Music Camps North are Banjo Camp North, Mandolin Camp North

BANJO CAMP NORTH - FALL EDITION^®

September 24, 25, & 26, 2010

Director: Mike Holmes
Music Director: Phil Zimmerman

Click for BCN Photo Gallery

Banjo Camp North 2010

BCN Fall Edition 2010 Class Descriptions

What attendees said about BCN2010 and earlier BCN's.

Art Edelstein's Times-Argus article

Camp photos.

Description of Banjo Camp North - Fall Edition

Staff Bios

Contact Us

Registration

Directions to Hilltop

Sponsors

Message Board

Boston Info

Banjo Camp North Fall Edition (BCN-FE) is a weekend-long celebration of the 5-string banjo in both old time and bluegrass styles! World-class banjoists make up our full-time and "adjunct" faculties. We always invite top flight fiddlers and guitarists to teach about playing with other instruments and jamming, and to be on hand to help make those all-night jams something special, plus we will emphasize banjo and fiddle duet playing.

We have assembled an outstanding staff with several new teachers including Ricky Skaggs' banjo player Jim Mills and former member of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys, Steve Arkin who has "jumped the fence" to Old Time -- he'll teach both. Californian Janet Beazley is with us for the first time and both Riley Baugus and Paul Brown are returning for their 2nd stint. The rest of the staff is made up (so far) of regulars whose teaching has received praise across the spectrum of beginner to advanced players.

In response to several Mandolin Camp North attendees, we have added a mandolin track for those not wanting to wait until April. The curriculum is intended for novice, beginner and advancing beginner students. The exact class descriptions must wait until we have a more accurate count and levels of attendees. Many of our multi-instrumentalists have agreed to teach mandolin classes in addition to their banjo responsibilities. The Mandolin Track is new to BCN. It will be a refresher course plus an introduction for some others. Sudents may concentrate on the mandolin or take a few classes along with their banjo studies.

Banjo Camp North Fall Edition takes place at a new site; after 10 years in the same place, BCN-FE will be held at Prindle Pond Conference Center, a beautiful wooded setting in Charlton, Massachusetts. There are two campuses, we will be using Hilltop primarily. Buildings are heated, so you don't have to worry about our unpredictable New England weather, but you must bring your own towel, pillow, blanket, and linens or a sleeping bag; this campsite does not provide them. Each building has several rooms, and each room has 2 to 4 beds and a private bath. There is no smoking allowed in any of the buildings. Single rooms and local accommodations are available in nearby Sturbridge for those who want to bring the family, or just prefer more privacy.

Meals: Meals are provided as part of the tuition package, and vegetarian meals are available. Dinner will be served promptly at 6 PM Friday. The meals schedule for the rest of the weekend will be announced in the program book at camp time.

Off site residence: will be posted as soon as we can, also RV accomodations, if any.

Camp will open Friday at 12:30 PM for registration, jamming, and instruction. Registration will occur starting at 12:30. We'll have hands-on workshops, round robin demonstrations and guided jam sessions for three days, a Friday night "meet the faculty concert," a formal concert Saturday night, and lots and lots of time for jamming and getting to know each other. Our resident instrument specialist will be there from 12 PM on Friday and all day Saturday. Lecture-demonstrations about banjo history and setup will be offered. Instrument vendors and makers, plus recordings, accessories and books will be on sale in our market area. Attendees are encouraged to bring banjos and other instruments for sale or trade.

This BCN we are introducing Master Classes in which already advanced students can receive personal, one-on-one critiques on such subjects as technique, tone, and taste from professional performers. As always, the full range of classes, beginner to advanced, will be offered and the Help Desk will be available to all levels for anyone who needs some extra help.

The Beginners' Track provides instruction for absolute beginners (those who haven't played before), and those who can play a little bit, but still can't play with other people or pick out tunes on their own. Click below for more information.

Advancing Beginners and Intermediates will find classes geared to their levels and needs. Advancing beginners may still only play a few phrases and chords, but they have some basic banjo experience. In general intermediates know some tunes but aren't able to play up to speed yet. They are still working on rhythm. They may already read tab or notation, but can use help playing by ear and learning to arrange a tune or song on their own.

Classes at the Advancing Beginners/Intermediate level in the past, have included Learning To Play What You Hear, Playing Slow Tunes, Choosing Your Next Banjo, Introduction to Modern Bluegrass Style, Old Time Banjo, Translating Fiddle Tunes To The Banjo, What To Do When Another Instrument Has The Lead, Accompanying Singing, and many more. At Banjo Camp the emphasis is on using tab minimally - just to get you started playing.

