Albuquerque Folk Festival Logo

2013 Workshops

Wanna Play? Here's your chance!

The workshop schedule for the 2013 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.

One of the great things about the folk festival is that everybody participates. Performers are more than willing to share their expertise with everyone at the festival. This year, you'll find Peter Ostroushko, Timothy Hill, Notorious, Jack Williams, Jimmy Abraham, and more giving workshops.

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 Debbie Muldawer for organizing the vocal workshops.




Workshop Tent 1

TimeSessionNameDescription
10:30 AMBYOG! (Bring Yer Own Guitar!) (B)Pat Neff

A folk festival can be much more fun if you're playing. Beginning guitar workshop for people who are just learning to play. We'll touch on some chords, strums and a few songs to work on.

11:30 AMBanjo-Fiddle DuetsWayne Shrubsall & Bruce Thomson

In bluegrass and traditional music, few instruments complement one another as well as the banjo and the fiddle. Together they provide a spare and percussive sound that can be raucous or sweet depending on the tune and the players. This workshop will illustrate the symbiotic nature of the banjo and fiddle, will discuss when the duet works and why, and will teach a couple of banjo-fiddle tunes. Banjo players will be encouraged to sit next to fiddle players.

12:30 PMApple Mountain Strings & Things Folk ClubApple Mountain String & Things

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.

1:30 PMHammered Dulcimer (B)Scott Reeder

If you can tap a tune out on a table top, then you can play hammered dulcimer. Come check out this many-stringed instrument, and see how fun it is to play!

2:30 PMRhythm Bones (B)David Wilson

Learn how to play this simple but versatile rhythm instrument. Bones can be played with almost any genre of folk music and fit nicely in your back pocket. A limited supply of bones will be available for use during the workshop. Otherwise, bring your own or buy yourself a pair for an affordable price from our vendors.

3:30 PMABC's of Banjo!Pat Neff

Using the I, IV. V chord progressions up the neck. Play some of the songs you already know on upper positions on the banjo neck. A great step to being a better banjoist.

4:30 PMBand Scramble Practice


Workshop Tent 2

TimeSessionNameDescription
10:30 AMMandolin (B)Laurie PhillipsBring your ax and learn which end is right (and don't be left). You don't need to read music ... but we won't hold it against you if you can! We'll discuss the local music scene, point to some things to work on, and practice some basic moves and tactics. And we WILL learn a tune. As always: a handout to take home!
11:30 AMBuild a Washtub BaseCliff JohnsonLearn how to build and play a Washtub Bass by building one with a 5-gallon pail. Materials provided, take your finished instrument home with you (and play it at other festival activities).
12:30 PMTin Whistle (B)Andy MossWorkshop for whistle beginners. In one hour, play a few tunes. Have lots of fun.
1:30 PMBodhrán (B)Dain ForsytheYou'll feel the heartbeat of Irish traditional music when you learn the rudiments of how to play Ireland's drum. This is a hands on workshop for everyone.
2:30 PMKlezmer MusicBeth CohenKlezmer refers to the the dance music of the eastern European Jewish people. Learn to play a klezmer dance tune with Beth Cohen: a long-time ABQ music teacher and folk musician, Community Klezmer band director since 1995, co-producer of KlezmerQuerque & band member of The Rebbe's Orkestra & Goddess of Arno. All levels of musicians and all instruments are welcome.
http://www.nahalatshalom.org - or if you'd rather have the exact but longer link for the klezmer band page it is: http://nahalatshalom.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=56
3:30 PMOld Time Fiddle (I)Steve Hickman
4:30 PMBand Scramble Practice

