High Strung Workshops & Events
Workshop Leaders We Have Had at High Strung
Jamie Anderson
www.jamieanderson.com
919-220-1910
Jamie Anderson toured full time as a singer-songwriter for 13 years. Between gigs she taught at Duke and the ArtsCenter (Carrboro). When she got tired of long drives and lousy beds, she switched to teaching full time although she still makes an occasional jaunt around the country. When Jamie was in her teens, she picked up one of her dad's guitars and never gave it back. After memorizing every chord in a Mel Bay songbook, she learned songs by James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and other 70's singer-songwriters. Along the way she started writing her own songs, recording and touring. Jamie remembers what it was like to learn that first chord, strumming it over and over again until her mom came into her room, inquiring if she intended to learn anything else. When Jamie sits down with a beginning student, she can take herself back to that place, teaching with empathy and patience. Likewise with a more advanced student, teaching everything from "Smells Like Teen Spirit" to "Blackbird." Although teaching started out as an activity to do between tours it's turned into something she genuinely loves doing. Jamie is proficient in many styles, particularly acoustic rock, folk, bluegrass, country and singer-songwriter; she also knows her share of power chords and blues licks. She teaches songwriting and beginning mandolin too. Jamie also teaches classes at the Durham Arts Council, at festivals and privately, in her Durham home studio. Contact her at jamieanderson.com or 919-220-1910.
Dec 6: Guitar for Scaredy Cats
Scott Billman
Scot started playing the ukulele in 1996, when his daughter was three. While she splashed in the tub, he learned new chords, and together they sang songs. Fast-forward 10 years: Scot started playing at the Monday uke jam hosted by High Strung. Members of the Durham Ukulele Orchestra heard his playing, but they asked him to join the band anyway. Today, DUO entertains audiences around the Triangle.
Scot especially enjoys introducing people to the ukulele because the instrument is so easy to play. You might find him leading singalongs at High Strung, or "Learn To Play" sessions at the Festival for the Eno. If you like to sing in the bathroom, Scot can show you how to play along, on a ukulele!
Dec 13: Christmas Songs for Ukulele
Bryan Carey
http://www.patanjalisplace.com/
Bryan Carey has been practicing yoga for 25 years and teaching for half that time. His approach is one of breath centered awareness through mindful bodily movement. He has worked with many different populations (children, adults, retirees, expectant Moms, athletes, office workers and more) in many different settings (studios, gyms, places of worship, corporations, colleges/universities and more). Bryan is founder and director of Patanjali's Place - A Community Yoga Space in Durham, NC www.patanjalisplace.com. His interest in working with musicians originated with his study and practice of the fiddle and the demands of learning an instrument and music.
Oct 18: Yoga for Musicians
Hugh Crumley
http://www.myspace.com/skeedaddle1
Hugh is an active musician in the Triangle and plays with Skeedaddle, a four piece acoustic string band that plays 20s and 30s swing, Hawaiian, jump blues, jug band and other roots Americana music. In Skeedaddle, he plays upright bass, swing guitar and Hawaiian lap steel guitar. When not playing music, he teaches instructional technology at Duke University.
Nov 15: Introduction to Swing Bass and Slapping
Acoustic Hawaiian Lap Steel Guitar
Joel Eckhaus
http://www.earnestinstruments.com
In addition to being a luthier, Joel Eckhaus also plays the mandolin, tenor guitar and banjo, ukulele, and musical saw. He studied uke and banjo with former vaudevillian, Roy Smeck, the "Wizard of the Strings", and studied mandolin with former Texas Playboy, Tiny Moore. He was a founding member of the Arm and Hammer String Band, and has performed with the New York Banjo Ensemble, the Howitzer Mandolin Orchestra, the Neverly Brothers, the Blue Sky Serenaders, the New England New Vaudeville Review and the Pinetones. He currently plays with the ukabilly duo Dos Eckies; a ukulele/tap dance duo, Ham & Legs; and his own group, Ukulele Eck and the Fabulous Lacklusters.
