1:00-3:00 FIDDLE CARE 101 KEN POLLARD
Ken opened the Owyhee Mountain Fiddle Shop in 1996 in Nampa, Idaho. Ken and Boise bow-maker Philip Stanley have operated their shop in the Weiser High School during the NOTF Contest the last several years. Ken attended the 2006 & 2007 Violin making workshops at the College of the Redwoods in Eureka. CA. In 2008, 2009, and 2010, he attended the Southern California Violinmakers Workshop in Claremont, CA. As a player, Ken tends towards the Scottish side of fiddling, often playing for local Scottish and contra dances. He has twice been awarded a competitive grant by the Idaho Commission on the Arts. WORKSHOP: What to look for when buying a violin -- structural questions on any aspect of violin care are welcome. Routine maintenance, changing strings, peg issues, bows & rehairing, and what to do in the event of an accident. If time permits, we’ll learn a Scottish tune
3:00-5:00 TEXAS GUITAR BACKUP MATT HARTZ
Matthew Hartz from Meridian, Idaho, is a past Grand National Champion fiddler, winning the event in 1988 & 1992. Besides being a champion fiddler, Matthew has been a much in demand accompanist for many years. He has studied with all the greats associated with the style of guitar used to accompany the Texas style of old time fiddle music. Matthew is looking forward to working with old and new friends at the workshop. WORKSHOP: Matt will cover bass lines, chord substitutions, right hand technique, etc.,. A practical approach to theory will be shared.
TUESDAY, JUNE 22
9:00-11-00 INTERMEDITATE FIDDLE GREGORY BURGESS
See Monday
11:00-1:00 IRISH FIDDLE DAVE DALEY
Dave is a founding member of the More’s Creek String Band, and more recently, the GIANT LEPRECHAUNS. Over the past 35 years, he has played, performed, and taught old-time and Irish fiddling throughout Idaho and the Northwest. Dave has been a participant, performer, and instructor at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Pt. Townsend, WA. More recently, Dave teaches Irish fiddling, plays at a weekly Irish session and weekly old-time session in Boise, and a weekly bluegrass session with The High Desert Band in Meridian. WORKSHOP: This workshop will be geared toward intermediate-advanced fiddlers (or violinists), and will cover bowing techniques, ornamentation, melody and harmony in the context of a set of Scottish reels and hornpipes, an Irish slip jug, and perhaps an Irish reel or two.
1:00-3:00 BUTTON ACCORDION BRUCE ALKIRE
Bruce has been playing banjo, guitar, and button accordion for several years. He has been teaching and coming to Weiser for the last 35 years. He says coming to Weiser is bigger than Christmas in his family. His wife, Debbie and four children come each year to Weiser to support him while he plays all night long. Bruce considers jamming to be the ultimate form of mixing styles and abilities. He has 2 self produced CDs and teaches every Wed at Shiverick’s violins in Eagle, ID. WORKSHOP: Fiddle tunes, Irish and of course Cajun tunes will be covered in this class. You will study the use of doubles, trill, playing in different keys (cross) left and right hand “basing” and how to adapt this old style accordion to various kinds of folk music.
3:00-5:00 TENOR GUITAR TRISTAN CLARRIDGE
Tristan is the youngest person to win the Grand Nation Division at the NOTF Contest. An inventive cellist, he has played with Darol Anger and Cape Breton Fiddle Phenomenon Natalie MacMaster. WORKSHOP: This workshop will focus on understanding the rhythm/groove of Texas-style tenor guitar backup, learning chord voices, etc.
WEDNESDAY, June 23
9:00-11:00 GUITAR MIGUEL DE HOYOS
11:00-1:00 BEGINNING MANDOLIN BRIAN OBERLIN
Brian is a singing multi-instrumentalist originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He first played music in grade school, beginning with alto saxophone and the drums. Soon thereafter, he picked up the guitar, mandolin, tenor banjo, both privately and in dozens of workshops each year all over the U.S. Brian is the founder of the Annual River of the West Mandolin camp, the first of its kind in the Portland area. Brian has toured and performed throughout the U.S. with award-winning, Michigan-based band the Grasshoppers, and currently with Ida Viper. WORKSHOP: Fresh ideas on chording, improvisation, rhythm, and technique. Charts are included. Beginning and intermediate level.