Workshop Tent 3

TimeSessionNameDescription
10:30 AMWomen's BarbershopRoute 66 SoundEnjoy a group of women singing barbershop music in the Sweet Adelines style.
11:30 AMAlbuquerque Accordion ClubAlbuquerque Accordion ClubThe club provides a regular forum where accordion players of all skill levels, beginners to advanced, have a place to play for and with like-minded other people in a supportive, non-competitive atmosphere.
12:30 PMShape Note SingersShape Note Singers of Albuquerque New MexicoThe Shape note Singers of Albuquerque New Mexico formed about 1991. It is a participatory group rather than a performing one and it is open to everyone. The style of the hymns and anthems we sing date back to the colonial period of the United States, and they are sung unaccompanied in four part harmony. The shapes of the notes help the singer to learn the relative pitches within the song. Typically, there is little in the way of dynamics, so the songs are sung loudly and often with considerable exuberance. With practice, even a beginner can begin to read music and sing along with us.
1:30 PMMountain Dulcimer (B)Irma ReederSpend some time enjoying this versatile instrument! It's easy and fun to get started. We'll cover some basics for beginners, then enjoy playing songs with parts for all skill levels. Come and play along! Some instruments provided. Irma is the 2009 Colorado State and 2011 Texas State mountain dulcimer champion. She is also co-founder and director of the New Mexico Dulcimer Festival.
2:30 PMWelsh ChoirTan y Ddraig Welsh ChoirTraditional Songs of Wales: Caneuon Traddodiadol Cymru
3:30 PMWing and a PrayerWing and a PrayerOld-time, cowboy, country gospel band that combines lively vocals with a multitude of acoustic instruments from the familiar to the unusual.
4:30 PMNM Celtic SingersCeltic Singers of New MexicoThe Celtic Singers of New Mexico is a group dedicated to the study, preservation, and enjoyment of traditional-style song from the Celtic lands, including Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and others. Many of the songs we sing are in Scots Gaelic; others are in Broad Scots dialect with occasional forays into Welsh, Irish, and English. We will be teaching a small selection of songs, each a representation of various traditions, including tweed-walking (work songs), mouth music, and others. All are welcome to join us!

Workshop 4 Indoors

TimeSessionNameDescription
10:30 AMStory Song LyricsJimmy Abraham

I play in three bands at present; the Fiasco Brothers, the Adobe Brothers, and Cheap Shot. All three of these bands will be performing in the Old Town Series which is a benefit series for the Folk Festival. The Adobe Brothers will play a Jam with the Band at the festival.

11:30 AMHarmony SingingHoly Water and Whiskey

This is your chance to experience being wrapped up in harmonies - tenor, alto, baratone, gospel or folk, home is where the harmonies are.

Holy Water & Whiskey has been playing in Albuquerque for 7 years. Scott, Maggie, and Bruce - with Maria on sound - lift people up with their gospel, leave 'em on the range with their cowboy music, and lay 'em on the bar with their Irish, folk, and traditional music - covers and originals. Dancing and humming along are sweet with their harmonies. Their 3 CDs are available on CD Baby.

12:30 PMIrish Fiddle (I)Gary Papenhagen

We'll take a quick hands-on look at the Irish fiddle ornaments and spend the rest of the time working on Hornpipe and Jig styling. We'll use the Harvest Home Hornpipe (D major) to look at the hornpipe rhythm, and Eileen O'Riordan's Slide (A minor) to practice Jig bowing. Sheet music will be available, but the Slide will be taught by ear if there's time.

1:30 PMHarmonica (B)Alex Hastings

Blues harmonica player Alex Hastings will be hosting this introductory harmonica workshop. He has been playing for over 11 years and teaching the harmonica for 5. Bring a harmonica in the key of C, or buy an inexpensive one from one of our festival vendors before the workshop.

2:30 PMJaw Harp (B)Kenneth Dean

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 limited number of instruments available for $6.00 each at the workshop.

3:30 PMUkulele (B)High Desert Sand Fleas Ukulele Club

This workshop is intended to be an introduction to this fun and portable instrument - learn strumming, a few chords and techniques that will get you playing - Loaners available. Hawaiian shirts are optional.