Strums, Songs and Solos for the Ukulele
Steve Foxx
http://www.myspace.com/stevefoxx
Introduction to Beatboxing
Alice Gerrard
http://www.tombradalice.com/alicegerrard/bio.htm
As a musician, Alice Gerrard has appeared on more than 20 recordings, including projects with many traditional musicians such as Tommy Jarrell, Enoch Rutherford, Otis Burris, Luther Davis and Matokie Slaughter; as an expert with in-depth knowledge of mountain music, she has produced or written liner notes for a dozen more. She also co-produced and appeared in two documentary films, founded The Old Time Herald, and has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including a Distinguished Achievement award from the IBMA.
Alice tours with Tom, Brad & Alice and teaches workshops in guitar, fiddle and singing at fiddle camps and festival around the country.
Old-Time Rhythym Guitar and Carter Family Style Accompaniment
Julee Glaub
littlewindows.net
juleeglaub.com
Julee Glaub performs and teaches nationally and abroad and plays guitar, flute, and bodhran, though her first love is traditional Irish song. Living in Dublin for seven years, she immersed herself in traditional singing and upon returning home, became involved in the Irish music scene in the Northeast, where she quickly became recognized as a leading interpreter of Irish song in America. Julee still performs regularly with Brian Conway, Brendan and Felix Dolan, Jerry O'Sullivan and Daithe Sproule. She tours professionally with Mark Weems in the duo Little Windows which performs a mesmerizing blend of traditional Irish, Scottish, Appalachian, gospel and country songs. Julee is the the coordinator for Traditional Song Week at the Swannanoa Gathering in NC. She has also been on the staff of the Irish Arts Week, the Alaska Traditional Music Camp, and the Schloss Mittersill Arts Conference in Austria, among others, and with Mark, has created Camp Little Windows, their own singing camp. She has developed cultural enrichment programs for lower and middle school kids, and enjoys teaching all ages and passing on the torch of traditional song.
Duet Harmony Singing 1 and 2
Naji Hilal
http://www.najihilal.com
Naji Hilal was born in Qarnayel Lebanon from a musically gifted family. At the early age of 6, Naji's father made absolutely positively sure that Naji carries this bequest.
Naji was exposed to the fine arts of Lebanese traditional and classical music mastering the oud while playing with Lebanese local bands. With globalization and the ease of traveled in our days, Naji moved to North Carolina where he was exposed to various types of music through local and international community of musicians and singers.
The musically versatile Naji, also plays the viola, nay, guitar, accordion, Kanoun, and various percussive instruments. Naji is also a singer and composer having produced an album, named Intizar which is a contemporary Middle Eastern music and played on traditional and few modern instruments. Marco Buongiorno Nardelli on Flute and Saxand Bekir Ulkar on percussion and Joel Ocamopo accompanied Naji on Intizar albumadding a mix of various international styles. Naji's music made its way to couple of documentaries and dancing instruction video.
At this time Naji performs singing and oud playing for international events and he also performs guest lecturing in the subject of Middle Eastern Music and scales at local universities and Oriental Dancing workshops. After a great experience that Naji had, playing oud with Jaafar who are a World Jazz group led by Troy Cole which is bridging the Middle East and the Western music in a Jazzy and funky platform he is now playing with ELM Collective which is a fusion of jazz and world timbres and rhythms, with Arabic and Mediterranean overtones.
Naji is currently working on a Sufi Music CD with Saz and percussion player from Turkey, Soner Cicek.
Middle Eastern Music Primer
Alan Julich
www.brightwaterstudios.com
919-563-9148
Alan Julich has been playing, learning, and teaching clawhammer banjo for well over 166,440 hours. Not continusouly however. He's been in numerous bands, some locally famous. These bands include The Porchclimbers led by Vic Lukas and The Stillhouse Botttom Band. Alan and Stillhouse most recently played at MerleFest's Traditional Tent. Alan has had the opportunity to play with the much feted old time fiddler, Joe Thomspon, at numerous venues including Merlefest 09 (and years prior), Hog Day in Hillsborough, MLK Celebration in Carrboro, and the Eno River Festival in Durham.
Alan has studied with some of the luminary banjo players of our time including TonySpadaro of Chapel Hill, Dwight Diller of Pocahontas County West Virginia, and Shelia Kay Adams of Sodom, NC. Alan's banjo playing has featured in the film documentary, Chester, and his playing is to be part of the soon to be released documentary, The FBI and the KKK.
