Donna Hébert

Franco-American fiddler, educator & publisher

Bill and Pat Campbell, our 4/1/12 house concert hosts, with Jane Rothfield, Allan Carr, Donna Hébert, Max Cohen and Molly Hebert-Wilson. Two nights of a great mix of Scottish, Irish songs, fabulous guitar wizardry, a Celtic smorgasbord of fiddling and heartbreaking mother-daughter harmonies.

• New CD “Orange on Blue” from Donna and Max Cohen

• Fiddling Demystified channel on YouTube.

• Donna’s bio

“Outstanding artistic achievement” MA Governor Deval Patrick - 2009 Commonwealth Awards

“Donna gets it all right!” String pioneer Darol Anger in his foreword to Donna’s “Fiddling Demystified”

Great Groove Band, 2011 Old Songs Festival

“One of the most emotional moments in the 50th Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival for me came when a crowd sat under their umbrellas in a driving rainstorm and sang along to the only real National Anthem this country ever deserved, Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land,” performed by a group of children [The Great Groove Band].” John Swenson: Music on My Mind blog, 8/24/11.

NEW! Southern Tour - Donna and guitarist Max Cohen toured the South in Jan-Feb 2012 with dances, concerts, festivals and workshops in GA, TN, NC, SC, MD and PA. They celebrated the release of their new duet CD, “Orange on Blue”. Guitarist Rolly Brown caught their show in Philadelphia and commented:

“Really enjoyed meeting you and Max and loved your concert the other night. Bravo to Max’s fingerstyle  and accompaniment guitar!. It was real music in a real setting…just the kind of thing I like. And without knowing a whole lot about fiddle technique, it was still very obvious to me that your bowing technique is a cut above most anything else I’ve ever seen/heard; relaxed, powerful, fluid, and, above all, musical. Bravo!”

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Returning home, Max and Donna performed in late Feb. for the Concord MA Scout House contradance with bassist Stuart Kenney and caller Lucia Watson. Donna ran the Monday Night Yankee Ingenuity Contradance at the Scout House from 1976-1985 and was very pleased to return to her old stomping grounds. Tours, performances, residencies

Here’s a YouTube clip of Max and Donna playing the Jan. 27 Friday Night Contradance in Glen Echo MD at the Spanish Ballroom in Glen Echo Park. The tunes are Brasstown and Uncle Bob’s Boogie, both composed by Donna in the 1980s. Caller is Louie Cromartie from Chapel Hill, NC.

Donna, Max and Donna’s daughter Molly Hebert-Wilson (AKA “Mist Covered Mountains“) will present their Celtic and contemporary folk music in concert Saturday March 3 at Sweeney Hall at Smith College in Northampton MA. Concert is at 4 pm and is free, presented by the Smith College Music Department.

Students at Donna’s Jan. 2012 residency at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown NC commented:

“It was a privilege to be part of this class. Donna gave excellent guidance and music. Her expertise on the fiddle was offered clearly without being overwhelming. Her teaching was personal and generous with very helpful, specific advice. She taught me the keys to playing powerfully and sensitively, projecting the whole music picture while giving specific techniques that conveyed the emotional beauty of the music, all with a ‘can-do’ enthusiasm.” Linda Allen, NC

“Donna balanced the needs of the class while presenting new areas to grow in our musical journey. She gave us the tools to develop our artistry and expression after we leave the class.” Pete Mannheim, Canada

“Awesome! Donna gave appropriate information without overwhelming us. Her class changed the way I played for the better! Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!” Lindsey Liden, NC

“Fantastic – great balance of techniques, theory, tunes and context.” David Liden, NC

“Excellent, comprehensive presentation of fiddle music with inclusion of theory, new tunes, fiddling techniques that will help me in my skills as a musician.” Kevin Barry, NC

NEW! Online fiddle lessons are catching fire! Student playing levels range from very basic to highly skilled. Donna teaches fundamental skills, repertoire, theory and style. Students learn groove bowings in French-Canadian, Irish, Scots, Appalachian Old-Time and Contradance fiddle genres. “It all comes down to grooves, to mastering the rhythms,” says Donna. Lessons require a high-speed broadband internet connection and a Skype and/or a Gmail account. Ten-lesson contract offers substantial discount. U.S. students send checks, those outside the U.S. use PayPal. (PayPal Verified) Please contact donna@fiddlingdemystified.com to discuss an online lesson plan. >> Lesson materials & Teaching programs

