2010 Workshops
Wanna Play? Here's your chance!
The workshop schedule for the 2010 Albuquerque Folk Festival is coming together.
All of these workshops are designed for festival goers' participation. Even if you don't have an instrument to play, workshop presenters and/or other participants can often loan you one or share theirs to give you chance for a little hands on. Don't be shy! Come join the fun! And if you do have an instrument at home, don't hesitate to bring it along. We have an instrument check room available from the festival start until 10:00 PM so you don't have to lug that instrument around all day if you don't want to.
Workshops labeled with a (B) are especially targeted to beginners. If a workshop is labeled with an (I), it's for intermediate players.
Thanks to Scott Reeder for organizing the instrumental workshops and Art Brooks for organizing the vocal workshops.
Stage Two
Friday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | Jaw Harp Workshop | Ken Dean | New Mexico Symphony musician Ken Dean will go over basic techniques for this ancient mouth resonated instrument. Feel free to bring your own instruments. There will be a very limited number of bamboo instruments available. |
| 7:00 PM | Western Swing Fiddle | Gretchen Van Houten | Western Swing Fiddle with Gretchen Van Houten, past Winfield fiddle champion. Like they say,"It don't mean a thing...if it ain't got that swing!" Show up and we'll doozy up a tune or three. |
Instrument Petting Zoo
Friday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 PM | Diatonic Autoharp Workshop | Todd Crowley | Musical instrument zookeeper Todd Crowley finds the diatonic autoharp, introduced to him by his friend Bryan Bowers 25 years ago, to be the perfect accompanying instrument for the songs he sings. |
Workshop 1
Friday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | Banjo Folk Styles | Wayne Shrubsall | A presentation of several traditional banjo styles, including, 2-finger, clawhammer, and traditional 3-finger styles, and hands-on, so bring your banjo. |
| 7:00 PM | Fiddle and Banjo Tunes | Wayne Shrubsall and Bruce Thomson | Bruce and Wayne will play old-timey tunes, differentiating between traditional tunes and recently composed tunes in old-timey style. |
Saturday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Tin Whistle (B) | Andy Moss | Workshop for whistle beginners. In one hour, play a few tunes. Have lots of fun. |
| 12:00 PM | Apple Mountain Strings & Things | Apple Mountain Strings | Albuquerque-based acoustic instrument club where players at all skill levels enjoy well-loved folk tunes with friends. Come and just listen, or bring your instrument and play along. |
| 1:00 PM | Mountain Dulcimer (B) | Irma Reeder | Spend some time exploring this versatile instrument! It's easy and fun to get started. We'll learn some basics, then enjoy playing songs. All levels welcome to come and play along! Some instruments provided. Irma Reeder is the 2009 Colorado state mountain dulcimer champion. |
| 2:00 PM | Celtic Mountain Dulcimer (I) | Jonathan Dowell | Celtic music on the mountain dulcimer for intermediate players, and for beginners ready to move up. By Southern Regional champion, Jonathan Dowell. |
| 3:00 PM | Folk Harp (B) | Julietta Anne Rabens | Learn the basics of Folk Harp. We'll start with an introduction to the instrument, followed by basic chords, simple melodies, and a little improvisation. Harps will be available, or bring your own. |
| 4:00 PM | Tools for Bluegrass Banjo Arranging and Improvising (I) | Jeff Scroggins | Jeff Scroggins will discuss some of the key ideas and techniques that he uses for both arranging and improvising. Those who attend will receive written material that will be used in the workshop and will be useful well after the workshop. Targeted towards intermediate to advanced players, this workshop will present concepts that are sure to provide anyone with a basic grasp of bluegrass banjo techniques with tools that will help them to immediately begin arranging their own solos and even create their own cool improvised breaks! |
| 7:00 PM | Duets for Mandolin and Guitar | Scott Mathis | This workshop will show the duet style of melody/rhythm playing featuring mandolin and guitar. Waltzes, polkas, two-steps and chotis will be featured. |
Workshop 2
Friday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | There's Movement in the BASSment | Pat Neff | Adding alternate and moving Bass lines to make your guitar playing more Interesting (and enjoyable!) |
| 7:00 PM | Ukelele (B) | Michael Veseart | If you were stranded on a desert island, what instrument would you want to have? Instructor Michael Veseart will show you the basics of this fun and portable instrument. Aloha shirts are optional. |
Saturday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Introductory Irish Fiddle (B) | Gary Papenhagen | We'll take a hands-on look at Irish Fiddling ornaments, basic rhythms, and a simple little jig, "Hag at the Churn," will be taught by ear. |