For the Advanced Players, there have been added classes such as Arranging Tunes or Songs For The Banjo, Introduction To What It Takes To Be An Effective Sideman, Playing For A Living, Playing And Composing For Commercials, and more.

The weekend will include at least 90 class hours plus guided jams at all speeds and levels. After each evening program there will be plenty of time for free jams, again at various levels. Most of the classes are hands on, practical learning situations. A few are demonstrations or mini-concerts, but even in these classes the intention is for you to take something away that you may want to learn or speak with the instructors about later. You are encouraged to bring a recording device of some kind.

Several other workshops that have been popular will be repeated. They include Maintaining and Optimizing Your Banjo, Playing With Others, Singing With The Banjo, Stagecraft, and Recording Techniques. There will be instruction at all levels.

Read the Beginners' Track Page for news of this exciting offering.

Payment Options

See Registration form for fees and payment arrangements.
Late charges added for registration after August 30.
Please fill in, print out, and mail the Online Registration Form
Attractive gift certificate available

Contact information:
    Mike Holmes
    (774) 207-0284

Camp office:
    Banjo Camp North
    PO Box 1755
    Orleans, MA 02653

Visit our website http://www.BanjoCampNorth.com often for latest information.

Staff Instructors BCN Fall Edition 2010

Click on the underlined instructors' names to jump to more information about each one.

Jim Mills has been a professional bluegrass banjo player for the past 22 years. He's been voted the IBMA Banjo Player of the Year a record six times . He has been the resident banjo player with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for the past 14 years, where he recorded 11 albums, which garnered him 6 Grammy awards. Before that he worked with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver for 5 years. Jim has three solo CD's on Sugar Hill Records, Bound To Ride, My Dixie Home, and Hide Head Blues. and an instructional DVD on AcuTab. He recently authored a book on Pre War Gibson Mastertone Banjos of the 1930s and 40s..He's also recorded and toured with several other folks such as Dolly Parton, Bruce Hornsby, and The Dixie Chicks to name a few. Jim is also the owner of Jim Mills Banjo Inc. which specializes in the buying and selling of original 1930's Pre War Gibson Banjos.

Eric Weissberg has been a major force on the bluegrass and folk scene and a ubiquitous presence on the studio scene for more than four decades. A founding member of the The Greenbriar Boys, he then joined The Tarriers in 1959, recording and touring worldwide for six years. As a top New York studio musician Eric has done over eight thousand sessions - jingles, movie tracks, and records - playing banjo, guitar, fiddle, among others for such diverse artists as Doc Watson, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, John Denver, Willie Nelson, Neil Diamond, The Talking Heads, and Bruce Springsteen. He has performed with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Symphony. His recording of Dueling Banjos, the soundtrack from Deliverance, earned him two gold records and a Grammy. Lately Eric has reappeared on the live scene singing and picking.

Janet Beazley plays banjo and sings with the California bluegrass band, Chris Stuart & Backcountry, and has toured extensively with CS&B throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and in the Middle East. Janet has taught bluegrass banjo, harmony singing, music theory and song writing at the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop, California Bluegrass Association Music Camp, Augusta Heritage Center Bluegrass Week, and Sore Fingers Week in the UK. She produced and engineered all of the CS&B band albums as well as solo projects by Chris Stuart and flat picking guitar virtuoso Eric Uglum. Her solo CD, 5 South, spent eight months on the Bluegrass Unlimited National Survey Chart. Janet also holds a doctorate in early music performance and performs and teaches renaissance and baroque music at University of California at Riverside.

Steve Arkin grew up in New York's legendary music scene, playing both old-time and bluegrass in bands with Jody Stecher, David Grisman, Maria Muldaur, and others. In 1964 Steve played banjo with Bill Monroe, who was quoted in James Rooney's book, Bossmen, naming him "The best backup banjo player I ever heard." An early exponent of melodic bluegrass banjo, Steve introduced his mentor Bill Keith to Bobby Thompson and his account of that meeting has been widely published and quoted. Steve has won many banjo contests (including the Philly Folk Festival) and played in many bands (including 4-years with Boston-based Northern Lights) and the highly-praised old-time band, Troublesome Creek. Steve has taught both bluegrass and old-time banjo for five decades--his students have included Marty Cutler, Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn and Tommy Makem. He was featured in a Feb. 2006 Banjo Newsletter cover story. Steve remains one of the few banjo players who is highly proficient in both bluegrass and old-time banjo styles.

