Re: Monroe Camp 2009

[secsc2]

 I've never been. I plan on going this year and I think John just pretty much communicated what my expectations would be. I know three days isn't very long to dissect Monroe's style, but breaking it into the high points is a good start.

-------------- Original message from taurodont <jgardin...@roadrunner.com>: --------------


>
> I have been to all three Monroe Camps.
>
> Although I learned from all the previous instructors I got the most
> out of Tater, Butch Waller and Skip Gorman. All three had classes
> where you walked in, there was a brief introduction , then they
> started to pound a song into your brain. That is good learning.
> Frank is an amazing picker but is so scatter brained that you can
> hardly get a straight thought out of him. I had to verbally pin him
> down to show us a break to Blue Moon of Kentucky.
>
> I enjoy the history and lore but am mostly there to get better in
> that style. Repeatedly I overheard fellow students say they wished
> more songs or techniques were taught. People get irritated when they
> sit through a class and never get to remove their mando from the
> case.
>
> My foremost complaint was that some instructors clearly had given no
> thought to what they would teach. Students appreciate when an
> instructor has given the class some thought ahead of time. I can
> remember several classes where the instructor came in and said
> "Monroe's Timing? I'm not sure how to approach this". Then by the
> time they figure something out to teach the class is over. I think
> parameters or suggestions along with the class titles may help guide
> them. For instance the class title may be "Monroe's blues" and the
> objective to present several songs that illustrate his use of the
> blues or themes that recur that are "blue". Or maybe a class that
> touches on a few songs that use the downstroke and tremelo. Or maybe
> one devoted to Gospel turnarounds.
>
> I don't see any probllem rehashing some of the previous camps concepts
> except with different instructors.
>
> I would like to see David McLaughlin, Ronnie McCoury, David Davis. Or
> how about some fiddlers that can also play mandolin, especially those
> familiar with Monroe's fiddlers. Perhaps Aubrey Haynie or Mike
> Cleveland. Although all talented I have no idea how good of teachers
> they are and that is an extremely important skill to have when in
> charge of a class. So many excellent musicians are not efficient
> teachers. Tater is an exception.
>
> Enough for now. I'm sure it will be a good one if Tater is at the
> helm.
>
> John
>
>
> On Jan 19, 11:49 pm, mistertaterbug wrote:
> > 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
> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "Taterbugmando" group.
> To post to this group, send email to taterbugmando@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> taterbugmando+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com
> For more options, visit this group at
> http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en
> -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
>