| 12:00 PM | Beginning Autoharp (B) | Gary Libman | Come for the demonstration or rent, borrow, or buy an autoharp and come on in for the music. Please tune your instrument before entering the workshop or you will be garrotted and your head will be placed on a spike on the Juan Tabo Bridge over I-40. Will describe the difference between diatonic and chromatic autoharps. Will give basic information about right hand strumming and picking, and left hand chording. |
| 1:00 PM | Hammered Dulcimer (B) | Scott Reeder | Weird shaped instrument you get to hit with hammers with as many strings as 3 or 4 complete bluegrass bands. Introduction for non-players and tips for new players. |
| 2:00 PM | Banjo (B) | Pat Neff | Beginning Banjo with Pat Neff - Learn basic pinches and rolls to enhance your picking in "G" tuning. Starting with the pinch and moving into rolls and how they work from one chord to another and fit into songs. You might have to sing while you play too! |
| 3:00 PM | Guitar (B) | Pat Neff | Start Pickin' Now: Beginning Guitar with Pat Neff - Learn how to tune, and then begin to play some basic chords and strums. You might have to sing here some too! |
| 4:00 PM | Fiddle to the Next Level (I) | Tom Perry | Learn ways to sound better and fuller with chords and position shifts; techniques that seem difficult but really aren't! Tom Perry is ready to help you impress your audience! |
| 7:00 PM | Preparing Your Band for Recording | Lee Padilla | by Lee Padilla of Sanctuary Sound Studio. So you think you're ready to record? Come see how to prepare for the recording experience. |
Workshop 3
Friday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | Mandolin (B) | Laurie Phillips | Bring your ax and learn which end is right (and don't be left). We'll figure out a tune or two and point to a few things to work on for next year's folk festival. You don't need to read music ... but we won't hold it against you if you do! Seriously, there'll be a few basic moves and tactics, and you WILL be able to play when it's done (well, OK: we'll point you in the right direction). And, as always: a handout to take home! |
| 7:00 PM | A Taste of Primal Soup: Introduction to the Didgeridoo (B) | Rev | In this class Rev will introduce you to the essence of the didge and the power of its simple complexity, then he will guide you through a series of exercises designed to lead you from the very basic techniques of "making the sound" to actually playing a simple jam. You will leave with a visceral experience of the didge and the inspiration to learn more. |
Saturday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Beginning Bodhran (Irish Frame Drum) (B) | Shane Page | Stir your Irish blood by learning the basics of playing this wonderful drum. This is a very hands on workshop for participants. |
| 12:00 PM | North American Fiddle (I) | Bruce Thomson | Because we're a melting pot, North America has more styles of traditional fiddle music than any other continent; styles that include the rustic crooked music of the desert southwest and Mexico, the rhythmic old timey dance music of the Appalachians, the smooth intricate swing of Texas, and the lyric and bouncy music of New England. This workshop explore the differences in styles by teaching tunes in some of these different styles. |
| 1:00 PM | 2 Fiddle Cajun | Bayou Seco | BAYOU SECO (Ken Keppeler and Jeanie McLerie)will teach a Cajun waltz, and a 2 step as learned from Dennis McGee, Canray Fontenot and other great players of the SW Louisiana area. We prefer to teach by ear. The Cajun/Creole style on two violins harkens back to the 19th century and involves a melody part, as well as a rhythmic bassing part, reflecting French, British Isles, and African roots. It is a wonderful style, and the ideas can be used in other types of music. |
| 2:00 PM | Klezmer Music | Beth Cohen | Learn a Klezmer (East European Jewish folkdance music) tune by ear with violinist and Klezmer band director Beth Cohen. All levels and instruments welcome - beginner's will learn accompaniment patterns. Charts provided at end of workshop. |
| 3:00 PM | Harmonica (B) | Alex Hastings | Blues harmonica player Alex Hastings will be hosting this introductory harmonica workshop. He has been playing for over 9 years and teaching the harmonica for 3. Bring a harmonica in the key of C, or buy an inexpensive one from one of our festival vendors before the workshop. |
| 4:00 PM | Rhythm Bones (B) | David Wilson | Rhythm bones, the quintessential idiophone, have been played by homo sapiens since, well, forever. The Neanderthals played them too, and so should you! We start easy with two bones in one hand, learning simple rhythms first, then evolving to more complex rhythms that include syncopation and rolls. We will then take two bones in each hand and really get going! Don't worry if you are not a bones maestro when the day is done. Take your bones home and mess around. You'll eventually get it and be the life of any party. Bring your own bones, borrow ours, or buy them from the vendors at the festival (our recommendation). |