Students and parents on distance-learning with Donna:

“She has devoted a large part of her life to analysing and researching fiddle music, and is able to pass this knowledge on to her students in a very accessible, friendly way. Because of this dedication, her lessons are always something to look forward to. I recommend Donna’s teaching  to anyone interested in improving their fiddle playing.” Judy Oleinikov, Melbourne, Australia, fiddler

“Donna teaches to our daughter’s level and then encourages her to progress with every lesson – I can’t even believe the improvement she has made in such a short time!  We love Ms. Donna and wish she lived next door – but since she doesn’t – online is the next best thing.”Paula Hanes-Stetter, Aurora NY, parent


Freebies and fun fiddling pages . . .

NEW! CONCERT VIDEO - Donna & Max, 2010 Upper Potomac Fiddle Summit in Shepherdstown WV:

NEW! Donna’s fiddling tutor for strings is now available online in fiddle, viola, cello editions “Fiddling Demystified should be required reading for all string teachers hoping to branch out into fiddling.” Laura Risk, Strings Magazine. >> Donna’s other books

NEW! Mrs. McLeod’s Reel – from Scotland to Appalachia – six authentic settings for one extraordinary tune – sheet music pdfs, lesson and jam mp3s with fiddler Donna Hébert and guitarist Max Cohen.

NEW! Jamming Successfully - how to have a great time at a jam!

NEW! Donna’s music and contradance poetry, including “The Fiddler’s Eye,” now published  here. Check it out!

NEW! Smith College, Amherst College fiddle instructor (fall 2011 semester information) >>Donna’s other teaching venues

22 May 2010 8:57 am | Category: Fiddleblog | Comments off»

Summer 2010 Newsletter

Great Summer Music & Dance Camps at Old Songs for adults and children

faculty bios online – registration below

Fiddling Demystified for Strings camp Aug. 9-13

Fiddling Demystified camp faculty

brings Irish fiddle luminary Liz Carroll to teach with Franco-American and contra-dance fiddler Donna Hébert and old-time fiddler and banjo babe Jane Rothfield. Using Donna’s right-left hand method to teach both melody and rhythm, they authentically demonstrate how to navigate from one style to another. The focus throughout the week will be on turning simple tune phrases into experimental rhythms, mining tunes in each style for a variable pulse, stitching their phrases together. Joining them and teaching rhythm, theory and guitar is Groovemama guitarist Max Cohen.

A week of immersion in rhythm which is then applied to each genre ends in a Friday afternoon student performance celebrating the whole camp family, staff and students. All three fiddlers are highly skilled teachers, coaching students into manipulating rhythm and ornamentation authentically within as many styles as students are willing to tackle! They will jump right off the cliff with you, so no worries! You’ll have a happy landing as Donna, Jane and Liz provide the ultimate journey through groove in three very rhythmically different, yet melodically linked genres.

Thursday night faculty concert & dance will also feature Irish accordionist John Whelan.

Skill level - We will have a one-hour daily Basic class (not for beginners, but for players who don’t learn quickly). We’ll encourage them to come to jams and take part in all group activities. Other than that, classes (and all jams) are aimed at an intermediate to advanced level to take advantage of the focus on manipulating rhythm.

Can I play something else besides fiddle? You bet! We welcome fiddle, violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, banjo, mandolin, dulcimer, flute, whistle, accordion and piano players.

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French-Canadian Music & Dance Camp Aug 16-20

2009 French Camp video on YouTube
French Camp faculty

with Québecois musicians and teachers Pascal Gemme of Genticorum (fiddle, chansons/songs), Marc Maziade of Reveillons (guitar, songs) and Marie-Soleil Pilette teaching stepdance and calls the evening’s social dances. Montreal funnyman and singer Steve Normandin teaches piano and accordion. Donna Hébert teaches the music of Franco fiddler Louis Beaudoin.