An Afternoon Introduction to the Wonder and Mystery of Clawhammer Banjo 1 and 2
Jens Kruger
http://www.krugerbrothers.com
Jens Kruger has been touring and performing with his banjo since the age of 16. He has shared stages with Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, John McEwen, Willie Nelson, and Ricky Skaggs, to name only a few. Currently, he records and tours internationally with the Kruger Brothers and has helped design banjos for Deering. To find out more go to http://www.krugerbrothers.com
5-string Banjo Mechanics
Scott D. Laird
http://www.scottlaird.net/
Scott D. Laird is an Instructor of Music and Fine Arts Coordinator at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics where he directs the orchestra and teaches courses in Recording Technology, Classical Guitar and Piano, and Music History. He is an active string educator, performer, recording artist, and conductor. His orchestras have been recognized at the local, regional, and national level for their superior and musically mature performances.
Laird is nationally visible as a Education Specialist for D'Addario Strings, NS Design Violins, and Coda Bows where he is a noted as an authority on string education, electric and MIDI string instruments and their applications in the classroom. He has conducted many high school and middle school orchestra festivals throughout the United States and is in demand as a guest conductor of honors youth orchestras. He is also an active adjudicator having served as a judge for a variety of orchestra and solo and ensemble festivals throughout the United States as well. He has studied conducting with Mr. William Hudson of the Fairfax, VA Symphony and the University of Maryland.
In addition, Laird is an active electric violinist and recording artist and has appeared on the Motown, REX and Roadrunner record labels. His latest solo CD entitled, "Simple Gifts," features his writing and performing on a variety of string instruments with an emphasis on the electric violin. He is also well known for his electric violin work with the thrash metal band, Believer. The Gospel Music Association nominated their last album, Dimensions, for a Dove Award in 1993. Most recently, Scott collaborated with Motown artist, Mya, writing and performing the orchestration on the song "Nothing at All." In his spare time, Laird enjoys a variety of activities including running and camping, as well as road and mountain biking. He, his wife, Barbra, and their sons, Matthew, Joseph, and Cael, reside in Durham, NC.
String Improvisation with Scott Laird
Lil Rev
http://www.lilrev.com/
Lil Rev is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and music-historian who teaches and tours nationally, around the continental U.S.
Known as a "protector of old songs, poetry and stories," Rev has been called a "Wisconsin treasure," (-Ann Schmid-UWM Folk Center). His many awards and frequent travels have garnered him a loyal and growing fan base amongst lovers of all things, Ukulele, Folk, Old Time, Harmonica, Jewish Music & Culture, American Labor History and Respect for our Elders!
Lil Rev calls his style of performance‚ "edu-tain-ment!"
It is a combination of songs, history, stories, poems, quotes, and jokes all wrapped up in a cloak of exuberance and gratitude for those moments when we can all come together and rise up singing‚ and celebrate life!
Tunes and Techniques for the Ukulele
Greg Merkle
http://merkleworks.com
Greg Merkle is a guitar virtuoso who performs his own remarkable compositions. His dizzying finger-tapping style is intricately technical yet intrinsically beautiful. Greg enjoys a cult-like following in his native New Jersey, and has also opened for musicians like Taj Mahal, John Hammond Jr., Iris Dement and Johnny Cash.
Nov 8: Guitar Tapping Workshop
Andy Reiner
http://www.andyreiner.com/
Andy Reiner, a recent graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, grew up in a musical family (The Reiner Family Band!) He began playing at age 5, learning fiddle from his father, Mel Bay Published Author Dave Reiner. Andy began improvising in high school, and it became clear that music was the only option. Winning many fiddle contests over the years and tirelessly playing in bands, currently FiddleFoxx and also Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers, Andy Reiner is a bold musical force that continues to grow musically every day.
String Grooves and Chopshop
Jon Shain
Jon Shain is a veteran singer-songwriter who's been turning heads for years with his words, his fiery acoustic guitar work, and his evolved musical style - combining improvised piedmont blues with bluegrass, swing, and ragtime.
Shain arrived in Durham in 1986, to study American History at Duke University. In addition to studying with jazz professor Paul Jeffrey, he also had the good fortune to learn the piedmont blues tradition firsthand by playing in Big Boy Henry's backing band. It was at this time that Shain also got to meet and play with John Dee Holeman and a number of the great older NC blues players. Shain's classes in school were heavily concentrated in southern history, English, and world religions. That mixture of the academic environment and the real-world blues music is what has most informed his musical direction.