Paul Brown started singing old time songs he learned from his mother, as soon as he could talk. He took up banjo at age ten and fiddle sometime later. His powerful, unique banjo playing shows the influences of the outstanding North Carolina and Virginia masters he spent time with and performed with as a young adult. Among them: Fields Ward, Tommy Jarrell, Gilmer Woodruff, Kyle Creed, Benton Flippen, and Fred Cockerham. Paul has recorded and produced numerous highly acclaimed albums featuring old time musicians. His own recordings have also received great reviews (Red Clay Country is the latest). He’s appeared at festivals nationwide and taught at music camps since the 1970s. Paul became a journalist once he fully understood the financial possibilities of a life in old time music. He works at NPR, and plays banjo and fiddle to further brighten his days. Currently he plays with The Toast String Stretchers, The Smokey Valley Boys, and The Mostly Mountain Boys.

Riley Baugus represents the best of old time American banjo and song. His powerful singing voice and his expert musicianship place him squarely in the next generation of the quality American roots tradition. Riley first came to music through his family. Starting on the fiddle, Riley quickly moved on to the banjo, building his first instrument from scrap wood with his father. From there, Riley has made his own path, building in-demand instruments, and performing and teaching at camps and festivals around the world. Riley's banjos and voice can be heard in the Academy award winning Cold Mountain, where they also needed an authentic acapella ballad singer. A whirlwind Hollywood experience ensued, culminating in a place on the star studded "Great High Mountain" tour. In 2008, a call from T-Bone Burnett put Riley back in the studio, this time as a contributor to the Grammy award winning Album Of The Year, Raising Sand starring Alison Krauss and Robert Plant.

Bruce Stockwell has been playing bluegrass banjo for 37 years and teaching for 25. By age 16 he had won banjo contests, recorded his first album and opened for Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, John Hartford and many others. In the late 70’s he worked with Phil Rosenthal and Mike Auldridge as Old Dog. In the 80s & 90s Bruce toured the US and Europe with brothers Barry and Al in various acoustic/electric formats, with artists from Bill Monroe to Mary Chapin-Carpenter to NRBQ, producing two CD’s, Stobro and Leave My Dreams Alone. Bruce now teaches, does occasional session work, and performs progressive bluegrass throughout New England with The Stockwell Brothers.

Rich Stillman has been playing the banjo for thirty-five years, and has extensive performing and recording credits, including more than ten CDs with bands like Southern Rail, Adam Dewey and Crazy Creek and The Bogus Family. He founded WayStation, a bluegrass band that broke new ground in the fusion of bluegrass with other acoustic music styles, and has appeared on bluegrass, folk and rock studio recordings for various New England artists. As a teacher, Rich has helped hundreds of students -- in private lessons and workshops -- learn to play or improve their playing skills. Rich is 6-time winner of the Lowell Banjo Contest and one of his long-term students is the current New England Bluegrass Banjo champion. Rich authored a chapter of the book "Banjo Camp", published in 2008 by Sterling Press. Rich teaches at the Music Emporium in Lexington, MA, The Real School of Music in Burlington, and at his studio in Winchester. He is also available internationally through Skype.

Martin Grosswendt has played banjo since 1968. Known as a musician’s musician in a variety of genres, he also plays guitar, Dobro, mandolin, and bass, and is a powerful singer. He is a veteran of countless recording sessions and produces recordings for other artists as well as his own. His first album, Dog on a Dance Floor, was released on the Philo label in 1980; his most recent recording is Call and Response, a collection of pre-war acoustic blues released in 2004. Martin has performed and taught at festivals and at WUMB’s Summer Acoustic Music Week and has been a Master Artist’s assistant at the Augusta Heritage Workshops.

Phil Zimmerman developed his multi-instrumentalist chops as a solo performer, and has won regional contests for bluegrass and clawhammer banjo, guitar and mandolin. He’s a founding member of Connecticut’s ground-breaking eclectic string band, Last Fair Deal.. For ten years, Phil played mandolin and sang lead with Connecticut’s premier traditional bluegrass band, Traver Hollow. Phil also performs Old-Time music in Heroes of Tradition, a duo with Stacy Phillips, and recently he joined with Phil Rosenthal (of Seldom Scene), and Bruce and Kelly Stockwell to perform Bluegrass as North By Northeast. Phil is the Music Director of both Mandolin Camp North and Banjo Camp North, and has taught mandolin and banjo workshops at the Joe Val Festival in 2006 through 2009.

Dick Bowden is one of the leading traditional bluegrass banjo pickers in New England. Starting in 1966 with The Bowden Family and The Fort Knox Volunteers, Dick helped establish bluegrass in his home state of Maine. He was a bench member of Joe Val's New England Bluegrass Boys, and played 5 years with Herb Applin's Berkshire Mountain Boys. Moving to New York in 1989 Dick played guitar with The Case Brothers - Martin & Gibson (two recordings) for 10 years, and currently leads The Old Time Bluegrass Singers (two recordings) from his home in Connecticut. He played banjo on fiddler Joe Meadows' final CD in 2001. Dick has published several articles in Bluegrass Unlimited, and awaits publication of an article on the complete repertoire of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys 1946-48. At BCN Dick will teach, among other things, the Ralph Stanley style and about playing in a band context.

