Festival Question/Workshops

Subject: BS: Festival Question
From: Beer
Date: 03 Apr 05 - 10:40 PM

About two weeks ago I participated in a thread regarding responses to musicians wanting to play and not getting any resposnses. In reviewing all the responses I have come up with something that I would like your thoughts on.
I would like ideas on what could be added to "WORKSHOPS". Guitar, banjo, harps are there, but any ideas that would help the festival grow?
Beer

Subject: RE: BS: Festival Question
From: Peace
Date: 03 Apr 05 - 10:56 PM

Workshop on how to care for an instrument, keep it in good repair, minor repairs, etc.

Subject: RE: BS: Festival Question
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Apr 05 - 11:30 PM

This is not BS

Subject: RE: BS: Festival Question
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 12:22 AM

Up to the top, witcha!

Workshops: fiddle, mando, harmony, jam etiquette...

Subject: RE: BS: Festival Question
From: GUEST,Should be above the line...
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 12:37 AM

... there's enough BS around here...

Songwriting.
Acoustic amplification.
Stagecraft

Subject: RE: BS: Festival Question
From: MBSLynne
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 03:16 AM

Bodhran, pipes of all sorts......

Subject: RE: BS: Festival Question
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 05:15 AM

There's an etiquette for eating jam? Damn!!!

Seriously, find a subject that is known but not familiar - other percussion rather than just the bodhrain ~ "How the Shaky egg/fruit/vegetable can be used to enhance a session" or "Ocarinas, folk or jazz instrument?" Work out some cool things to do with it, some interesting facts and demonstrations and off you go!

It's the same with marketing any item... find the hole in the market and plug it with something worth having.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Festival Question
From: Beer
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 06:42 AM

Thanks for all your replies. Guest your right it shoulbd be itn the top threads. To late now I guess.
Beer

It's never too late - joe-clone

Subject: RE: BS: Festival Question
From: GUEST,Deni-C
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 07:20 AM

Jam etiquette is a good one, I also think songwriting workshops are brilliant. The last one I went to had quite a roomful of people all singing their own songs (great stuff great variety, great bonding) while the workshop leader sang once and a while, showing us how he arrived at each song and how his style had changed over the years. But then we had FOLK DRAMA, which was even better, the WL showed us about putting drama techniques with song to create shows folk opera-type things. Very enjoyable. Very good for funraisers and musicians/singers as it involves having a lot of people on stage.

:-}

Deni

Subject: RE: BS: Festival Question
From: Bobert
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 08:43 AM

The group I play with, "The Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation" (acousticblues.com) does workshops at festivals on blues music. IT is more od a jam session where folks are not only permitted but encouraged to join in... It really doesn't matter too much what their skill levels are since there are enough of us to carry the song... And sometimes we take someone aside for a little one-on-one tutoring. BTW, we also do this every Saturday afternoon at Archie Edwards Barber Shop at 20th and Bunker Hill in N.E. Washington, D.C.

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Festival Question
From: LilyFestre
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 08:45 AM

And for those folks who are just starting their muscial adventures, what about a workshop that would advise what to look for (or avoid) when buying an instrument?

Michelle

Subject: RE: Festival Question/Workshops
From: GUEST,banjoman
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 09:57 AM

MAke sure that workshops are properly advertised to those who they are meant for.
There's nothing worse than to turn up as a beginner to find you're surrounded by fairly acomplished players. Where time & space permit run workshops for beginners - intermediate - advanced etc.
This has worked well at Broadstairs in recent years, especially with the whistle and recorder workshops.

Subject: RE: Festival Question/Workshops
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 10:11 AM

IME, workshops on rounds, and on how to harmonize go down well. Also "singing for the confidence-impaired".

Subject: RE: Festival Question/Workshops
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 02:36 PM

Deni, I like: "Very good for funraisers "!