When Shain is not recording or performing, he stays busy giving private instruction in Piedmont blues fingerstyle guitar, and teaching group workshops in songwriting and blues guitar. Whether in the one-on-one atmosphere of the teaching studio or onstage sharing a song with a roomful of strangers, Jon Shain is a natural communicator, keeping students and fans coming back for more.
Acoustic Guitar Blues 1
Ralph Shaw
www.RalphShaw.ca
Arriving in Canada in 1988 with a degree in Applied Physics, Ralph Shaw soon realized that his heart lay in Showbiz. Tossing out his calculator and pocket protector he delighted his parents by becoming a professional Clown and, later, Canada's "King of the Ukulele".
Sparkling with wit, charm and an infectious comic energy this cheerful, lanky showman proves again and again that everyone from kids to great-grandparents can be inspired, enthralled and delighted by his spellbinding musical genius and laugh-out-loud storytelling!
Whether crooning a 1940s Inkspots classic, belting out a George Formby favourite or singing one of his inspired originals Ralph's performances are electrifying, a truly world class act. He yodels, strums ukulele and whistles like a state-fair champion‚ "dressed to the nines he captivates the audience - he charms and enchants."
Now, many years later, he has a long and diverse resume and you are as likely to see him performing for Royalty as you are headlining a Theatre Show or delighting thousands of smiling faces at an open air Festival. And his parents have never been happier!
A captivating speaker and a versatile musical entertainer Ralph Shaw is known across Canada due to his numerous live performances on National CBC.
He has released 3 critically acclaimed CDs entitled; King of the Ukulele, Table for Two and By George! They have been regularly played on Jurgen Gothe's DiscDrive, The Vinyl Cafe, Definitely Not the Opera (DNTO named King of the Ukulele, "one of the Top 10 most notable CDs of the year") and more.
His ukulele teaching DVDs are best sellers and his DVD and CD sales number in the tens of 1000s. His original songs have been used on Movies and TV shows in both the USA and Canada.
Strums, Songs and Solos for the Ukulele
Joe Troop
http://www.myspace.com/joetroop
Joe Troop is a multi-instrumentalist that began formal musical training in elementary school as a pianist. In his early teen years he picked up the banjo and was fortunate enough to study with some of the best in the business including Craig Smith. He also discovered fiddle and mandolin while in high school and began to study several musical idioms including bluegrass, celtic, and then more substantially, swing.
While living in Spain as a student and then in Japan as a teacher, Troop was an integral part of several gypsy jazz ensembles as well as bluegrass groups. Upon returning to the US in the fall of 2007, he began his life as a "professional" musician, playing and touring with several groups in varying genres: The Big Fat Gap and Town Mountain (bluegrass); the Tennessee Jed Band (rock); The Firehouse Rhythm Kings, El Trio Impermeable and Club Boheme (swing); The Common World Collective (new acoustic); and many others. As a free-lancer he tours throughout the US, Europe and Japan as a hired man and has ample opportunities to develop his craft.
Troop has been a strings teacher in several locations including North Carolina, Spain, Japan and Mexico. His enthusiasm for swing performance and education is evident, and he hopes to encourage swing continue to evolve as a genre.
Swing Fiddle Workshop: Stephane Grapelli vs. Stuff Smith
String Improvisation for Intermeddiate Strings Players
Mark Weems
stillhousebottomband.com
myspace.com/markweemsandthecavedwellers
Mark Weems has been studying the nuances of all types of Country music, from mountain ballads and traditional string-band music to honky-tonk songs for over twenty years as a veteran of The Stillhouse Bottom Band, the Weems-Gerrard Band, Little Windows, and his own honky-tonk band, the Cave Dwellers. Sing Out! Magazine recently called him "an exceptionally talented interpreter of old-time vocal and instrumental tunes" and "a gifted composer of timeless music." He tours professionally with Julee Glaub as the duet Little Windows. His music is frequently heard on WUNC's Back Porch Music and has been highlighted on NPR's Thistle and Shamrock. Mark has recorded and/or performed with Tony Ellis (Bill Monroe), Carl Jones (Norman Blake), Alice Gerrard (Hazel and Alice), Daithi Sproule (Altan), and Joe Adams (Johnny Paycheck). He has taught master classes at the Irish Arts Week in New York, at the Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina, and at the Alaska Traditional Music Camp among others.