| 7:00 PM | Flatpicking Guitar | Gretchen Van Houten | Let's flatpick! With Gretchen Van Houten. We can work on picking, pull-offs and hammer-ons that smooth out picking. |
Workshop 4
Friday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | Harmonic (Throat) Singing | Timothy Hill | Harmonic singing, originating with Tuvan throat singing, is a way of singing and listening with acute attention to the overtone spectrum of the voice, producing a sound at once otherworldly and deeply human. Harmonic singing deepens and enhances the natural voice, giving singers a direct experience of the physical laws of sound, powerful insight into the nature of harmony and a glimpse at the roots of human language and song. |
| 7:00 PM | Zimbabwe Gourd Rattles | Armando Ortega | Learn to play the Zimbabwe hosho (gourd rattle). Armando Ortega of Wagogo will be teaching variations on 6/8 and 4/4 shaker patterns that accompany marimbas and thumb pianos. |
Saturday
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Harmony Singing | Robin and Linda Williams | Robin and Linda Williams, the Virginia-based duo known for their rich harmonies and original songwriting, delight audiences large and small with a blend of bluegrass, folk, old-time and acoustic country that truly merits the title of "American music." The two will present a workshop on duo, three part and four part harmony singing from the country music and bluegrass tradition. Robin and Linda have gained recognition from a variety of sources, winning a nomination from their colleagues at the International Bluegrass Music Association for "Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year" (1995's Good News). In 1998 they received a Crossroads' Music "Gold Star" Award for the best Contemporary Folk CD of 1998, and listed in the top 10 "Album Of The Year." (Devil of a Dream) They have appeared on The Grand Ole Opry, "Austin City Limits," American "Mountain Stage," "Music City Tonight," and have enjoyed the rejuvenation of The Hopeful Gospel Quartet on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion." They have performed in venues ranging from Philadelphia and Kerrville folk Festivals, to bluegrass-oriented festivals such as Winterhawk, Wings & Strings and the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival, to arts centers and concert halls in dozens of states and countless clubs and coffeehouses – not only across the US, but in Canada and Europe as well. |
| 12:00 PM | Group Singing | Laurie McPherson | Take turns around the circle singing favorite songs, either leading, following or just enjoying the music. |
| 1:00 PM | The "Key" to Song | Los Primos | This interactive workshop is helpful to singers and musicians that perform with singers. They will cover • Does it matter what key I sing/play a song? • How do I find the best key to sing in? • Should I sing every song in the same key? • What is my range? • The "Key" to Acoustic |
| 2:00 PM | Women's Barbershop | Enchanted Mesa | Women with a passion for music and harmony, who come together for education, performances and friendship. |
| 3:00 PM | Cowboy/Country Gospel Singing | Wing and a Prayer | Sharing God's goodness through old-time fiddle tunes, cowboy, country, and country gospel songs from generations past, Wing & a Prayer combines lively vocals with a multitude of acoustic instruments from the familiar to the unusual. Coming from diverse musical backgrounds and experiences, members have a common love for this genre. All have led or participated in church music throughout the years. Wing & a Prayer is: Irma Reeder – band trail boss (guitar, banjo, mountain dulcimer, vocals), Scott Reeder – hitched to Irma (hammered dulcimer, guitar, melodica; "half" an accordion, vocals), Shirley Cave – Irma's sister (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Steven Cave – Shirley's husband (marimbula; a giant thumb piano bass, guitar, vocals), Ann Majors (mountain dulcimer, vocals), Curtis Brown (guitar, mandolin, vocals), and Linda Vik (fiddle, vocals). Some members play additional instruments in other performing groups, and some actively teach and direct music. |
| 4:00 PM | Celtic Ballads, Mouth Music, and Waulking Songs | Celtic Singers of New Mexico | In our workshop, we will teach a few simple "tweed-waulking" songs as well as samples of Gaelic "mouth music" and a Celtic ballad or two. The Celtic Singers of NM is an informal group dedicated to learning and enjoying the various forms of traditional Celtic song, including Scots Gaelic, Broad Scots, and others. We perform a few times a year at various events in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The group meets every 2nd and 4th Sunday afternoon to sing, eat, and socialize! Contact Nancy at nancy.nursewriter@gmail.com if you'd like to join our eail list. |
| 6:00 PM | Chanty Sing | Steven Pla | Work and leisure songs of the windjammer era |