News Flash
| The workshop descriptions below are for 2011 but will give you a good idea of the kinds of things you can expect in 2012. We will post the 2012 schedule as soon as we have it available ... |
This year’s Mountain Laurel Autoharp Gathering workshops promise to be some of the most interesting and diverse we’ve ever had! This list generally goes from beginner to advanced level, with some “all level” workshops at the end. Have fun exploring them! In addition to these more formal workshops, the featured performers will be leading jams or doing "Hand to Hand" hours where you can get to know them more personally and ask questions about their playing techniques or their musical journeys.
“Boot Camp for Beginners” – Mary Park – beg
Come for an introduction to playing the autoharp. This 3-hour workshop, held on Wednesday afternoon, is for new players and for those who play a little and might want to brush up on the basics. Mary will cover many topics to get you started playing our great instrument. Come with any questions. Hope to see you there!
“Beyond Boot Camp – Staying on Track” – Karen Daniels – beg and up
These workshops are 9 a.m. sessions beginning Thursday, and are student-directed with handouts included. They are designed to help participants receive answers to questions they may have regarding whatever they may not have understood in other workshops. Of the more than 25 workshops that Karen has prepared and taught, she brings many of the quality handouts, so that, depending upon the direction of the questions and which direction the students choose to go, the sessions wind up being mini-workshops exploring any one of a number of topics. Come join us in the mornings and learn – FOR ALL LEVELS. Questions from beginners ANY TIME especially welcome. We are there for YOU!
“Kids’ Workshops – Get Started Off Right!” – Vicki Lehman
An introduction to the autoharp for children. Loaner 'harps will be available, including smaller ones for younger children. Adult beginners (and observers) also are welcome, but the tunes will be nursery rhymes and familiar children's songs.
“Right from the Start" – Bryan Bowers – beg – any key
Master performer Bryan Bowers knows how important it is to get good playing tips from the very beginning. He will start with how to hold the instrument, put picks on, and go from there. Get your tips straight from the top!
“Cradle Songs of Christmas" – Karla Armstrong – adv beg (but all are welcome!) – key C
Some not-so-familiar Christmas lullabies from around the world, a good way to expand holiday repertoire. Songs used: "How Far is it to Bethlehem?" (France) and "Little Jesus, Sweetly Sleep/Rocking Carol" (Czechoslovakia).
“Introduction to Melody Playing”– John Hollandsworth – adv beg/int – D & G
You know you want to start playing melodies, but are just a little unsure on how it’s done. This is your starting point. We’ll do a few useful exercises and then slowly play a simple melody.
“Setting Poetry to Music with Autoharp” – Bob Zentz – adv beg/int
“Rapid-Fire Fingering” – Lucille Reilly – adv beg and up – D & G
Learn a great jamming technique for both chromatic and diatonic autoharpists that will work wonders towards freeing your fingers. We will harmonize 2 to 4 well-known tunes. Please bring a thumb pick and THREE fingerpicks.
"Getting REAL Music from a FAKE Book” – Karla Armstrong – int (but all are welcome!) - chromatic
Exploiting fake book and similar anthology music (usually expressed in lead sheet or single-note melody) for autoharp use. The process is followed from Square One: Selecting a song, transposing it to "fit" on the autoharp, chord substitution techniques, and arrangement. Song to be used: "I Believe."
“How to Make a Tune Your Own” – John Hollandsworth – int – G & D
Now that you can play a simple melody, do you really want to play it the same way for the rest of your life?? Some ideas on how to make simple changes to make your playing more interesting for both you and your listeners.
"Chromatic Playing in Modes Beyond I, IV, V" – Drew Smith – int/adv – chromatic
You can add unusual and interesting songs and tunes to your repertoire. Let's venture into playing Songs in MINOR keys, Appalachian MODAL tunes and songs, and then ... We'll go into MIDDLE EASTERN MODES! We'll use many keys from your chromatic autoharp, including minor and 7th chords.
