Fiddling Demystified Summer Camp for fiddlers, string players and teachers cracks the code of fiddling styles and techniques with an easy-to understand right and left hand method, including transposing fiddle tunes for viola and cello
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Renata Bratt, cello; Donna Hébert, fiddle, on the faculty at Mark O'Connor's 2006 San Diego Strings Conference, where they met and performed together.
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CONTACT: info@fiddlingdemystified.com |
This five-day intermediate to advanced level intensive for only thirty participants thoroughly demystifies fiddling, showing fiddlers, string players and teachers how to interpret fiddle music in a variety of regional dialects.
Massachusetts fiddler and teacher Donna Hébert and California Alternative Styles cellist Renata Bratt approach each style through its technical requirements, cracking the codes of rhythms, ornaments and improvisation in Irish, Scottish, French-Canadian, New England contradance, Southern Old-Time, Cajun and swing fiddling.
Donna and Renata also show how to translate fiddle tunes and style for the viola and cello. Guitarist Max Cohen teaches all levels of guitar (bring yours or borrow one!) and will accompany jams and group performances.
Working with Donna Hébert’s new instructional materials for violin, viola and cello, Fiddling Demystified for String Players, class members learn to interpret and add style to the basic settings found in most fiddle tune collections.
Tunes are taught by ear to aid in hearing rhythms and ornaments, with sheet music available at the end of each class. Fiddlers can learn new methods of self-teaching and evaluation and teachers can learn to write and use fiddling lesson plans for elementary through high school levels. Tell us about your personal goals and we'll do our best to help you meet them at camp.
As 2007 chair of the ASTA Alternative String Styles Steering Committee, cellist Renata Bratt is helping to revitalize and reinvent string teaching at every level. At camp, in addition to working from Donna's book and Renata's own Mel Bay publications, Renata demonstrates adding rhythm and chords to a melody and finding and playing counter and rhythm lines under a tune.
Teachers will work with her to develop lesson plans using fiddling, swing and jazz rhythms to create a fertile learning environment in the classroom that also meets the National Standards for Music Educators.
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Max Cohen teaches guitar, the primary backup instrument for fiddling. He will teach beginning to advanced levels, standard and open tunings, flatpick and fingerstyle. Bring your guitar or borrow one! Max covers chord progressions and arranging, styles and rhythm patterns. A master of many grooves, Max will play for the daily jam sessions and is available to work with small groups throughout the week.
Max will also record the faculty concert, Thursday jam and Friday performances and demonstrate the basics of sound editing on a laptop computer, so bring yours if you have one. Max teaches and performs with Donna in Groovemama, tours and records with legendary folk singer Priscilla Herdman and produces audio recordings with Seattle drummer Loren Weisman and others. |
WHERE IS CAMP? Fiddling Demystified Camp is held at the Old Songs Hall - 37 Main Street - in the center of the village of Voorheesville NY, about thirty minutes west of Albany NY. This is our first year in their beautiful air-conditioned hall, home of Old Songs Festival offices and the Old Songs Concert Series. There are three teaching rooms in the building with other local venues also available to us.
WHO COMES TO FIDDLING DEMYSTIFIED FOR STRINGS CAMP? To get the most out of Fiddling Demystified Camp, you’ll need a high-intermediate to advanced knowledge of your primary instrument, the ability to play in a variety of keys, meters, and speeds, and have either the ability to sight-read music OR to learn quickly by ear. This week offers the best fiddling immersion for string teachers, with a master class on transposing for viola and cello.
TWO OTHER SUMMER CAMP WEEKS AT OLD SONGS. . .
Old Songs now offers three summer camp weeks including this one. If you are between the ages of 6-18 and play your instrument at the novice or intermediate level, then Week I of Fiddle & Strings Day Camp from July 7-11 will likely fit your needs. If you are an adult and play at the novice and low-intermediate skill level, then Week II of Fiddle for Strings Day Camp from July 14-18 will probably be your best fit. Week I and II offer banjo and bass. All three weeks offer fiddle and guitar. Staff for Weeks I-II are Groovemama members Donna Hébert, Jane Rothfield, George Wilson and Max Cohen.
WHAT WE PROVIDE & WHAT TO BRING: Course materials include style & theory handouts and sheet music, as well as a copy of Fiddling Demystified for String Players with two lesson CDs. Please specify violin, viola or cello when registering and include $50 for materials. Please bring your guitar if you have one or a small portable keyboard if you play. We use them to teach backup and theory. There will be two keyboards available at the hall.
