supportive learning environment in which no one will be singled out. Audio recorders welcome.

INTERMEDIATE SCOTTISH FIDDLE (Calum MacKinnon)
This course for intermediate fiddlers will get you started on the Scottish style. We’ll explore the things that make a tune sound Scottish and how to produce a Scottish sound. The links to the bagpipes, the harp, the dance and the Gaelic language and song will be demonstrated in the playing of strathspeys, reels, jigs, marches and slow airs. Scottish technique will be learned through learning tunes, both by ear and with written music. We’ll also examine the differences between the Scottish West Highland and Northeast styles and the music of Nova Scotia.

ADVANCED SCOTTISH FIDDLE (Calum MacKinnon)
We’ll explore what makes Scottish fiddle music sound Scottish, and we’ll learn how to get under the skin of Scottish tunes and bring out their native character. We’ll work on the nuances of bringing nobility to the strathspey, jauntiness to the jig, excitement to the reel and plaintiveness to the Gaelic air. You’ll learn something of the history of the art and of the tunes and how regional styles vary between the Scottish Northeast, the West Highlands and Nova Scotia. Calum will demonstrate a wide range of technique ‘stuff’ that you’ll be able to use to personalize the music to your own needs, and we’ll learn some great tunes to boot.

INTERMEDIATE CAJUN FIDDLE (Kevin Wimmer)
This class for intermediate fiddlers will cover Cajun fiddle styles, with particular attention paid to the twin-fiddle style of the Balfa Brothers. Though some repertoire will be covered, students will go in-depth on a few specific tunes to focus on both technical aspects of the genre (bowing, fingering, chording) and nuances of the style (such as ornamentation and getting the Cajun rhythm). Students will learn both lead and second fiddling. The class will be taught entirely by ear using a call-and-response approach; audio recorders are welcome.

ADVANCED CAJUN FIDDLE (Kevin Wimmer)
This class for advanced fiddlers will cover Cajun fiddle styles, including, but not limited to, the styles of the Balfa Brothers and Dennis McGee. The class will move quickly through several traditional tunes in the Cajun repertoire, examining both pre-accordion and “modern” styles. Rhythmic and melodic nuance will be a major focus of the class, and lead and second fiddling will be given equal weight. The class will be taught entirely by ear using a call-and-response approach; audio recorders are welcome.

INTERMEDIATE CREOLE FIDDLE (D’Jalma Garnier Jeffery Broussard)
This class for intermediate fiddlers will be an introduction to all genres of Louisiana’s Black French fiddle tradition with an emphasis on feel. The class will cover creole, zydeco and lala fiddle, New Orleans rag and jazz influences, focusing on the styles of fiddlers Calvin Carrière, Bébé Carrière, Canray Fontenot, and Dennis McGee. Bring recording equipment. Music and TAB will be available. Students may request a recommended listening list in advance by contacting djalmagarnier@mac.com

ADVANCED CREOLE FIDDLE (D’Jalma Garnier Jeffery Broussard)
This is a class for advanced fiddlers with some previous playing experience in creole fiddle styles. We will explore all genres of Louisiana’s Black French fiddle tradition with an emphasis on feel. The class will cover creole, zydeco and lala fiddle, New Orleans rag and jazz influences, focusing on the styles of fiddlers Calvin Carrière, Bébé Carrière, Canray Fontenot, and Dennis McGee. Bring recording equipment. Music and TAB will be available. Students may request a recommended listening list in advance by contacting djalmagarnier@mac.com

FIDDLE FOR COMPLETE BEGINNERS (Natalya Weinstein)
This introduction to one of the most important instruments in traditional music will focus on posture and bow technique to get you comfortable and playing with a good tone. We will begin by learning scales and a few standard fiddle tunes such as “Liza Jane” and “Angelina Baker.”

INTERMEDIATE IRISH FIDDLE (Séamus Connolly)
Students will be introduced to the essential elements of the Irish style of fiddle playing. Emphasis will be placed on tone, bowing, ornamentation, and getting the proper ‘feel’ for a tune by learning what to listen for on a recording or live performance. Recordings may be used as examples of the tradition, and students are encouraged to tape class sessions.

ADVANCED IRISH FIDDLE (Séamus Connolly)
This class for advanced players will offer more in-depth focus on the essential elements of the Irish style of fiddle playing. Students should have a repertoire of tunes and significant experience in playing in the Irish style. Emphasis will be placed on tone, bowing, ornamentation, and getting the proper ‘feel’ for a tune by learning what to listen for on a recording or live performance. Recordings may be used as examples of the tradition, and students are encouraged to tape class sessions.

INTERMEDIATE CELLO (Mike Block)
In this class for intermediate cellists, we will learn different ways to gain comfort and creativity in beginning to improvise melodically, as well as the fundamentals in supporting fiddlers and others effectively through chordal playing. Learning will be done mostly by ear.

