2011 ASBF Workshop Schedule

• 11 am Cajun Fiddle: Lead and Second, Tracy and Peter Schwarz.  Cajun fiddling sure sounds unique. We all know it when we hear it. But what is really going on technically to make such a familiar instrument sound so different? We'll open the door with some simple bowing, tuning and fingering tricks, so you can start to decode what you are hearing. Our emphasis will be the classic Cajun fiddling style of the Balfa Brothers. Participants need only a basic proficiency on the fiddle (such as being able to draw the bow across two strings at once with some control).
• 12 pm Early Texas Fiddling, Howard Rains (P. Keane).  Howard Rains has been studying early Texas fiddling for several years and has developed a unique repertoire of nearly forgotten tunes. Learned from friends, family, and old recordings, these tunes represent a side of Texas fiddling that is rarely heard. Howard will present several tunes and talk about where he learned them and how they relate to other regional American fiddle styles. He will also break down a few tunes to learn. Bring a fiddle (or a back up instrument) and a recording device.
• 1 pm Fiddle Reels for 5-String Banjo, Chuck Middleton (L. Bias).  A detailed demonstration of some simpler fiddle tunes for 5-string banjo.   Playing style will be melodic 3-finger using finger-picks.   Handouts of each tune in both banjo tablature and standard music notation will be provided.  Things to bring:  a chair, music stand (optional)  and a 5-string banjo.

• 12pm Beginning Ukulele For All Ages, Jessica Leigh Graves.  In this workshop you will learn: 1) How to tune your ukulele, 2) How to hold your ukulele when seated and standing, 3) Basic strumming patterns, 4) 3 to 5 chords and how to read a chord chart and 5) A whole song!
• 1 pm Singing From Your Heart, Ginny Hawker.  Country, old-time, ballads, church hymns, bluegrass - playing an instrument technically correct might sound pretty good. But when the instrument is your voice, the depth of your commitment to the song is front and center. We'll work with a couple of familiar songs and try to discover what may be holding you back from reaching, and communicating, that level of commitment.

• 12 pm Country Rags, mandolin/guitar duets, Rich Hartness and Brian Schmiel.  Mandolin and guitar tunes in the old-time, ragtime style. Country Rags have been widely popular throughout both black and white music traditions for generations. Their often evasive and somewhat tricky nature seems to create an irresistible appeal, especially for twisted and fearless duets. Come see how they spring to life through Brian's articulate mandolin melodies with Rich's bluesy Finger style guitar shading. These two pickled beasts share decades of joyous musical explorations and will showcase rags and other gems from a variety of Old-Time music repertories. 
• 1 pm Round Peak Banjo-Fiddle Duets, Brett Riggs and Rich Hartness.  The fiddle-banjo pairing runs constant threads across two centuries of American music. Local duet styles popped up everywhere, but in few places the fiddle-banjo interplay matured as in the dance music from the foot of the Blue Ridge around Round Peak, North Carolina. Rich and Brett absorbed this driving style directly from Round Peak luminaries such as Tommy Jarrell, Dix Freeman, Fred Cockerham and Earnest East. Here, they’ll share fiddle-banjo tunes and stories from Round Peak to highlight the richness and bretth ;-) of this tradition.

• 11 am Change your Own Dang Strings!, Dennis McDaniel.  Don’t know how?  Attend this string changing school workshop for guitar, mandolin and banjo.
• 12 pm Mountain dulcimer, Mark Gilston.  Discussion about the history of the dulcimer and its role in the traditional music in America. We’ll look at some of the many styles of playing and learn some of the basics of playing with noter and “finger dancing”. We may work on some chord melody playing and Mark will demonstrate how to avoid some basic beginner mistakes.

• 11 am Clogging Workshop, Robin Arnold.  A quick intro to clogging followed by a quick demonstration.  Participants will learn the "up and down" leg movements (probably moving in a circle to music), moving on to learning the basic step and how most of the other clogging steps revolve around the basic step. 

• 11 am Music and Times of Mance Lipscomb, Gary Smith.  This workshop tries to accomplish two main goals. The first involves a short history of Mance's repertoire, social context and his various audiences. Next, I want to personally demonstrate the basic elements of Mance's style by performing 4 or 5 songs and then showing aspiring guitarists how it is done. So bring your instruments! Finally, There will be a short word on further applications/extensions of Mance's style. Students will be referred to Steve James' workshop later in the afternoon in this regard. 
• 12 pm Backup Guitar Sampler, Pan Riggs (S. Sandomirsky, J. Miori & D. Foster). Three guitarists present their unique perspectives on backup guitar, and demonstrate how little differences in backup styles have big consequences for the music. The backup player's chord choice, rhythmic subtleties, drive and tone create a setting, color the melody, and can call up the spirit of different times, places, and cultures. . . . This will be a fun give-and-take workshop, and audience participation is welcome!
• 1 pm Roots and Blues Finger-style and Slide Guitar, Steve James.  The program will include demonstrations of basic techniques and repertoire in standard and open tunings with an emphasis on blues tonality and syncopated rhythm.

• 12 pm Pursuing a Fiddle Tune on the Dobro, Gary Mortensen.  An exploration of how working up a single fiddle tune can shed light on a myriad of "dobrolic" issues.
• 1 pm Bluegrass Jam, Talia Bryce.  This is an open jam.

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To download a workshop schedule click here.

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To download a map of the workshop areas click here.