Participants will get much more out of camp if they bring a recording device, a valuable aid to ear-training and memory. Digital voice recorders plug into any computer and have largely replaced tape recorders. We recommend the Olympus 100 DVR at about $100, but iPods can be used to record with external attachments (about $50), while for the serious tekkie, the Edirol is fast becoming the field recorder of choice (about $400).
CLASS TIMES are M-F, 9:30-12:30 am, 1:30-4 pm. The hall opens at 9 am for supervised jamming and warmup. Thursday afternoon potluck party - familes invited - with a short faculty recital. Student recital is Friday afternoon.
COST: $485 includes copy of Fiddling Demystified for Strings (Send $450 if you already have a copy). We offer a healthy and delicious variety (including vegetarian) of lunches and morning and afternoon snacks and beverages each day. While it's not required, it makes camp more fun when we can eat together. Lunch/snacks are $50/camper for the week, payable at camp or in advance. We also have a Thursday evening potluck party, where we gather, eat and jam with new friends.
PAYMENT in full is due upon registration. With room for only 30 campers, please call the Old Songs office (518) 765-2815 or email info@fiddlingdemystified.com to confirm available space before you send your payment (check, money order, Visa, MasterCard) to Old Songs Inc.
CANCELLATION & REFUNDS. All but $50 before 5/30, all but $100 before 6/25, no refunds after 6/25.
DEADLINE: Registration deadline 6/1/08.
REGISTRATION: To register for Fiddling Demystified Camp, please complete the following questions and tell us about yourself and what you want to learn at camp.
CONTACTING YOU - Be sure to include several methods of reaching you - phone, cell, email, for instance, your mailing address, as well as your lodging preferences (B&B, motel, campground). We’ll contact you when we get your registration to confirm receipt. We'll then send your copy of the book and CDs (please note if you have already purchased it), directions to camp and a local lodging and restaurant list. Please let us know if you have any special needs (accessibility, vegetarian, allergies).
Send your completed questions and application with your Visa/MC information, check or money in U.S. funds to:
Old Songs Inc, 37 Main St., PO Box 466 Voorheesville NY 12186-0466
(518) 765-2815 • Fax: (518) 765-4248 • oldsongs.org
Fiddling Demystified 2008 Camp Registration
Please answer the following questions on a separate sheet and send with your check, money order or credit card payment to the Old Songs Inc. address below.
Space is limited to 30 campers. Remember to call Old Songs at 518-765-2815 to confirm available space before sending your registration.
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER: Use a separate sheet of paper and please use a computer if possible or write very clearly.
1. Please describe yourself musically. What instrument(s) do you play? Do you sing? Perform? Teach? What listening or fiddling have you done? What styles do you enjoy? Please self-assess your skill level (intermediate through advanced).
2. If you’re a string teacher, what level do you teach? Have you introduced fiddling to your students or do you want more information about using fiddling in the classroom? Anything in particular?
3. If you are under 16, who will be accompanying you to camp? Parent or guardian is necessary.
4. Please list the three things you’d most like to learn at Fiddling Demystifed Camp. The teachers will use your goals in refining the curriculum, so please consider this a wish list.
Please fill out a separate application for each family member:
NAME_____________________________________________
ADDRESS __________________________________________
CITY________________ STATE/PROV______ ZIP/PC _______
PARENT SIGNATURE if minor ____________________________
Please send __ copies of Fiddling Demystified for Strings for ___vln ___vla ___cello, ______ enclosed in pmt. ______ I already have the book.
PAYMENT: Registration Fee: $425 per camper + FD books _____
___ I have enclosed a check or money order for the total amount made out to Old Songs, Inc. Please Email oldsongs@oldsongs.org about paying online with Paypal.
Please charge my: __Visa __ MasterCard - AMOUNT $_______
Card #: _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Expiration date: _____ /_____
Signature: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Please indicate preferred method of contact - phone required for credit card orders:
PHONE __________ CELL __________ EMAIL ______________
PLEASE MAKE ALL CHECKS/MONEY ORDERS PAYABLE in U.S. FUNDS TO :
OLD SONGS INC, 37 MAIN ST., PO BOX 466, VOORHEESVILLE NY 12186-0466
OLD SONGS IS A NON-PROFIT 501-C3 organization.
