West Marin Fiddle Camp 2021
Schedule
Mon, 19 Jul, 2021 at 07:00 am to Fri, 23 Jul, 2021 at 03:00 pm
Location
451 Mesa Rd, Bolinas, CA 94924, United States | Bolinas, CA
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West Marin Fiddle CampJuly 19-23, 2021
With Dirk Powell, Reeb Willms, Riley Baugus, Caleb Klauder, Irena Eide, Amelia Powell, Caroline Oakley and Simon Leone
Presented by Little Folkies & Big Folkies
At Commonweal Gardens in beautiful Bolinas, CA, on the Pacific coast!
West Marin Fiddle Camp 2021 is an outdoor acoustic roots music camp centering on immersion in rural American traditions in an inspiring natural setting. Master musicians from around the country will offer classes in fiddle, banjo, guitar, voice, and mandolin for intermediate to advanced students, as well as band classes offering a full participatory experience in different genres. There will be plenty of additional programming on guitar and fiddle for beginners of all ages and a special Little Folkies children’s program for kids ages 7-12 on guitar, ukulele, and fiddle, plus songwriting workshops!
In addition to daily classes, the camp will feature unique concerts and jams every night, afternoon band classes, local organic meals, guided beach and tide pool walks, and more. Our Louisiana staff will offer some additional Cajun music and food, and all faculty will conduct workshops on the music and stories that are dearest to their hearts.
NOTE: THIS IS AN OUTDOOR CAMPING EVENT!!
Indoor instrument storage will be available.
We follow all COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions.
Given the off-the-grid nature of the facility and climate realities in California, water usage must be kept to a minimum.
LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE, SIGN UP NOW!
Monday July 19 - Friday July 23, 2021
Fee: $500 per week for day campers, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM (includes lunch)
$750 per week for overnight campers (includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Ages: 7 and up
Due to size limitations, overnight campers under age 18 must have a paying supervising guardian on site.
Register
http://www.westmarinfiddlecamp.com
Instructors
Dirk Powell - fiddle, banjo, guitar, Cajun accordion
Dirk is known as a master of Appalachian and Cajun traditions, as well as a “musician’s musician.” He learned from his grandfather, J.C. Hay, of Ashland, Kentucky and will focus primarily on fiddle and banjo technique, while throwing in a few Cajun spices here and there. He is a renowned producer and owns a studio on the banks of Bayou Teche near Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.
Riley Baugus — banjo, guitar, fiddle
Riley’s deep roots in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina come through in all he does, from his driving clawhammer banjo style to his slippery, soulful fiddling and powerful ballad singing. He’s known as a leading banjo player and maker, and teller of powerful stories, around the world. He’s performed and recorded with the likes of Willie Nelson and Allison Krauss.
Reeb Wilms - voice, guitar, harmony singing
Reeb’s distinctive, rich voice is instantly recognizable in the roots music scene, and her solid guitar playing forms the backbone of the legendary Foghorn Stringband. Originally from rural Washington state, she plays country and old-time music with joy and soul, and tours the world singing tight harmonies with her musical partner Caleb Klauder.
Caleb Klauder - voice, guitar, mandolin, harmony singing, fiddle
As a founding member of the Foghorn Stringband, Caleb was at the forefront of the old-time music explosion in Portland, OR that inspired thousands of young people to feel rightful ownership of traditional American music. His original songs and honky-tonk sounds have a devoted following and he’s considered one of the best old time mandolin players in the world. He excels at guitar and fiddle, too, and can be found behind the drum kit when Cajun sounds get rolling.
Irena Eide - guitar, voice, songwriting
Irena, aka Rainy Eyes, has had her original sound described as “dreamy folk Americana,” but her passion for old-time traditional music runs deep. Originally from Bergen, Norway, she made her home in the bay area for many years before resettling in Louisiana. Irena plays and sings with honesty, openness, and soul. Known to some audiences for creating the award-winning Little Folkies children’s music program, she is a charismatic and inspiring teacher to students of all ages.
Amelia Powell - guitar, voice, children’s program
Amelia hails from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, where she grew up immersed in the culture championed by her grandfather, Cajun fiddler Dewey Balfa. She has a lifelong love of harmony and a very diverse set of musical skills. She has performed since the age of 12, around the world, and been featured many times on radio and TV. Having grown up in the hands-on Montessori tradition, she is a committed teacher to younger students.
Caroline Oakley - guitar, voice, fiddle, beginner’s program, dance calling
Caroline is a musician, dance caller, and community organizer who has been teaching music and calling old-time community square dances for 20 years. She is a multi-instrumentalist who especially enjoys fiddling and singing old-time country songs. She lives in Corbett, Oregon where she is an elementary music teacher, is active reviving live music and dancing at the local grange hall, and raises three sons.
Simon Leone - fiddle, voice, children’s program
Simon Leone is a fiddler and vocalist from Portland, Oregon. He is currently studying vocal performance and music industry studies at Loyola University in New Orleans. He grew up immersed in the burgeoning Oregon music scene, in which his parents were actively and foundationally involved. As an attendee of music camps since his birth, and the eldest in a family of brothers, he is adept at helping younger kids learn music.
