Mid-Winter Festival 2011

Many thanks to Ron Baker for the fabulous photos of the 2011 Mid-Winter Festival!

February 5, 2011

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

12:00 noon- Lost and Nameless Orchestra

1pm -1:50 - Larry Kirbo

2pm - 2:50 -AIO (Annoying Instrument Orchestra)

3pm - 3:50-Gospel Jam

4pm - 4:50 - David Hamburger

5pm - 5:50 - Bourree Texane

6pm - 6:50  - Ragged Union

7pm - 7:50  - Jeff Moore & Chris Buckley

8pm - 8:50  - Son Armado

9pm - 9:50  -Carper Family
 

WORKSHOP LINE-UP

Beginner Old-time Jam with Dan Foster, Jerry Hagins & Mark Schruben

This jam is open to pickers of all levels, from the newest newbies to the crankiest old curmudgeons. We'll go around the circle when it's your turn, you can call an Old Time (Appalachian) tune you play and set the tempo, or if you like you can pass. Don't be shy, come and play!

A Cappella Balkan singing with Austin Balkan Singers

In this workshop you will learn two traditional songs from Croatia and Bulgaria with bone-shaking harmonies and catchy uneven rhythms (9/8 anyone?). No prerequisites, we will teach pronunciation and music by ear. Austin Balkan Singers is a 6 to 10 member women's folk choir that has been learning and teaching traditional music from eastern Europe since 1975. We sing often and with as many harmonies as possible, and perform occasionally.

Harmonica with Tim Wooten

How to learn an old timey tune on the harmonica. Bring along your harmonica in the key of D so we can all be in the same key. We'll mainly work on straight-key styles- playing fiddle tunes on a harmonica in the same key as the tune. We'll talk about using our tongues, mouths and lungs. Beginners and more advanced players are welcome.

Tuvan Throat Singing with Eliot Stone

Eliot Stone has mastered the vocal art of throat singing and has developed a strong interest in the musical cultures of southern Siberian republics. Throat singing is the ability for a single singer to produce multiple pitches simultaneously by skillfully manipulating harmonic frequencies naturally present in the fundamental pitch of the voice. The practice of throat singing comprises multiple styles and functions as a symbolic interface with the natural surroundings of the south Siberian landscape as well as a unique and beautiful expressive form.

Introduction to Old Time Fiddling: The rhythm of the bow is where it's at - with Damon O'Gan.

We'll focus on one or two tunes, looking at how the bowing can make dancers get off their seats.
It'll be casual, we'll have some fun, and we won't care about what brand of strings anyone's using! I hope you'll join us if you have some interest in the old time fiddling. Damon O'Gan hails from northern Wyoming, home of the obscure, yet fanatic, Big Horn Mountain style of fiddling. He's a doctor of horses, and destroyer of fiddle tunes. Damon's been playing the fiddle for a few years, but now and then he fools someone into thinking he actually knows what he's doing. Like so many admirers of fine music, Damon loves the playing of Tommy Jarrell, probably more than is considered healthy.

Intermediate Clawhammer Banjo with Bernard Mollberg, Jerry Hagins and Angie Wooten

Among the three workshop leaders, Jerry, Bernard & Angie have wasted over 100 perfectly good years playing old time clawhammer style banjo. Primarily for players who have learned the basics of right hand technique, an array of styles and ideas to bring along your playing. Bring your banjo for some hands-on playing!

Traditional instruments from France with Serge Laine, Lisa Whatley and Heather Gilmer

The musicians of Bourrée Texane and Faux Paws would like to introduce the instruments they use to play traditional music and explain briefly how they work: ola vielle à roue (French Hurdy-gurdy), ol'accordéon diatonique (2-row French diatonic Accordion), ole cromorne (Crumhorn, 15th c.capped double reed), ola cabrette (Central France bellows-blown bagpipe from Auvergne), ole dulcitare (A hybrid combining guitar body and mountain dulcimer stringing), ole violon (Fiddle) Combinations of these instruments will be illustrated by the musicians playing traditional French dance tunes and dance songs.

Guitar Workshop with Geoff Union

Geoff Union's guitar workshop will focus on strategies for developing licks you can use over basic changes; making use of the major, major pentatonic, and blues variations to play over I IV V changes in the key of.....G!! Some scale knowledge will be helpful but not necessary. Originally from North Carolina, Geoff has lived in Austin for about 18 years. He started out on the bass, and then the electric guitar, and made his way around to bluegrass and flatpicking about 15 years ago. He was drawn in by the sounds of Doc Watson, and enjoys that old style as much if not more than the space grass. Geoff has been with the Two High String Band since 2002, and is just now putting together a brand new project called "Ragged Union" featuring a bunch of original material and lots of guitar!

Archaic Texas Fiddle Styles by Howard Rains (with Tim Wooten & Dan Foster)

Texas is well known for its fiddle music, and when Texas fiddling is mentioned, most folks think of Texas Swing or the Texas Contest style. However, there was a long and extremely diverse history of Texas fiddling before those styles were even conceived. Howard Rains has been investigating these styles and their regional aspects and will be teaching about their similarities and differences to other styles of Southern fiddling and how some were, over time, transformed into swing and contest style while others became virtually extinct. Howard will present several pieces in several different styles from across the state and teach one tune if time allows. Howard Rains is a native Texas artist and fiddler living in Austin. He has been painting, drawing and playing music since his earliest memory.