Lorraine Lee Hammond is an internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter and folk instrumentalist. Perhaps best known for her Appalachian dulcimer playing and recordings she is also a gifted player and teacher of the 5 string banjo, Celtic harp, voice and most recently the mandolin. Lorraine teaches locally at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education where she also produces an annul spring dulcimer festival, and is also a featured teacher and performer around the country at venues including The John C Campbell Folk School, Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, Summer Acoustic Music Week, Augusta Heritage program and Kentucky Music Week. She performs and records with her husband, finger-style guitarist Bennett Hammond.

Bob Altschuler, BCN Beginner Bluegrass Track Coordinator, has been playing and teaching bluegrass banjo for over 35 years. He performs with Dyer Switch and Shagbark Hickory, and recorded the American Airwaves and Family Business CDs with Dyer Switch. Featured on the National Public Radio Hudson River Sampler and radio and TV commercials, Bob also plays at bluegrass festivals and at numerous other venues. Mel Bay Banjo Sessions and Silver Strings publish his instructional articles monthly. He is featured in a workshop chapter in Gene Senyak’s 2008 book, Banjo Camp!, which also includes chapters with Pete Seeger, Tony Trischka, and instructors from Banjo Camp North. Tailored instruction, patience, humor and "going the extra mile" to help students learn are hallmarks of his very popular teaching style.

John Rossbach led his award-winning bluegrass ensemble, Chestnut Grove, in New York State for 22 years before returning to West Virginia to perform with fiddle champion, Gerry Milnes. Equally at home with Old Time string band music, he played with Mac Benford & the Woodshed All Stars for a decade. John has won 8 Meet the Composer awards and appeared on the Nashville Network, PBS, CBS, the BBC, and the Canadian Broadcasting System. He has also recorded on Rounder, Copper Creek, Philo, Marimac and Alcazar Records with the likes of Pete Seeger, Bill Keith, Ken Perlman and Don Stover. John has taught at banjo camps, Augusta Heritage Center, and been a staff musician for nearly all the Music Camps North since their inception.

Mike Holmes (camp director) is best known as publisher of Mugwumps Magazine (now Mugwumps Online). He is the former chairman of the National Council for the Traditional Arts, a director of the National Folk Festival, and is widely regarded as an expert on the history of American stringed instruments. Mike has performed acoustic music on the North American and international circuit, he has served as back-up musician on the recordings of several traditional musicians. Mike estimates that he has taught over 500 people to play old time banjo, privately & in adult education classes. He won 2nd place in the Old Time Banjo competition at the Lowell Banjo & Fiddle Contest.

Dave Reiner is best known as co-author of Oldtime Fiddling Across America (Mel Bay Publications), and as author of Anthology of Fiddle Styles. He currently plays fiddle and mandolin with the Reiner Family Band and with Granite Grass in and around New England. Dave is the former Wisconsin state fiddle champion and has won many contests in the Northeast. A veteran of years of giving fiddle workshops, Dave will teach from beginner levels on up with special interest in bowing patterns and accents, fiddle rags, Northeastern tunes, tune variations, twin fiddling, and unusual oldtime tunes.

Glenn Nelson, resident instrument specialist, has been building, restoring and repairing instruments for 20 years. Glenn and his wife Barbara started Mockingbird Music in Berlin, Massachusetts, where they build custom stringed instruments and specialize in the repair and restoration of vintage instruments. Glenn currently teaches five string banjo and performs with "Acoustic Planet" encompassing world music, folk, jazz and bluegrass. At BCN he will be available to do minor setups & repairs on site, and to accept instruments for more extensive work. Charges will apply for materials and time spent. Glenn will also participate in some jazz and modern playing workshops where he will showcase his "Fan Fret Fingerboard" innovation.

Mike Rivers has played old time music since 1960. He perfomed with the Greasy Run Toad Trompers, one of the first of the eclectic string bands who played a mixed bag of Southern, Northern, Western, swing, ragtime, and Celtic music on string band instruments. As a recording engineer and producer, Mike has recorded albums of various artists for Folkways, Folk Legacy, Rounder, Troubador, Flying Fish, among others. He has run concert sound for the Smithsonian, National, and Lowell Folklife Festivals. Mike will teach backup guitar and conduct seminars in sound production and recording.

More of BCN Fall Edition staff to be announced...