Duet Harmony Singing 1 and 2
www.jamieanderson.com
919-220-1910
Jamie Anderson toured full time as a singer-songwriter for 13 years. Between gigs she taught at Duke and the ArtsCenter (Carrboro). When she got tired of long drives and lousy beds, she switched to teaching full time although she still makes an occasional jaunt around the country. When Jamie was in her teens, she picked up one of her dad's guitars and never gave it back. After memorizing every chord in a Mel Bay songbook, she learned songs by James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and other 70's singer-songwriters. Along the way she started writing her own songs, recording and touring. Jamie remembers what it was like to learn that first chord, strumming it over and over again until her mom came into her room, inquiring if she intended to learn anything else. When Jamie sits down with a beginning student, she can take herself back to that place, teaching with empathy and patience. Likewise with a more advanced student, teaching everything from "Smells Like Teen Spirit" to "Blackbird." Although teaching started out as an activity to do between tours it's turned into something she genuinely loves doing. Jamie is proficient in many styles, particularly acoustic rock, folk, bluegrass, country and singer-songwriter; she also knows her share of power chords and blues licks. She teaches songwriting and beginning mandolin too. Jamie also teaches classes at the Durham Arts Council, at festivals and privately, in her Durham home studio. Contact her at jamieanderson.com or 919-220-1910.
Dec 6: Guitar for Scaredy Cats
Scott BillmanScot started playing the ukulele in 1996, when his daughter was three. While she splashed in the tub, he learned new chords, and together they sang songs. Fast-forward 10 years: Scot started playing at the Monday uke jam hosted by High Strung. Members of the Durham Ukulele Orchestra heard his playing, but they asked him to join the band anyway. Today, DUO entertains audiences around the Triangle.
Scot especially enjoys introducing people to the ukulele because the instrument is so easy to play. You might find him leading singalongs at High Strung, or "Learn To Play" sessions at the Festival for the Eno. If you like to sing in the bathroom, Scot can show you how to play along, on a ukulele!
Dec 13: Christmas Songs for Ukulele
Bryan Carey
http://www.patanjalisplace.com/
Bryan Carey has been practicing yoga for 25 years and teaching for half that time. His approach is one of breath centered awareness through mindful bodily movement. He has worked with many different populations (children, adults, retirees, expectant Moms, athletes, office workers and more) in many different settings (studios, gyms, places of worship, corporations, colleges/universities and more). Bryan is founder and director of Patanjali's Place - A Community Yoga Space in Durham, NC www.patanjalisplace.com. His interest in working with musicians originated with his study and practice of the fiddle and the demands of learning an instrument and music.
Oct 18: Yoga for Musicians
Hugh Crumley
http://www.myspace.com/skeedaddle1
Hugh is an active musician in the Triangle and plays with Skeedaddle, a four piece acoustic string band that plays 20s and 30s swing, Hawaiian, jump blues, jug band and other roots Americana music. In Skeedaddle, he plays upright bass, swing guitar and Hawaiian lap steel guitar. When not playing music, he teaches instructional technology at Duke University.
Nov 15: Introduction to Swing Bass and Slapping
Acoustic Hawaiian Lap Steel Guitar
Joel Eckhaus
http://www.earnestinstruments.com
In addition to being a luthier, Joel Eckhaus also plays the mandolin, tenor guitar and banjo, ukulele, and musical saw. He studied uke and banjo with former vaudevillian, Roy Smeck, the "Wizard of the Strings", and studied mandolin with former Texas Playboy, Tiny Moore. He was a founding member of the Arm and Hammer String Band, and has performed with the New York Banjo Ensemble, the Howitzer Mandolin Orchestra, the Neverly Brothers, the Blue Sky Serenaders, the New England New Vaudeville Review and the Pinetones. He currently plays with the ukabilly duo Dos Eckies; a ukulele/tap dance duo, Ham & Legs; and his own group, Ukulele Eck and the Fabulous Lacklusters.
Strums, Songs and Solos for the Ukulele
Steve Foxx
http://www.myspace.com/stevefoxx
Introduction to Beatboxing
Alice Gerrard
http://www.tombradalice.com/alicegerrard/bio.htm
As a musician, Alice Gerrard has appeared on more than 20 recordings, including projects with many traditional musicians such as Tommy Jarrell, Enoch Rutherford, Otis Burris, Luther Davis and Matokie Slaughter; as an expert with in-depth knowledge of mountain music, she has produced or written liner notes for a dozen more. She also co-produced and appeared in two documentary films, founded The Old Time Herald, and has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including a Distinguished Achievement award from the IBMA.