Learn the syncopated swing and twisted tunes of Québécois and Franco fiddle music and learn to sing, dance and play with that Northern “Je ne sais quoi”. Bring the musical “joie de vivre” into your life with a five days and four nights of French-Canadian musical immersion. This week offers evening jam sessions and dancing Monday – Thursday at the hall with staff members.

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Fiddle & Strings Youth Camp July 5-9 – for ages 6-18


Learn to:

• find the core melody of a tune
• build style over the melody and tell styles apart
• arrange tunes in medleys
• play 3/4, 2/4 and 6/8 rhythms
• find simple harmonies and chords
• use 5-note scales to compose tunes

FACULTY

Max Cohen
Donna Hébert
Jane Rothfield

DAILY SCHEDULE
Morning
9:00 . . . hall open, supervised jam
9:30. . . .instrument class
10:30 . . theory class
11:30. . .instrument class
12:30. . .Lunch

Afternoon
1:30. . . master class – teacher rotation
2:30. . . band practice
3:30. . . special event
Thurs. 3:30: Faculty Concert
4:30. . . potluck & jam – family invited

Lessons in:

• Beginning thru advanced fiddle, banjo, guitar, bass
• Beginning thru intermediate piano/keyboard
• Ear-training – learn the tune the easy way
• Rhythm – playing with two-bar rhythm motifs
• “Bowing 707” – controlling and maximizing your bow
• Playing in an ensemble
• Finding a common rhythm
• Recovering when you “fall off” a tune
• Improvisation – drumming new rhythms on a core tune

FACULTY BIOS FOR ALL THREE CAMPS AVAILABLE ONLINE

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Tuition/Registration
Mail registrations to:

Old Songs, Inc.
PO Box 466
Voorheesville, NY 12186

or fax to:
518-765-4248

Program queries – Donna Hébert:info@fiddlingdemystified.com

Week I, ages 6-18, July 5-9 $350
Week II, all ages, August 9-13 $500 (Includes 9 meals: 5 lunches, 4 dinners)
Week III, all ages, August 16-20 $500 (Includes 9 meals: 5 lunches, 4 dinners)

Old Songs has reserved hotel rooms (double-doubles) at a reduced rate for campers for Weeks II and III.

Use our pdf application form and print, fill out and mail or fax to Old Songs. If you have trouble opening the pdf file, use our html form

Please register using one of the choices above, which may be mailed or faxed (518-765-4248) or contact us by phone (518-765-2815), Mon.-Fri., 10:00 am-4:30 pm Eastern Time

A non-refundable Deposit of $50 is required at time of registration to hold your place in camp. Remainder must be paid no later than 2 weeks prior to start of camp.

We recommend calling Old Songs at 518-765-2815 to confirm available space before sending your application and fee. Space is limited to 25 campers each week.

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Donna Hébert books & CDS plus summer performance dates

NEW! In Full Bloom CD & companion tunebook

Fiddling Demystified editions for fiddle, viola, cello – 70-page book with 3 CDS

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Donna Hébert & friends -
SUMMER PERFORMANCES

June 16 – WAMC 90.3 Albany NY -Dancing on the Air (listen live) - with Mist Covered Mountains CelticEnsemble

June 23 – Lowell MA - John Whelan/Donna Hébert & the Irish-French Connection

June 25-27 – Altamont NY Old Songs Festival of Music and Dance with Groovemama teaching the Great Groove Band of young musicians AND with Mist Covered Mountains Celtic Ensemble

July 5-9 – Fiddle & Strings Camp at Old Songs (see left)

July 21 – So. Strafford VT – Concert with Max Cohen – Tickets 802-889-3246

July 23-25 – St. Charles-Borromée, Québec - Festival Mémoires et Racines – with Max Cohen & Daniel Boucher

Aug 9-13 – Fiddling Demystified Camp (see left)

Aug 16-20 – French-Canadian
Music & Dance Camp (see left)

Aug 20-22 - Philadelphia Folk Festival with Groovemama coaching the Great Groove Band of young musicians

donna@fiddlingdemystified.com

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