ADVANCED CELLO (Mike Block)
In this class for advanced cellists, we will work on melodic improvisation, chordal accompaniment, and stylistic melodies/ornamentations through a variety of genres from around the world. Advanced pizzicato techniques will also be explored. Learning will be done mostly by ear, but students will also need to read sheet music.

IMPROVISATION: PLAYING WITHOUT A NET (Joe Craven)
How do you make better music in the moment and/or say something different every time you take a solo? This class is to help deepen one’s connection to spontaneity and flow through organized sound that deepens the self-expression we all seek. We’ll focus on ways to think differently about sound and fearlessness, and Joe will address the connection between spoken-word language and the sound language of music. The significance of rhythmic phrasing will be explored, along with heightened listening, observation, imitation, disassociation and metaphor in innovative music making.

CREATIVE PROCESS IN FOLK MUSIC (Joe Craven)
Thinking Outside The Box… and then playing on it!! This fun class focuses on creative problem-solving in your music with both old and new ideas. The concept of “recycling” in music is explored, both as Object: the innovative manipulation of instruments and found objects, (witness Joe’s “Altar of Found Sound”), and Idea: reinterpretation = re-composition (new music comes out of old music). This session is open to all instruments and all folks wanting to deepen their connection to their own creative voice. Come with tunes, songs and objects that you wish to musically alter.

INTERMEDIATE OLD-TIME FIDDLE (Alan Jabbour)
In this class for intermediates, we’ll learn a number of tunes in an old-time Appalachian style. Bowing is the soul of fiddle style, and we’ll pay close attention to bowing patterns, learning each tune complete with the patterns and reviewing each day the tunes we learned previously. We’ll also work on some fingering techniques, such as unisons and certain double-stops, that are particularly characteristic of the older Appalachian styles of fiddling. Alan will also talk about the tune histories and the musicians from whom he learned them. We’ll learn by ear, but transcriptions will be provided afterwards for those who read music. Repertory will include not only breakdowns (reels) but other genres such as the waltz. Bring your recording equipment.

ADVANCED OLD-TIME FIDDLE (Alan Jabbour)
In this class for advanced players, we’ll follow procedures similar to the intermediate class described above, but the pace of learning will be quicker, and the repertory will include some more challenging tunes. We’ll also take some time to analyze the variations employed in old-time Appalachian fiddling – the grammar of fiddling – learning how to introduce subtle variations in the rendition of a tune each time throughout its performance. Tunes will be taught by ear, but transcriptions will be made available afterwards. Genres will include not only breakdowns but hornpipes, waltzes, schottisches, marches, and airs. We may do a tune or two in different tunings. Bring your recording equipment.

INTERMEDIATE CAPE BRETON FIDDLE (Kimberley Fraser)
Students should be able to play a few tunes from memory and up to speed. We will learn tunes common in the Cape Breton repertoire: jigs, marches, strathspeys, reels, etc, as the class desires, focusing on ornaments and bowings unique to this style of fiddling. We will listen to sound clips of several Cape Breton fiddlers noting ornamentations and how each player uses them, and discuss how to apply what we hear to our own playing. We will also talk about arranging sets of tunes in the Cape Breton tradition. Tunes will be taught primarily by ear with sheet music handed out at the end of the week (sheet music will be available during the week if absolutely necessary).

ADVANCED CAPE BRETON FIDDLE (Kimberley Fraser)
Students should be able to play a number of tunes from memory, up to speed, and in a variety of keys. We will learn tunes common in the Cape Breton repertoire: jigs, marches, strathspeys, reels, etc, as the class desires, focusing on ornaments and bowings unique to this style of fiddling. We will listen to sound clips of several Cape Breton fiddlers noting ornamentations and how each player uses them, and discuss how to apply what we hear to our own playing. We will also talk about arranging sets of tunes in the Cape Breton tradition. Tunes will be taught primarily by ear with sheet music handed out at the end of the week (sheet music will be available during the week if absolutely necessary).

INTERMEDIATE BLUEGRASS FIDDLE (Nicky Sanders)
This class for intermediates will be focused on the basics of the bluegrass style and technique, along with an introduction to improvisation. These will include a review of the blues scale, another one I call the “bluegrass scale”, and a look at ornamentation, shuffles & bowing patterns. Other topics may include approaching bluegrass from a classical background, different methods of practicing bluegrass fiddle, and the wondrous fiddling of Stuart Duncan.

ADVANCED BLUEGRASS FIDDLE (Nicky Sanders)
The advanced class will take a deeper look into improvisation and offer students more of a chance to solo over bluegrass changes as well as learning to play backup behind a vocalist. Discussions may include how to play licks in major-key tunes vs. modal-sounding tunes, comparing modern and traditional bluegrass fiddlers, a look at pre-composed breaks vs. spontaneous breaks, and the wondrous fiddling of Stuart Duncan.

BEGINNING MANDOLIN (Ashley Broder)
This class will cater to both the “fiddle crossovers” (as pick technique and left-hand technique differ greatly from mandolin to fiddle) and the complete beginner with no experience. We’ll begin by learning how to practice effectively and efficiently by exploringing how to play cleanly without the distraction of “pick clack” or accidentally hitting open strings. We’ll also cover the basics of harmony playing with easier chord shapes and simple rhythmic patterns to ensure a strong foundation to build upon. Exercises will be taught by ear, but sheet music will be available for home study and/or during class. Audio recorders welcome.

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED MANDOLIN (Ashley Broder)
This class will cover technical exercises for the left and right hands to improve melody and rhythm/harmony playing. Using sections of common Celtic, bluegrass and old-time tunes, we’ll analyze technical difficulties (melodic, harmonic and rhythmic) that are specific to the mandolin and find ways to overcome these difficulties. We’ll befriend the ominous metronome through exercises and tune playing. We will also investigate various chord shapes and learn to accompany others in ensembles. Finding just the right accompaniment for a soloist or band is a challenging endeavor, so we’ll explore a number of textural ideas from which to choose. Exercises/tunes will be taught by ear, but sheet music will be available for home study and/or during class. Audio recorders welcome.

INTERMEDIATE GUITAR ACCOMPANIMENT:
“THE FIDDLER’S DOORMAT” (David Surette)
This class will focus on the guitar’s primary role when playing with a fiddler: laying down a solid, supportive, yet inspiring accompaniment. Working in standard tuning, we will cover a variety of topics, including “the basics” (first position chording and bass runs), as well as stylistic elements drawn from Celtic and American roots music. Some written materials will be included; please feel free to record the class.

SWING GUITAR ACCOMPANIMENT (Mike Dowling)
In this class for intermediates, rhythm’s where it’s at and rhythm is where Mike starts. Learn how to get that solid four-to-the-bar swing feel as we apply it to new chord voicings over familiar swing songs. There will be lots of playing in class as we refine the art of accompaniment. Handouts provided, audio recorders encouraged. No video taping in class.

FLATPICKING GUITAR (David Surette)
This class will focus on playing melodically in several different fiddle styles, including Celtic, Old-time, and Bluegrass. Topics to be covered will include playing tunes, ornamentation, and improvising. Some written materials will be included; please feel free to record the class.

HILLBILLY JAZZ GUITAR (Mike Dowling)
This class for advanced players is designed for flatpickers who want to “jazz up” their back-up and solos. Using fiddle tunes such as “Beaumont Rag” as a starting point, we’ll explore phrasing, arpeggios, scales, new chords and assorted tricks that will give your playing a fresh, swinging sound. There will be lots of playing in class. Hand-outs provided. Bring your enthusiasm, questions, and audio recorders. No videotaping please.

BASS (Jeff Hersk)
This class is for beginning through intermediate bassists, acoustic or electric. It is preferable for students to bring their own instrument, though one upright bass may be available to borrow for class periods only. According to the interests and abilities of the students, the class may include old-time, bluegrass, swing, or blues styles. Regardless of style, the goal of the bassist is to create the groove, and that will be the focus of this class. Other topics may include creating bass lines, practical music theory, the Nashville number system, right-hand technique, equipment and amplification, playing with vocalists, improving tone, and soloing.

BAND SESSIONS (staff)
In response to student requests, in the last period of the day, students will have the opportunity to play in informal bands under the guidance of various staff members. Students may choose from swing, Celtic, creole/Cajun, bluegrass or old-time bands. (No advanced registration required.)

CHILDREN"S PROGRAM
We offer a full-day program, taught by Denisa Rullmoss for children ages 6-12. Children must have turned 6 by July 1st to participate. No exceptions please. Evening childcare for ages 3-12 will be provided at no additional cost.

Ahoy Mates! All hands on deck as we set sail for a summer of fun. The Children’s Program will embark on a swash-buckling adventure on the high seas (otherwise known as the Appalachian Mountains) this year. Well, shiver me timbers and blow me down... with pirates and lost treasure as our theme, we will spend the week making cool crafts (like treasure chests with jewels & pirate flags), playing wacky games (can you follow a treasure map to find the loot?) and singing silly songs (yo ho ho ho... a pirate’s life for me!). Everyone will have the chance to become part of a Kid’s Rhythm Band, when Sue Ford (singer, songwriter, percussionist) comes each day. And, as a special treat, we will be visited throughout the week by wandering musicians and artists (Gathering staff) who will perform just for our kids. Can you say “ARRRRR?” Sailors and pirates with enough bravery and courage will participate in our annual traditions of a watermelon-eating contest and will venture out to complete the Traditional Song/Fiddle Week-Scavenger Hunt. To prevent anyone from becoming a landlubber we will close each busy day with free swim time in the deep ocean of our travels (also known as the college pool). Non-swimmers must be accompanied by a parent to swim. So join the crew, me hearties, and prepare to say “AYE AYE Cap’n!” There will be a $25 art/craft materials fee for this class, payable to the coordinator on arrival.