Alice tours with Tom, Brad & Alice and teaches workshops in guitar, fiddle and singing at fiddle camps and festival around the country.
Old-Time Rhythym Guitar and Carter Family Style Accompaniment
Julee Glaublittlewindows.net
juleeglaub.com
Julee Glaub performs and teaches nationally and abroad and plays guitar, flute, and bodhran, though her first love is traditional Irish song. Living in Dublin for seven years, she immersed herself in traditional singing and upon returning home, became involved in the Irish music scene in the Northeast, where she quickly became recognized as a leading interpreter of Irish song in America. Julee still performs regularly with Brian Conway, Brendan and Felix Dolan, Jerry O'Sullivan and Daithe Sproule. She tours professionally with Mark Weems in the duo Little Windows which performs a mesmerizing blend of traditional Irish, Scottish, Appalachian, gospel and country songs. Julee is the the coordinator for Traditional Song Week at the Swannanoa Gathering in NC. She has also been on the staff of the Irish Arts Week, the Alaska Traditional Music Camp, and the Schloss Mittersill Arts Conference in Austria, among others, and with Mark, has created Camp Little Windows, their own singing camp. She has developed cultural enrichment programs for lower and middle school kids, and enjoys teaching all ages and passing on the torch of traditional song.
Duet Harmony Singing 1 and 2
Naji Hilal
http://www.najihilal.com
Naji Hilal was born in Qarnayel Lebanon from a musically gifted family. At the early age of 6, Naji's father made absolutely positively sure that Naji carries this bequest.
Naji was exposed to the fine arts of Lebanese traditional and classical music mastering the oud while playing with Lebanese local bands. With globalization and the ease of traveled in our days, Naji moved to North Carolina where he was exposed to various types of music through local and international community of musicians and singers.
The musically versatile Naji, also plays the viola, nay, guitar, accordion, Kanoun, and various percussive instruments. Naji is also a singer and composer having produced an album, named Intizar which is a contemporary Middle Eastern music and played on traditional and few modern instruments. Marco Buongiorno Nardelli on Flute and Saxand Bekir Ulkar on percussion and Joel Ocamopo accompanied Naji on Intizar albumadding a mix of various international styles. Naji's music made its way to couple of documentaries and dancing instruction video.
At this time Naji performs singing and oud playing for international events and he also performs guest lecturing in the subject of Middle Eastern Music and scales at local universities and Oriental Dancing workshops. After a great experience that Naji had, playing oud with Jaafar who are a World Jazz group led by Troy Cole which is bridging the Middle East and the Western music in a Jazzy and funky platform he is now playing with ELM Collective which is a fusion of jazz and world timbres and rhythms, with Arabic and Mediterranean overtones.
Naji is currently working on a Sufi Music CD with Saz and percussion player from Turkey, Soner Cicek.
Middle Eastern Music Primer
Alan Julichwww.brightwaterstudios.com
919-563-9148
Alan Julich has been playing, learning, and teaching clawhammer banjo for well over 166,440 hours. Not continusouly however. He's been in numerous bands, some locally famous. These bands include The Porchclimbers led by Vic Lukas and The Stillhouse Botttom Band. Alan and Stillhouse most recently played at MerleFest's Traditional Tent. Alan has had the opportunity to play with the much feted old time fiddler, Joe Thomspon, at numerous venues including Merlefest 09 (and years prior), Hog Day in Hillsborough, MLK Celebration in Carrboro, and the Eno River Festival in Durham.
Alan has studied with some of the luminary banjo players of our time including TonySpadaro of Chapel Hill, Dwight Diller of Pocahontas County West Virginia, and Shelia Kay Adams of Sodom, NC. Alan's banjo playing has featured in the film documentary, Chester, and his playing is to be part of the soon to be released documentary, The FBI and the KKK.