4:30 PMBand Scramble Practice
5:30 PMClave: Latin World BeatConsuelo Luz

Learn about "clave", the contrapuntal musical beat that originated in Africa and spread into Latin and World Music


Workshop 5 Indoors

TimeSessionNameDescription
10:30 AMHarmonic (Throat) SingingTimothy 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.

11:30 AMA Round and a RoundDebbie Muldawer
12:30 PMLearning to SingCliff Johnson
1:30 PMImprov/TunewritingNotorious

Lauded as "sparkling" and "exhilarating" Notorious musicians Eden MacAdam-Somer and Larry Unger present a thrilling musical experience in genres that span many continents. With Eden on fiddle and vocals and Larry on guitar and banjo, their music lights up the hall with rhythm and sonority. Their performances are always new and exciting, featuring traditional American, Celtic, and Eastern-European tunes and songs, swing, blues, classical music and the group's original compositions. Notorious has been a featured ensemble at such festivals as Falcon Ridge, Wheatland, Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Eastbourne International Festival, the Savannah Folk Festival, Pinewoods, and the Augusta Music Festival. Notorious has also performed at the Kennedy Center of Washington D.C., on the Evening Under the Stars Concert Series at Southshore Conservatory of Hingham, Massachusetts, and for the Multi-educational Cultural Center for the Arts of Houston, Texas, and frequently dedicates time to performances and educational programs in schools. The band has also toured extensively, across the entire East and West coasts of the United States, to Alaska, and England.

At home in the worlds of both classical and popular music, Eden MacAdam-Somer is one of the most exciting and versatile young violinists and singers performing today. She has been a featured soloist with symphony and chamber orchestras, jazz and swing bands, bluegrass, DAWG and American folk groups. Eden is also well-versed in the music of other cultures, including Irish music, Eastern-European music, and European music from the Medieval and Renaissance periods. She has been an artist at the Aspen and Beijing International Music festivals, soloist at Texas and Wimberly jazz festivals, performer at Texas and St. Louis Renaissance fairs, and has appeared on numerous recordings in folk, rock, jazz, and classical genres.

Larry Unger has been a full-time musician since 1984 and has presented a diverse range of musical performances across the United States, Europe, and Scandinavia. Titled "master guitarist" by Dirty Linen, Unger has played with many top contra dance bands and has accompanied such fiddlers as Judy Hyman, Matt Glaser, and Lissa Schneckenburger. Larry's original waltzes and fiddle tunes have been played and recorded by musicians around the world and can also be heard in the Ken Burns documentary, Our National Parks. Initially studying blues guitar with Etta Baker and John Jackson and later taking up the banjo and bass, Unger has become one of the most sought-after rhythm players in the country.

2:30 PMPeter Ostroushko WorkshopPeter Ostroushko

One of the most accomplished instrumentalists and gifted composers of his generation, Peter Ostoushko was influenced originally by the mandolin, balalaika and bandura tunes played by his father and family friends while he was growing up in the Ukrainian community of Northeast Minneapolis. He has since made his unique mark as a sideman, session player, headliner and composer of everything from folk to jazz to classical, having mastered both mandolin and violin. He has worked with the likes of Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal , Norman Blake, Willie Nelson Emmylou Harris, and Chet Atkins, but he is perhaps best known as a frequent performer and one time Music Director on the popular radio show, Prairie Home Companion. He has also appeared on Austin City Limits, Late Night with David Letterman, and even Mr. Roger's Neighborhood and has provided music for the Ken Burns documentaries, Lewis & Clarke, and Mark Twain, as well as other nationally distributed programs such as The Dakota Conflict and Grant Wood's America.

As a solo performer, Peter has produced a number of recordings, including Down the Streets of My Old Neighborhood, Slüz Düz Music, and the three albums that make up his Heartland Trilogy: Heart of the Heartland, Pilgrims of the Heartroad and Sacred Heart, as well as a collaboration with longtime friend Norman Blake, Meeting on Southern Soil. His latest work, The Mando Chronicles, may go down in history as one of the greatest CD compilation albums ever, certainly for fans of mandolin music. Peter himself tells us that "Finally after 3 years in the making my new CD recording The Mando Chronicles is out. It is a 3 CD set of you guessed it, mandolin music. It was a labor of love that I'm very proud of. It's kind of a history of the mandolin as it relates to my own journey of playing the instrument. It has Classical, American Old Time, Brazilian, Irish, Ragtime, my own Ukrainian Roots music and much, much more. Even at 3½ hours of music it is but a "drop in the bucket" in terms of all the mandolin music I have played over the years, but at some point I had to say enough is enough. As it is, I couldn't fit all the music I recorded on to 3 CDs. Perhaps some time down the road I will make a Mando Chronicles 2."

Peter Ostroushko is one of the amazing musical talents of our time and he never seems to run out of creative gems to share with his many fans throughout the world.

Peter Ostroushko will be appearing with guitarist Dean MaGraw:

Composer/Guitarist Dean Magraw's musical passion transcends all boundaries, yet the vital essence of his distinctive style remains, while performing and recording solo, with numerous regional ensembles, and on projects with international notables as diverse as Japanese shamisen prodigy Nitta Masahiro, classical violinist Nigel Kennedy, South Indian virtuoso Nirmala Rajasheker, epic songstress Ruth MacKenzie, Irish supergroup Altan, radio personality Garrison Keillor, jazz bassist Anthony Cox, and many others.

"Dean Magraw… so liquid, lyrical and effortless it's like listening to a dancer." -Steve Tibbetts

"Dean Magraw unveils soulful melodic grooves intricately designed to heal the broken dancer, confuse the boldest mathematician, and eradicate ennui in our lifetime." -Nick Lethert

3:30 PMThe Songwriter's GuitarJack Williams

The music of Jack Williams, rooted in his native South Carolina, was shaped by a 54-year career of playing folk, rock, jazz, R&B, classical and the popular music of the 30s, 40s and 50s. Counted among the most dynamic performers on today's "folk" circuit, Jack is considered a "musician's musician", an uncommonly unique guitarist, a writer of vivid songs with a strong sense of place, and a storyteller in an old Southern tradition who further illustrates each tale with his guitar.

Avoiding the compromises of the commercial music industry during his 50+-year professional career, Jack prefers touring under the radar, playing concerts, large and small, week in and week out, from the sheer love of music and performing. Playing for more than 50 house concerts each year, Jack enjoys the intimacy of that venue most of all, with a more personal connection to his listeners. Jack is a sought-after artist on all contemporary acoustic music stages, from coffeehouses and festivals to music halls and city arts stages. From acclaimed appearances at the Newport, Boston, Philadelphia, Kerrville, New Bedford SummerFest Folk Festivals, his musicianship, songs, stories and commanding presence have established him as an uncommonly inspiring and influential performer.

In addition to his successful solo career, Jack's credits include guitar work with legendary singer/songwriters Mickey Newbury, Harry Nilsson, Tom Paxton, Peter Yarrow, and Steve Gillette, among others. He currently has a DVD ("High Cotton") and seven CDs of original songs on Wind River / Folk Era Records: "Bound for Glory – Live", "Laughing in the Face of the Blues", "Walkin' Dreams", "Live & In Good Company", "Eternity & Main", "Across the Winterline", and "Dreams of the Song Dog". His CD "Don't Let Go" is a collection of cover songs reflecting the major influences on his musical development.

Williams' music is born at the meeting ground of the traditional and the contemporary - original Southern-American songwriting and performance at its best, drawing deeply from the eclectic well of our musical heritage. Jack's fusion of guitar, voice and songs - which are loaded with delightful influences from his career in jazz, classical, rock, blues, country and folk - should not be missed.

4:30 PMBand Scramble Practice
5:30 PMFinger Style Blues GuitarLarry Unger