Daily Schedule
8:00 AM | Breakfast
9:00 AM | Yoga, meditation, prep, or warm-up time
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM | String/Vocal Class 1
10:50 AM - 11:50 AM | String/Vocal Class 2
12:00 PM | Lunch
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM | Band classes
3:00 PM | Day camper pick-up
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Quiet time, relaxation, guided nature walks to garden/tide pools/beach/forest/butterfly grove
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Workshop/Concert of the moment
6:00 PM | Dinner
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Teacher concert by the fire pit
9:30 PM | Jamming and hanging
11:30 PM | Sleepy time
Class Descriptions
Little Folkies Kids’ Program: Guitar, Fiddle & Ukulele (7 and up)
Beginning Guitar & Fiddle (12 and up)
Intermediate/Advanced Fiddle, Banjo, Mandolin, Voice, and Guitar
Intermediate and Advanced Classes:
Intermediate/Advanced Old-Time Fiddle — Classes will focus on techniques and approaches that can help students discover their own unique old-time sound. Bowings, tunings, inflections, rhythmic pulses and drives, the natural bluesiness of American traditions…… all these things can help you “speak the language” of old-time music. The Kentucky and North Carolina traditions tied to Dirk and Riley’s backgrounds will be something of a focus, but, with over half the staff playing fiddle, there will be plenty of opportunities to explore diverse approaches that can help students meet their goals.
Intermediate/Advanced Old-Time Banjo — Banjo is unique in its ability to cover so many elements of music at the same time — melody, chords, percussion, harmony, drones. Riley and Dirk each learned banjo from older players in Appalachia, and each will share his rooted approach to the instrument. This will focus primarily on what is often called the “clawhammer” style, though in Dirk’s family the same style was known as “overhand.” There will be a lesser focus on finger-picking styles, though in talking about the history and feel of the instrument those subjects are likely to pop up. We’ll talk about playing solo, supporting a fiddle, and playing in groups.
Intermediate/Advanced Old-Time Song (with Harmony) — Caleb and Reeb are known for their creative harmony blends and wide repertoire of traditional and old-time Country songs, as well as originals that sit right in the timeless center of the tradition. In this class they’ll present a variety of songs — from classics to hidden gems — and explore ways to discover the soul of each one. They’ll help you find your voice, get creative with harmony, and dig into the kind of intention it takes to achieve that magic expression and blend we all love so much.
Intermediate Old-Time Guitar — The guitar in an old-time setting can be deceptively simple. The chords are often relatively straightforward, but getting the right kind of rhythmic feel is essential to any stringband or jam setting. The placement of the offbeat, the sense of drive versus holding back the pulse, the methods of playing bass notes versus chords…. many of these things are more about feel than analysis, and are often lost when slowed down for teaching purposes. This class will delve into the feel, hands-on, and will merge with other classes in moments in order to share the backing up of tunes and songs.
Intermediate/Advanced Old-Time Mandolin — As a member of Foghorn Stringband, Caleb brought old-time mandolin to a new and vibrant place by digging into the roots, finding ways to match and enhance the feel and pulse of fiddle tunes despite having a pick in his hand instead of a bow. He has an expansive repertoire of tunes and techniques that make him the favorite of many mandolin players because he comes from the percussive and expressive place that made the instrument a popular American instrument in the first place.
Beginning Guitar — If you have a strong desire to strum and sing your favorite songs on the guitar, but don’t know how, or if you already know a few chords but want to really solidify your foundation and learn a bunch of songs, well then this class is for you! We’ll be learning the basic chords and chord progressions of folk, country and old-time songs, working the rhythm, strumming patterns and the classic “boom-chuck” pattern, as well as understanding and internalizing simple 12 bar and 16 bar forms. Starting with only two or three chord songs, students will play music right off the bat. By the end of the week we’ll have a good foundational repertoire of songs to sing and chords to play.
Beginning Fiddle — Fiddle is a challenging but deeply rewarding instrument. Some say it most purely imitates the human voice. Learning how to hold the instrument and draw an even, full tone with the bow will help create the kind of foundation on which you can build and grow. Even if you have some experience on the fiddle, this will be a great opportunity to work on and fine-tuning your bowing, posture, and intonation. We’ll familiarize ourselves with the major scale pattern in different open keys, learn simple but memorable fiddle tunes, and jam with guitar accompaniment. It might be squeaky at first but it’ll be squeaky fun!
Little Folkies Ukulele Jammers & Guitar Pickers — Little Folkies Ukulele Jammers and Guitar pickers is for kids ages 7 to 12 wanting to learn how to sing and strum classic folk songs on the guitar or ukulele. Beginners and experienced students welcome! We’ll delve into the vast repertoire of folk, gospel and old-time songs perfect for beginners from the American canon, and learn the basic chords and strumming patterns of easy 1, 2, and 3 chord songs. You’ll be amazed at how much music you can make with just one chord and some heartfelt singing.
In addition to the daily classes, activities will include:
Hearty home-cooked meals with guest local chefs at dinner
Outdoor-based nature exploration and guided walks
Dancing - many styles to share, from Cajun to Square Dancing
Songwriting - Select workshops with top writers
Jamming - Many opportunities to make some spontaneous music!
Art creation from recycled material and found objects
Conversations about music, friendship, equality, contributing in a positive way to your community, and more
Camping!
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Where is it happening?
451 Mesa Rd, Bolinas, CA 94924, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays: