2008 Workshops
Wanna Play? Here's your chance!
The workshop schedule for the 2008 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 11:00 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. Main stage performers are more than willing to share their expertise with everyone at the festival. This year, you'll find a gypsy fiddle workshop by Muni Kulasinghe of Le Chat Lunatique, an autoharp workshop with Bryan Bowers, and a style workshop with The Wilders.
Workshops labeled with a (B) are especially targeted to beginners. If a workshop is labeled with an (I), it's for intermediate players.
Workshop 1
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 | Bluegrass vs. Old-Time | Wayne Shrubsall and Bruce Thomson | Because the instrumentation is the same, many folks are confused about the distinction between bluegrass music and old timey or traditional music. Though there are some dramatic differences, in fact there're a lot of similarities too and many great musicians use ideas from both genres. This workshop will highlight the differences and the similarities by teaching tunes in both styles. |
| 12:00 | Apple Mountain Strings & Things Folk Music Club | 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. | |
| 1:00 | Folk Harp | Stephanie Sjaardema | Stephanie Sjaardema will teach the basics of Folk Harp. Harps will be provided, or bring your own. We'll start with an introduction to the instrument, followed by basic chords, simple melodies, and more advanced techniques as time allows. |
| 2:00 | Ukulele (B) | Michael Veseart | If you were stranded on a desert island, what instrument would you want to have? Instructor Michael Veseart will show you the basics of this fun and portable instrument. Aloha shirts are optional. |
| 3:00 | Gypsy Fiddle (I) | Muni Kulasinghe | Come learn basic gypsy swing fiddle comping with Muni Kulasinghe of Le Chat Lunatique. |
| 4:00 | Bluegrass Flatpick Guitar (I) | Gregg Daigle | Overview of the roles of flatpick guitar (rhythm and lead) in bluegrass music. |
| 5:00 | Mixing Originals with Older Styles | The Wilders | Come see how The Wilders, a hillbilly stringband from Kansas City, mixes original tunes with older styles. |
Workshop 2
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 | Mandolin (B) | Laurie Phillips | Bring your ax and learn which end is right (and don't be left). We'll figure out a tune or two and point to a few things to work on for next year's folk festival. You don't need to read music ... but we won't hold it against you if you do! Seriously, there'll be a few basic moves and tactics, and you WILL be able to play when it's done (well, OK: we'll point you in the right direction). And, as always: a handout to take home! |
| 12:00 | Bodhran (Irish Drum) (B) | Shane Page | Stir your Irish blood by learning the basics of playing this wonderful drum. This is a very hands on workshop for participants. |
| 1:00 | How to get in great tune! (Autoharp) | Bryan Bowers | During the first half of this workshop, autoharp master Bryan Bowers will show you three different levels of getting an autoharp into great tune. In the second half, you'll play a few simple songs, and use what you've learned to make sure the melodies play beautifully. |
| 2:00 | Harmonica (B) | Dan Garcia | During this workshop you will learn how to play a single harmonica in multiple keys. The emphasis this year will be on semi-rare third and fourth position playing. |
| 3:00 | Klezmer Music | Beth Cohen | Learn a Klezmer (East European Jewish folkdance music) tune by ear with violinist and Klezmer band director Beth Cohen. All levels and instruments welcome - beginners will learn accompaniment patterns. Charts provided at end of workshop. |
| 4:00 | 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. |
Workshop 3
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 | Irish Fiddle (B) | Gary Papenhagen | Entry level exposure to Irish fiddling. Gary will cover basic ornaments, bowing, and a few basic rhythms, and will teach a jig, Roaring Barmaid. |
| 12:00 | Fingerpicking Guitar (B) | Pat Neff | Beginning fingerstyle guitar--broken chords and other topics. Bring your guitar and learn fingerstyle arpeggio patterns to enhance your playing. |
| 1:00 | Hammered Dulcimer (B) | Scott Reeder | What is it, why do you hit it with sticks, and don't all those strings make you crazy? Come and enjoy this unique instrument, whether you're a beginning player looking for helpful tips, or just curious. |
| 2:00 | Tunes from the Southwest (Mandolin) (I) | Scott Mathis | This workshop will be a repertory session featuring social music from the Tohono O'Odham reservation (Elliot Johnson), dance tunes from Northern NM (Cleofus Ortiz) and otherMexican influenced tunes which are popular throughout the SW. Linda Askew and Scott Mathis will be playing guitar and mandolin, but all instruments are welcome(especially banjos and accordions). |
| 3:00 | DADGAD Celtic and Blues Guitar (I) | Ron McFarland | Bring along your guitar for this introduction to the concepts of DADGAD. We'll learn some theory and a couple of tunes. |
| 4:00 | North American Fiddle (I) | Bruce Thomson | Because we're a melting pot, North America has more styles of traditional fiddle music than any other continent; styles that include the rustic crooked music of the desert southwest and Mexico, the rhythmic old timey dance music of the Appalachians, the smooth intricate swing of Texas, and the lyric and bouncy music of New England. This workshop explore the differences in styles by teaching tunes in some of these different styles. |
Workshop 4
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 | Bluegrass Banjo (B) | Bill Howden | Here's where the fun begins! Banjo setup, right & left hand techniques. Rhythm. Tablature. Q & A. Also why play banjo and how to keep going. Love your banjo. |
| 12:00 | Tin Whistle (B) | Andy Moss | Workshop for whistle beginners. In one hour, play a few tunes. Have lots of fun. |
| 1:00 | Mountain Dulcimer (B) | Irma Reeder | Spend some time exploring this versatile instrument! It's easy and fun to get started. We'll learn some basics, then enjoy playing songs. All levels welcome to come and play along! Some instruments provided. |
| 2:00 | Celtic Mountain Dulcimer (I) | Jonathan Dowell | An overview of Celtic music for the mountain dulcimer.You'll learn a Celtic aire, a Celtic jig, and a Celtic reel. For intermediate players, and for beginners ready to move up. By Southern Regional Mountain Dulcimer Champion Jonathan Dowell. |
| 3:00 | Uppicking & Downpicking Banjo (I) | Wayne Shrubsall | Bring your banjo and learn how to play a tune (or even two!) in two traditional Appalachian styles. You can just listen, if you like. |
| 4:00 | Jaw Harp (B) | Ken Dean | New Mexico 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 very limited number of bamboo instruments available. |
Workshop 5
| Time | Session | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 | Women's Barbershop | Enchanted Mesa | Women's barbershop, four part acappella singing. An original American artform presented by members of the local Sweet Adelines chapter, Enchanted Mesa Show Chorus. Come join us and experience four part harmony! |
| 12:00 | Folksong Circle | Albuquerque Folk Song Circle | Laurie McPherson leads a group through a variety of folk songs. Everyone sings! |
| 1:00 | Harmonic (Throat) Singing | Timothy Hill | Harmonic singing, a way of singing and engaging the overtone spectrum of the voice, produces an eerie and fascinating sound, deepening and enhancing the natural voice. |
| 2:00 | Shape Note Singing | Shape Note Singers of Albuquerque New Mexico | The 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. |
| 3:00 | Country/Gospel Singing | Wing and a Prayer | Come sing songs from generations past with Wing & a Prayer, a band that combines lively vocals with a multitude of acoustic instruments from the familiar to the unusual. |
| 4:00 | "Instruments of Joy" | Instruments of Joy | We are a ten-member a capella singing group, Instruments of Joy. Our material generally ranges from American folk song back through the centuries to old English ceremonial songs and madrigals. We will be at the Workshop 5 tent at 4:00 sharing May songs, from rowdy processionals for bringing in a maypole to songs celebrating the season when "each lad takes his lass all on the green grass." No one leaves without helping to "sing cucu" -- a round that was old in Chaucer's time! A group of friends who love to sing the old songs, we named our ensemble after a grand old northern English hymn, "Sound, Sound Your Instruments of Joy." We treasure the sense of connection to people just like us who made the same music hundreds of years ago, with the same sense of elation over the return of spring, the same longing over unrequited love, the same awe at the mysteries of existence. And the music they bequeathed us is so glorious! |
| 5:00 | Celtic Singing | Celtic Singers of New Mexico | The 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! |