An Afternoon Introduction to the Wonder and Mystery of Clawhammer Banjo 1 and 2
Jens Kruger
http://www.krugerbrothers.com
Jens Kruger has been touring and performing with his banjo since the age of 16. He has shared stages with Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, John McEwen, Willie Nelson, and Ricky Skaggs, to name only a few. Currently, he records and tours internationally with the Kruger Brothers and has helped design banjos for Deering. To find out more go to http://www.krugerbrothers.com
5-string Banjo Mechanics
Scott D. Laird
http://www.scottlaird.net/
Scott D. Laird is an Instructor of Music and Fine Arts Coordinator at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics where he directs the orchestra and teaches courses in Recording Technology, Classical Guitar and Piano, and Music History. He is an active string educator, performer, recording artist, and conductor. His orchestras have been recognized at the local, regional, and national level for their superior and musically mature performances.
Laird is nationally visible as a Education Specialist for D'Addario Strings, NS Design Violins, and Coda Bows where he is a noted as an authority on string education, electric and MIDI string instruments and their applications in the classroom. He has conducted many high school and middle school orchestra festivals throughout the United States and is in demand as a guest conductor of honors youth orchestras. He is also an active adjudicator having served as a judge for a variety of orchestra and solo and ensemble festivals throughout the United States as well. He has studied conducting with Mr. William Hudson of the Fairfax, VA Symphony and the University of Maryland.
In addition, Laird is an active electric violinist and recording artist and has appeared on the Motown, REX and Roadrunner record labels. His latest solo CD entitled, "Simple Gifts," features his writing and performing on a variety of string instruments with an emphasis on the electric violin. He is also well known for his electric violin work with the thrash metal band, Believer. The Gospel Music Association nominated their last album, Dimensions, for a Dove Award in 1993. Most recently, Scott collaborated with Motown artist, Mya, writing and performing the orchestration on the song "Nothing at All." In his spare time, Laird enjoys a variety of activities including running and camping, as well as road and mountain biking. He, his wife, Barbra, and their sons, Matthew, Joseph, and Cael, reside in Durham, NC.
String Improvisation with Scott Laird
Lil Rev
http://www.lilrev.com/
Lil Rev is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and music-historian who teaches and tours nationally, around the continental U.S.
Known as a "protector of old songs, poetry and stories," Rev has been called a "Wisconsin treasure," (-Ann Schmid-UWM Folk Center). His many awards and frequent travels have garnered him a loyal and growing fan base amongst lovers of all things, Ukulele, Folk, Old Time, Harmonica, Jewish Music & Culture, American Labor History and Respect for our Elders!
Lil Rev calls his style of performance‚ "edu-tain-ment!"
It is a combination of songs, history, stories, poems, quotes, and jokes all wrapped up in a cloak of exuberance and gratitude for those moments when we can all come together and rise up singing‚ and celebrate life!
Tunes and Techniques for the Ukulele
Greg Merklehttp://merkleworks.com
Greg Merkle is a guitar virtuoso who performs his own remarkable compositions. His dizzying finger-tapping style is intricately technical yet intrinsically beautiful. Greg enjoys a cult-like following in his native New Jersey, and has also opened for musicians like Taj Mahal, John Hammond Jr., Iris Dement and Johnny Cash.
Nov 8: Guitar Tapping Workshop
Andy Reiner
http://www.andyreiner.com/
Andy Reiner, a recent graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, grew up in a musical family (The Reiner Family Band!) He began playing at age 5, learning fiddle from his father, Mel Bay Published Author Dave Reiner. Andy began improvising in high school, and it became clear that music was the only option. Winning many fiddle contests over the years and tirelessly playing in bands, currently FiddleFoxx and also Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers, Andy Reiner is a bold musical force that continues to grow musically every day.
String Grooves and Chopshop
Jon Shain
Jon Shain is a veteran singer-songwriter who's been turning heads for years with his words, his fiery acoustic guitar work, and his evolved musical style - combining improvised piedmont blues with bluegrass, swing, and ragtime.
Shain arrived in Durham in 1986, to study American History at Duke University. In addition to studying with jazz professor Paul Jeffrey, he also had the good fortune to learn the piedmont blues tradition firsthand by playing in Big Boy Henry's backing band. It was at this time that Shain also got to meet and play with John Dee Holeman and a number of the great older NC blues players. Shain's classes in school were heavily concentrated in southern history, English, and world religions. That mixture of the academic environment and the real-world blues music is what has most informed his musical direction.