Subject: RE: Festival Question/Workshops
From: Leadfingers
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 02:47 PM

The idea of beginners intermediate and advance workshops is all very well but for a weekend festival there just isnt the time ! As someone
who does the odd Whistle workshop I find that there are always a wide varity of skills present

we

Subject: RE: Festival Question/Workshops
From: LilyFestre
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 02:51 PM

Hey LF,

   There are some weekend workshops that DO offer a variety of different workshops for different levels. I'm headed to one myself towards the end of May. I have no idea what my level is except that it is NOT advanced. My husband is a beginning guitar player (7 months into lessons). We are both going to start at the beginner's workshops and if they don't fit, we'll move forward until we land where we think we belong. The weekend has been well planned including workshops for all levels and even some for those who don't play/sing...more informational. I believe the coordinators have done an outstanding job and have recruited people to specifically teach at each level. Having never been to such a thing, I can't wait to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: Festival Question/Workshops
From: The Unicorn Man
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 04:03 PM

Workshops on playing slow and easy tunes for sessions.

Subject: RE: Festival Question/Workshops
From: brid widder
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 06:31 PM

Sheffield Festival had a brilliant 'have a go' workshop intended for ABSOLUTE absolute beginners. I think it was primarily for kids but there's a child in all of us!! so if you have never actually strummed a guitar... bashed a bodhran... or squeezed a squeeze box...

On a similar note Beverley have, or used to have a 'Bathroom singers' workshop... very successful it gave many people the confidence to be heard by someone other than their rubber duck.

And agreeing with GUEST,Deni-C.. what about a Mummers workshop...

Subject: RE: Festival Question/Workshops
From: Leadfingers
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 06:50 PM

Sorry Folks - Got interrupted before I could finish my Post !
My original intention with workshops was to encourage all the musos who played other things and carried a whistle as well that 'Proper'
tunes could be done on Whistle ! So I started off NOT intending to do a 'Beginner' class , and found people who had bought a whistle that morning as well as people who just wanted to play fairly complicated tunes !!
The IDEAL would be a Beginner class , then later an advanced , then finish off with a 'serious' class , and hopefully a whistle orchestra
set on main stage sometime in the final concert ! One can but dream !!

Subject: RE: Festival Question/Workshops
From: GUEST,Shooting Roots Fan
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 08:59 PM

The Eastleigh Festival in early August http://www.eastfest.co.uk is going to have a 'Funky World Band Workshop' catering for all ages and abilities.

It's being organised by the brilliant 'Shooting Roots' people who ran all the fantastic workshops at Sidmouth in recent years.

They're moving from Sidmouth to Eastleigh this year and many of us who loved their workshops are doing the same.

Hope to see you there Beer.

Subject: RE: Festival Question/Workshops
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Apr 05 - 09:06 PM

Thanks for the invite Shooting Roots. A little far for my bocket book. I live near Montreal Ca.
beer

Subject: RE: Festival Question/Workshops
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Jun 05 - 12:28 PM

a quick plug for my very own workshop at eastleigh - the shooting roots song! its going to be great, can't wait! it will be the same three of us that did the song at sidmouth :)

anthea

Subject: RE: Festival Question/Workshops
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Jun 05 - 07:18 PM

One person mentioned it up the thread. It's been contemplated lots, but only done once - as far as I know - and bad billing and stewarding ruined it.

PA workshop.

A chance for a quick play on a big stage with a big PA with big monitors, and some words from the sound crew on how and why a muso should do whatever.

A soundcheck recently turned into this kind of thing - Artiste looked at the programme and chanced their arm that the sound crew wouldn't mind them turning up early. The chance for them to ask questions and try different microphone techniques really seemed to help.

Could this help anybody else?

Cheers

Subject: RE: Festival Question/Workshops
From: buttonbox
Date: 02 Jun 05 - 07:25 PM

for several years george garside has run a crash course for beginners on DG melodeon at Whitby folk week consisting of 4 workshops monday to thursday -it caters for absolute beginners and those who have left their box on top of the wardrobe for the last few years!    - he will be doing it again this year!