I've not been to Monroe Camp so can't really say what needs improving, but from being around music and teaching for a while it seems that ability/desire to teach trumps musical geniosity, although it is always lovely to get both traits in one player (as in our very own Tater). Jamming is the key to a successful weekend, in my view, and it would be great if you could build jamming opportunities into the proceedings in some way that would help newcomers find a place to be. Slow jams work for beginning players, and young, hot or soon-to-be-hot players usually get swept into jams with the A-team players, but for the wide swath of in-between players ... people who can play up to a reasonable speed and have a reasonable amount of time in on the instrument but are not really at the head of the class, it's often difficult to know where to be (and I say this both as someone who's had this trouble and as a teacher who's tried to figure out ways to get people to interact musically). You can sit on the outskirts of a mega jam but you're not really contributing to the musical conversation, so it has limited usefulness. In a weekend, though, there's not much time to break people up into jam/woodshed bands, so I don't know the solution, just the problem. I think this counts as only about .01. Val
On Jan 20, 11:24 pm, mistertaterbug <[email protected]> wrote: > I agree, Don. I think that it is a good idea to get the older ones in > while we have them. I do think that some of the young guys have valid > contributions in their interpretations too and I think it brings a > freshness to the music, just like Monroe did to the old sound when he > came on the scene. Of course, he pissed off the old guard too, but > that's expected when you've got a new guy around that can outplay most > everybody. I also agree with your suggestion of Andy Statman. He knows > it, loves it, and can knock down the walls and go someplace else. > Mike, I agree with your suggestions too, for the most part. The > jamming situation seems to be hot on everybody's mind and needs to be > addressed. I've thought about David's McLaughlin and Davis. I intend > on asking Ronnie, but I suspect his schedule might prohibit his > involvement. Probably a good idea to include a slow jam someplace > everyday. Oh yea, the mandolin player is not supposed to play on the > front edge of the beat in Monroe style...<G>. > > I think the main thing is to get players who can teach or rather, want > who want to. > Tater > > On Jan 20, 9:20 pm, Don Grieser <[email protected]> wrote: > > > While Andy Statman does not play Monroe style these days, he certainly > > learned about every Monroe solo/tune he could when he was young, and > > he still knows what Monroe is about. He's also an excellent teacher. > > John Reischman has a solid grounding in Monroe/old time and is also an > > excellent teacher. I'd focus on getting older masters to the camp > > rather than younger players, and people who can teach as well as play, > > but that's just me. My .02 since you asked for it. > > > On Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 6:43 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Mike / all, > > > > I went the first year - I believe it was 2006 - and had a ball. > > > > Things I liked the year I went: > > > - the teachers - Mike, Red & Chris Henry, David Long, Skip Gorman - they > > > all > > > did a great job and hit on different aspects > > > - the museum setting - good spot for it > > > - the other students > > > - the museum staff - very friendly and helpful > > > > Things that might have made it better: > > > - break up some of the classes with some jamming time > > > - maybe a little more about the dynamics of the mando in a band setting - > > > controlling tempo and playing on the > > > front edge of the beat > > > - a fiddler to do classes on interacting with the fiddle and fiddle back > > > up > > > - improvising in different keys and positions > > > - better after hours jamming opportunities > > > > Other folks I'd suggest for instructors (assuming they teach): > > > - Ronnie McCoury > > > - David McLaughlin from the Johnson Mountain Boys > > > - David Davis - Warrior River boys > > > > Folks who've taught who'd be good have back: > > > - Bobby Osborne > > > - Frank Wakefield > > > - Roland White > > > > Good luck with it - hope I can make it back sometime. > > > > John Gay > > > Memphis > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: mistertaterbug <[email protected]> > > > To: Taterbugmando <[email protected]> > > > Sent: Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:49 pm > > > Subject: Monroe Camp 2009 > > > > I agreed today to take the administrative (uhm...or was that advisory) > > > duties for the International Bluegrass Music Museum's Bill Monroe > > > Mandolin Camp 2009. I understand that Mike Lawing doesn't work at the > > > museum anymore, so that leaves a gap. From what I can gather thus far, > > > the camp will basically be similar in format to the last few. It will > > > be on/around Monroe's birthday and will be Friday/Saturday/Sunday. > > > There will be at least 5 instructors and the topics will be somewhat > > > similar, but I am looking at other aspects of KY style bluegrass > > > mandolin that have not been touched on so much before. > > > > I know some of you on this here list have been to the camp, whilst > > > others have not. What I would like for you to do, beings we have this > > > forum, is to think about what it was you didn't get last time that > > > would have been welcome knowledge. What aspects of Bill's music did > > > not get looked at, either at all or adequately? Is there something > > > slipping through the cracks that I'm just not thinking of? What have I > > > left out? Are there artists currently working that have not worked as > > > instructors at the camp before that either loosely base some of their > > > work on Monroe's mandolin style or whom you'd like to see tackle KY > > > style mandolin with a more contemporary flair? The camp is, of course, > > > devoted to furthering and explaining Monroe's work and music, so I'm > > > not saying we need to get too far out on a limb. I am also looking at > > > possibly having the "before bluegrass" idea actively pursued, as well > > > as the black mandolin culture. Maybe we should go to Arnold Schultz' > > > gravesite. > > > > Anyway, I would welcome any suggestions/requests/complaints that may > > > be floating around. I think there needs to be some other activities to > > > do besides classes too, but right now at this early stage in the game, > > > I'm drawing a blank. Now's the time to have your say. > > > > Tater > > > > ________________________________ > > > A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. 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