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DONNA HEBERT
GREAT GROOVE BANDS
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Chanterelle: Franco-American Heritage Group with Donna Hébert, Josée Vachon, Liza Constable |
Groovemama: with Donna Hébert, Jane Rothfield, George Wilson, Stuart Kenney, Max Cohen - Great Groove Band workshops at Old Songs & Philly Folk Fests |
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Teachers, fiddlers, violin, viola and cello players!
Do you have questions about fiddle techniques? Are you stumped by a right or left-hand fiddling problem? Ask your fiddling questions here! We'll answer in future newsletters.
Email to join the mailing list.
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Fiddling Demystified Summer Camp - Aug. 6-10 - for fiddlers, string players and teachers
Room for 7 more campers!
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Classes Mon - Fri at the Guiding Star Grange Greenfield MA
Fiddlers and teachers Donna Hébert and George Wilson help you learn to: |
- Make your bow dance and create repeating rhythms
- Play staccato triplets and other advanced bowing licks
- Use the upbow to create rhythm and style
- Differentiate between regional fiddle styles
- Analyze a basic melody and add style to it
- Build authentic settings and variations
- Find the elusive groove in any tune
- Play shuffle, driven, slurred and syncopated bowings
- Play in cross/open tunings and play "crooked" tunes
- Arrange in four types of harmony
- Find harmonies and bass lines
- Read and write a chord chart
- Back up tunes on the fiddle or guitar
- Compose tunes based on scales and harmonies
- Arrange and perform tunes for dances and concerts.
- Break fiddling into lessons for yourself and your students
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SAMPLE CAMP DAY |
9:30-10:45 - class |
11:00-12:15 - class |
LUNCH |
1:15-2:30 - class |
2:45-4:00 - band class |
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THURS: 4:30-7pm - potluck and jam |
FRI: 2:30-4:00 - student concert |
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The Beaudoin Project - documenting, preserving and presenting the Franco-American heritage music of Vermont's Beaudoin family |
Upcoming concert appearances:
Lowell MA Folk Festival July 28-29 (FREE!)
Champlain Valley Festival, Kingsland Bay, VT Aug. 4-5 made possible by a grant from the Courtney Buffum Foundation
Catamount Arts, St. Johnsbury VT Sept. 21
Nina Lacourse Beaudoin & Carmen Bombardier, Louis Beaudoin's daughters, at a 2006 concert at Chandler Hall, Randolph VT. Bill Spence photo.
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BEAUDOIN PROJECT RECOGNIZED WITH THREE GRANT AWARDS!
The Beaudoin Project has been recognized in 2007 by three grant awards.
In the latest, fiddlers Donna Hébert and Glenn Bombardier (above photo) have won a Vermont Master-Apprenticeship in the Traditional Arts to work together for the next year. "This brings the music full circle for me," says Donna.
"It's deeply satisfying to bring Louis Beaudoin's music back to his family. It's the best way to pay forward the gift of music and cultural identity he gave me 35 years ago."
The NEA's Master-Apprenticeship program brings together teachers and students in the folk arts, offering up to a year's support for lessons, travel and other expenses. Applications are usually made to state arts councils.
The second grant is from the Courtney Buffum Foundation and the Vermont Folklife Center, underwriting The Beaudoin Project's 2007 performance at the Champlain Valley Festival. Many thanks to the foundation and the Vermont Folklife Center for making this possible.
Earlier this year, the Folklife Center won a Grammy Preservation Grant to convert the Beaudoin musical archives to digital form. Family members and friends have donated many hours on cassettes and reel to reel tapes. The Center's archivist, Andy Kolovos, is digitizing these performances and others we turn up in presenter libraries.
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| Nina Lacourse Beaudoin, Julie Beaudoin, Carmen Bombardier, Lillian and Wilfred Beaudoin sing the Franco-American classic hymn "J'irai la voir un jou," at the Champlain Valley Festival Beaudoin Project concert, August 6, 2006. |
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Chanterelle - Franco-American heritage group at the Philadelphia Folk Festival |
Donna Hébert, Josée Vachon, Liza Constable, Alan Bradbury. K. Downey photo
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Singer Josée Vachon has successfully completed her treatment for breast cancer (hooray!) and has resumed her solo and group performing schedule. Josée and the band returned to the Blackstone River Theater in RI on May 4, with another concert at the Fitchburg MA Public Library on Sunday, May 6. Chanterelle was also featured at Mystic Seaport's Sea Music Festival June 9-10 and will perform at the Philadelphia Folk Festival August 17-29.
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Coaching ages 6-18 in three sessions at the Philly Folk Festival:
Fri Aug 17 - noon, dance tent - bring music/stand
Sat Aug 18 -11am, main stage, bring music/stand
Sun Aug 19 - 11am, main stage, bring music/stand
Sun Aug 19 - 4 pm, main stage performance, bring music/stand |
We are committed to leading the next generation of acoustic and folk musicians into the lifelong joy and skill of group music making.
The Great Groove Band welcomes singers, fiddlers, violists, cellists, guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, flute, sax, piano and percussion players from ages 6 to 18.
Band members learn one song and 3-5 tunes over three rehearsal periods, some from written music, one learned by ear. Arrangements are written on the spot for smaller and large ensembles to perform on Sunday.
Contact Donna Hébert to register your child for the Great Groove Band at Philly Folk Festival. There is a $30 charge for the Great Groove Band book and CD.
Groovemama: Donna Hébert - fiddle, theory, director; Jane Rothfield - fiddle, novice players, piano, banjo; George Wilson - fiddle, banjo; Stuart Kenney -bass, percussion, conductor; Max Cohen - lead/backup guitar, rhythm. Volunteers: Daniel Boucher (fiddle), Pam Gonyer (fiddle/bass), Julie Sorcek (flute/sax)
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Coming in September . . .
Look for a tune of the month from the repertoire of Albany area Old-Time and dance fiddler Jane Rothfield!
Update - Fall classes, lessons, workshops, Sept/Oct Canadian Maritimes tour
CD and book releases from roster members
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CONTACT US: info@fiddlingdemystified.com
back to top | home|| dhebert.com
© 2007 Donna Hébert, fiddlingdemystified.com | Designer: Donna Hébert. Photos: © Amherst Bulletin, S. Wilson, P. Gonyer, K Downey, B. Spence, R. Mock. Artwork: Violin Bach/Blue © daniele todaro www.todaro.com
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"Donna Hébert: Fiddling Down the Rabbit Hole"
feature by Kathi Bangert
Kathi Bangert joins us as after recently retiring from a 34 year career in public service as the Communications Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Northeast Region. Kathi will combine her love of fiddle music with her extensive experience in communications and community outreach to keep you informed about Fiddling Demystified workshops, performances and resources. Contact Kathi.
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String wizard Darol Anger in his foreword to A Practical Guide for String Players:
"Donna gets it all right. I suspect that the general level of fiddle knowledge and playing will take a major uptick soon after [Fiddling Demystified] is published, just as other great music books such as Earl Scruggs’ original banjo book, O’Neill‘s great Irish fiddling reference and the infamous jazz Real Book influenced the course of musicians’ lives and work."
 A Practical Guide for String Players
Table of Contents & Lesson List Sample lesson: Swallowtail Jig
ORDER FORM pdf
70 pages, 31 Celtic and North American tunes with chords, bowings, style lessons, 20-page left-right hand guide to fiddle techniques, two 65-minute lesson CDs
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