ASBF 2018 Workshops
Workshops at the Austin String Band Festival are a great way to hone your skills, learn new tunes, get a historical perspective, and have fun!
Workshops will run Saturday morning, starting at 11:00AM. Exact times and locations for this year's workshops are still up in the air due to predicted inclement weather, but we will do our best.
Bring your favorite folding chair (and your instruments!).
Learn a Swedish Fiddle Tune (and Harmony!)
Mira Dickey
In this workshop, we will learn a popular Swedish folk tune. The tune will be an easy/intermediate level tune, taught by ear, for all fiddles and melody instruments. We will start with a demonstration of the tune and the style of music, and then spend the majority of the time learning the melody. After learning the tune, we will discuss Scandinavian ornamentation and bowing, and depending on time, will either lean or record a harmony part to go with the tune.
Opening the Playing Field: Unorthodox Fiddle Arrangement
Will Csorba and Cameron Knowler
In this workshop, we will discuss our approaches to setting and arranging fiddle tunes with reference to our backgrounds as guitar players. The discussion will cover varying instrumentation, and borrowing from other American traditions to create fun results which we will demonstrate through performing various old time fiddle tunes. Conversation will be open for Q & A.
Black Musicians in Old Time Music
Jake Gillie
Students will learn a tune from a Black stringband or musician recorded in the early-to-mid 1900s. All instruments are welcome, but tunes will be taught on fiddle.
F Tunes for Fiddle
Riley Calcagno and Leo Shannon
F tunes are the best-kept secret in old time fiddling.
The Fiddling Of Gene Goforth
Clara Delfina
This workshop will explore the life and fiddling of Gene Goforth, a wonderful fiddler from Eminence, Missouri. His style is characterised by unusual variations of notey mid-western fiddle standards, as well as some stranger groovaliscious tunes. As one of the big musical influences of John Hartford, there are many lost gems from this fiddler!
3-Finger and Clawhammer Banjo
Riley Calcagno
Theories and methods for 3-finger and clawhammer banjo.
Bluegrass Guitar
Tony Kamel
Tony will go over any questions you may have about rhythm and/or lead bluegrass guitar playing, jamming in groups, and the importance of rhythm guitar playing in bluegrass.
Old Time Guitar
Leo Shannon and Vivian Leva
The stuff that matters: boom, chuck, driving the jam, and cracking the code on tunes you’ve never heard.
Mountain Dulcimer
Margaret and Lloyd Wright
All levels of Mountain Dulcimer players are welcome. Depending upon the group, Margaret can work with any absolute beginners, new players, or novice players while Lloyd can work with intermediate to more advanced or team-teach in one setting. Our focus is always Old Time tune material. The class will is very "hands-on" and we will have a few loaner dulcimers for those who wish to try it out. bring a chair with no arms.
The Bassist Knows More Than He’s Letting On
Ryan Gould
Ryan Gould facilitates a discussion and workshop based on practical needs of the working bassist. We’ll explore basic music theory and its practical application, intelligent use of the body too avoid injury, enhance tone production, to more fully express creative ideas, and discuss stylistic relevance within different genres.
Conjunto Redovas and Polkas on Accordion and Bajo Sexto
Felipe Perez, Virginio Castillo, Rudy Calderon
The workshop will cover the background of different styles of conjunto dance music and teach people how to play redovas and polkas on the accordion and the bajo sexto. The workshop will also cover the use of arpeggios in back up for redovas and polkas, which is a distinctive part of the old school conjunto sound.
2:45pm Puppet Making for Kids
Natasha LaGitana
Using ordinary materials and lots of imagination, Natasha will guide kids of all ages to make some very fun puppets to play with and take home. A favorite with kids!