1:00-3:00 NEW ACCOUSTIC FIDDLE TASHINA CLARRIDGE
Tashina has performed at Carnegie Hall and has toured with Mark O’Conner. She has worked with Darol Anger and Bill Evans. WORKSHOP: Focus on new acoustic music in all styles. Learn a tune, work on different methods of improvisation, fiddle accompaniment. All are welcome. Ear training will be geared towards the high Inter/advanced player.
3:00-5:00 MASTER FIDDLER BYRON BERLINE
5:00-6:30 GODIN GUITAR presents....... BOBBIE GIBSON
THURSDAY June 24
9:00-11:00 MASTER FIDDLE ALEX DEPUE
Alex started playing violin when he was five. He has background in classical violin and fiddling, and an ability to play, not only the violin but also the viola, mandolin, guitar, double bass, percussion, and the piano. Alex toured as a musical director/fiddler with Capitol Recording artist, Chris Cagle. He tours regularly with guitarist extraordinaire Miguel De Hoyos and is currently on hiatus from a world tour with legendary rock guitarist Steve Vai. Alex is a crowd favorite and is the featured entertainer along with guitarist Miguel De Hoyos at the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest® on Saturday evening. WORKSHOP: Especially for advanced fiddlers.
11:00-1:00 TWIN FIDDLING JEANINE ORME
Jeanine was born in Ogden, Utah and came to Weiser for the first time when she was eight years old. She is a past Utah State Fiddle Champion and 2009 Oregon State Adult Champion. She has competed and served as a judge at the NOTF Contest, as well as other regional and state contests. Jeanine has been teaching violin and fiddle for over twenty years. Her music has been influenced significantly by five-time NOTF Champion Herman Johnson who has instructed her inTexas-style fiddling and western swing. She is the author of “The Fiddlin Worship”, “Herman Johnson Master Fiddle” and ‘Texas-Style Fiddlin Workshop”, Mel Bay Publication, Inc. She resides in Beaverton, Oregon and is the mother of three children. WORKSHOP: Learn the basics of developing harmony and a twin fiddle part. Learn one or more songs by ear and learn to play the twin fiddle parts. This class would be most appropriate for players at an intermediate level. Sheet music will be available at the end of the workshop.
1:00-3:00 BEGINNING FIDDLE MISSY CHAMBERS & JENNI JACOBSON
3:00-5:00 BLUEGRASS BASICS FOR MANDOLIN CAROL MARTIN
Carol has at least 7 or 8 cat years of mandolin playing behind her and almost as many teaching the instrument. She has played with many high ranked bluegrass bands in the Seattle area since the early 80’s including the infamous Tennesseans and the fiddle contest-based girl group: Noteworthy. She now divides her time as a sidewoman, a photographer at the UW, singing in a choir, and as a mandolin instructor at the Dusty Strings Music School in Seattle.WORKSHOP: Is this you? You can play a fiddle tune on your mandolin, and can take a simple break on a song, but you know it just doesn’t sound like Bluegrass. And your pinky has a temper tantrum when you try to play a chop chord. This workshop will give you the right double stops to play, help you with tremelo ,show you right way to approach structuring a bluegrass break and give you the right approach to strengthening that pesky pinky .Note: this is an advanced beginning class, meaning you should be able to play a simple tune on your mandolin at a moderate tempo with ease.
FRIDAY, June 25
9:00-11:00 INTERMEDIATE FIDDLE JEANINE ORME
See earlier Bio. WORKSHOP: Fiddle Tunes for the Intermediate Fiddler. Learn contest style tunes at an intermediate level by ear. Sheet music will be available at the end of the workshop.
11:00-1:00 GODIN GUITAR presents...... BROOKS E. ROBERTSON
WORKSHOP:
1:00-3:00 SWING GUITAR LINDA McALISTER
Linda has taught and performed in Hawaii, Florida &, Baja as well as Oregon, Washington and Idaho. She has written 3 swing guitar instruction books. WORKSHOP: Beginning and intermediate level students welcome. This class will cover the most common chord shapes for swing rhythm and how to move them using all guitar neck. We will be learning some great tunes using both Western Swing and 40's style swing examples. Lots of playing and hand outs in this fun workshop.
3:00-5:00 ROCKIN' PIANO JOHN HOFF
John plays a variety of instruments and has played in numerous symphonies. He is famous in the Weiser valley for his mastery of the piano at the Illustrious Onion Skin Players, a melodrama group in Weiser. WORKSHOP: Techniques on how to “Cowboy” your piano. Simple bass techniques for swing, rock, slow, and waltz. You will learn performing dynamics, and how to get multiple instrument sounds from the piano and other techniques too numerous to list. Come and enjoy!