When Shain is not recording or performing, he stays busy giving private instruction in Piedmont blues fingerstyle guitar, and teaching group workshops in songwriting and blues guitar. Whether in the one-on-one atmosphere of the teaching studio or onstage sharing a song with a roomful of strangers, Jon Shain is a natural communicator, keeping students and fans coming back for more.
Acoustic Guitar Blues 1
Ralph Shaw
www.RalphShaw.ca
Arriving in Canada in 1988 with a degree in Applied Physics, Ralph Shaw soon realized that his heart lay in Showbiz. Tossing out his calculator and pocket protector he delighted his parents by becoming a professional Clown and, later, Canada's "King of the Ukulele".
Sparkling with wit, charm and an infectious comic energy this cheerful, lanky showman proves again and again that everyone from kids to great-grandparents can be inspired, enthralled and delighted by his spellbinding musical genius and laugh-out-loud storytelling!
Whether crooning a 1940s Inkspots classic, belting out a George Formby favourite or singing one of his inspired originals Ralph's performances are electrifying, a truly world class act. He yodels, strums ukulele and whistles like a state-fair champion‚ "dressed to the nines he captivates the audience - he charms and enchants."
Now, many years later, he has a long and diverse resume and you are as likely to see him performing for Royalty as you are headlining a Theatre Show or delighting thousands of smiling faces at an open air Festival. And his parents have never been happier!
A captivating speaker and a versatile musical entertainer Ralph Shaw is known across Canada due to his numerous live performances on National CBC.
He has released 3 critically acclaimed CDs entitled; King of the Ukulele, Table for Two and By George! They have been regularly played on Jurgen Gothe's DiscDrive, The Vinyl Cafe, Definitely Not the Opera (DNTO named King of the Ukulele, "one of the Top 10 most notable CDs of the year") and more.
His ukulele teaching DVDs are best sellers and his DVD and CD sales number in the tens of 1000s. His original songs have been used on Movies and TV shows in both the USA and Canada.
Strums, Songs and Solos for the Ukulele
Joe Troop
http://www.myspace.com/joetroop
Joe Troop is a multi-instrumentalist that began formal musical training in elementary school as a pianist. In his early teen years he picked up the banjo and was fortunate enough to study with some of the best in the business including Craig Smith. He also discovered fiddle and mandolin while in high school and began to study several musical idioms including bluegrass, celtic, and then more substantially, swing.
While living in Spain as a student and then in Japan as a teacher, Troop was an integral part of several gypsy jazz ensembles as well as bluegrass groups. Upon returning to the US in the fall of 2007, he began his life as a "professional" musician, playing and touring with several groups in varying genres: The Big Fat Gap and Town Mountain (bluegrass); the Tennessee Jed Band (rock); The Firehouse Rhythm Kings, El Trio Impermeable and Club Boheme (swing); The Common World Collective (new acoustic); and many others. As a free-lancer he tours throughout the US, Europe and Japan as a hired man and has ample opportunities to develop his craft.
Troop has been a strings teacher in several locations including North Carolina, Spain, Japan and Mexico. His enthusiasm for swing performance and education is evident, and he hopes to encourage swing continue to evolve as a genre.
Swing Fiddle Workshop: Stephane Grapelli vs. Stuff Smith
String Improvisation for Intermeddiate Strings Players
Mark Weemsstillhousebottomband.com
myspace.com/markweemsandthecavedwellers
Mark Weems has been studying the nuances of all types of Country music, from mountain ballads and traditional string-band music to honky-tonk songs for over twenty years as a veteran of The Stillhouse Bottom Band, the Weems-Gerrard Band, Little Windows, and his own honky-tonk band, the Cave Dwellers. Sing Out! Magazine recently called him "an exceptionally talented interpreter of old-time vocal and instrumental tunes" and "a gifted composer of timeless music." He tours professionally with Julee Glaub as the duet Little Windows. His music is frequently heard on WUNC's Back Porch Music and has been highlighted on NPR's Thistle and Shamrock. Mark has recorded and/or performed with Tony Ellis (Bill Monroe), Carl Jones (Norman Blake), Alice Gerrard (Hazel and Alice), Daithi Sproule (Altan), and Joe Adams (Johnny Paycheck). He has taught master classes at the Irish Arts Week in New York, at the Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina, and at the Alaska Traditional Music Camp among others.
Duet Harmony Singing 1 and 2