“The Magic of Silence” – Cathy Britell – int/adv – G & D, chromatic or diatonic
The autoharp, with all its wonderful strings and beautiful sustain, is very good at filling up “acoustic space.” Yet, often what makes music full of expression and meaning is SILENCE. We will explore a number of ways that silence can be used to add expression, emphasis, and even drama to one’s music, and practice some techniques to achieve that.
“Are You REALLY in Tune?” – Bryan Bowers –int/adv – key NA
Even if you’ve been playing for a while and are already competing or performing, you might be surprised at some tuning issues that crop up and can mar your otherwise stellar performances. Bryan has some tips that will really get you to listen for those pesky notes that keep you from sounding your best.
“Decatonic Autoharp Panel Discussion” – Linda Huber – all – key NA
Have you been wondering what a decatonic autoharp is? Come to this workshop and hear words from a panel of experts as well as some demonstrations. Linda will facilitate the discussion, and George Orthey, Greg Schreiber, Tom Fladmark, and Mike Herr will also be on the panel.
“Waltzing with Wanda” – Wanda Degen – all levels – keys C, D, Dm, G, & A
Be it slow or up-tempo, melancholy or joyful, there's nothing quite as compelling as music in 3/4 time. This waltz workshop is for all levels and will cover simple accompaniment to playing the melody on the autoharp. A hand-out heavy instructor, Wanda will lead you through a repertoire of familiar and not as well known songs and tunes drawn from the deep source that is traditional and contemporary folk. Keys of C, D, Dm, G & A will be used, and help with transposing will be touched on.
“Harmony!” – Cathy Britell & William Limbach – all levels – G & D
There are few things more fun and satisfying than singing and playing beautiful duets, trios, and quartets with your friends. We will share some tricks on using your autoharp to find unique and beautiful vocal harmonies; as well as using your voice to add notes to the chords on your autoharp to make “color chords.” We’ll learn some basic techniques for building vocal harmonies, and then have fun practicing them on some wonderful songs.
“Creating Autoharp Tab Using Harmony Assistant” – Cindy Harris – technical content!
If you find yourself needing to create handouts for autoharp workshops and haven’t discovered a tool that makes it easy to insert the appropriate symbols, this workshop will introduce you to Harmony Assistant and its customized autoharp tab functions. It’s easy to use and reasonably priced, and the developers have created a special set of tools designed specifically to add autoharp tab to a standard staff.
“My Autoharp Is Losing Its Pleasant Demeanor!” – Greg Schreiber – all – key NA
Luthier Greg Schreiber will lead a workshop on what to expect as your instrument ages and how to keep it in top playing condition. The session will begin with general discussion, followed by a time for any questions you may have.
“Exploring the Single-Key Autoharp” – Jo Ann Smith – all – key NA
This workshop will cover some basic technical stuff, like “What is a single-key autoharp and how do I get (or make) one?” But the main focus will be on WHY you might consider one and what you can DO with one. More of a demo than a participatory workshop, I’ll be showing the participants examples of tunes and techniques that really shine on a single-key autoharp.
“Great Beginnings” – Lucille Reilly – all, including non-players – key NA
Introductions in your music tell the listener what to expect in the rest of your piece. Willing autoharpists in attendance will have the chance to perform for us their introductions to tunes already in their repertoire. They will then receive constructive feedback and guidance from Lucille and the rest of the group.
“Cut the Clutter” – Jo Ann Smith – all – key NA
This workshop is definitely hands-on – we will concentrate on identifying and minimizing (or even eliminating) some of the unwanted noise that is generated by our instrument and the way we play it. Both chromatic and diatonic autoharps are welcome.
“Songs of the Sea, River, and Bay” – Bob Zentz – all – key TBA
“Music of the Woods” – Doug Pratt
Did you know that champion autoharpist Doug Pratt is an ornithologist in real life? Join him for a walk around the MLAG grounds and listen for nature’s songs as the birds perform them for us.
“Introduction to the Clawhammer Banjo” – Jim Lloyd
Mountain Fling member Jim Lloyd will show you the age-old technique of playing banjo in clawhammer style and have you playing a tune in no time! BYOB (bring your own banjo).
|
