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Dates for the next camp: June 7-9, 2013
"Pre-camp" beginning on June 6.
As of 04-05-13 we are officially sold out of air-conditioned dorm rooms. If we get cancellations we will assign those rooms to individuals on a first-come first-served basis.
Although a/c rooms are no longer guaranteed, there are still plenty of dorm rooms without a/c. Likewise there is plenty of room for students who commute (either from their homes or nearby hotels). There is a short list of hotels (and RV parks) on this page: http://midwestbanjocamp.com/hotels-rvs.html
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You can order your copy at Moxy Imagery. (Please note that the link is best viewed with Internet Explorer) |
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MBC News Hot Off the Press |
| We have just added Gerald Jones to our Bluegrass Faculty |
| Due to increasing attendance, we have added an extra bluegrass track: "More Intermediate" |
| Check out our Revised 2013 Schedule |
| Don Julin will teach two mandolin classes; Rich Rickman will teach a bass class. |
| Check out our Revised Pre-Camp Schedule |
| Remember we will have some Youth Scholarships available." |
| Dates for 2013 will be June 7-9, with pre-camp beginning on June 6. |
| Ken Perlman & Stan Werbin Directors |
Midwest Banjo Camp VIII will take place on June 7-9, 2013 at the Olivet College Campus in Olivet, Michigan. Come study old-time or bluegrass banjo with some of today's best players and teachers in both styles. Our program features hands-on classes, demonstrations, two faculty concerts, and still leaves lots of time for jamming with your fellow banjo enthusiasts.
General Program:
MBC offers eight class sessions over the course of the weekend -- two on Friday, four on Saturday and two on Sunday.
Each session is one hour and fifteen minutes long. There are staff concerts on both Friday and Saturday evenings;
over the course of the weekend you'll have the opportunity to hear our entire staff in concert.
Rounding out each evening program are staff-led bluegrass and old time jams at a variety of skill levels.
To get a better idea of what we're about check out our 2013 Preliminary Schedule.
You can also access previous schedules:
2012
2011,
2010,
2009,
2008,
2007,
2006,
2005.
You can also access previous Pre-Camp Schedules here:
2012,
2011,
2010,
2009,
2008.
See photos of previous camps on our Facebook page
Check out what students have said about previous camps:
2012,
2011,
2010,
2009,
2008.
2007,
2006,
2005
Instructors:
More than anything else, MBC prides itself on the strength of our teaching staff. Our instructors are not only great players and brilliant teachers, but they genuinely care about student progress, and are eager to lend a helping hand. See the right-hand column of this page both to find out who is teaching at MBC this year, and to access their career details.
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Classes:
Midwest Banjo Camp is committed to offering highly specialized classes with subjects tailored to the expertise of our faculty. Most of our classes are "hands-on," meaning that teachers have a set of skills or a tune or two in mind to impart, and that students should have their banjos in hand during class.
Note: Once you've registered for MBC, you may attend any class you wish at any time throughout our program. You do NOT have to pre-register for any track, class, or teacher.
Note: The questions on the registration form regarding interests and levels are only there to help us plan our program. They do NOT commit you to pursue any particular level, style, or instrument
Here are some classes that were popular at recent MBC's:
Old Time: |
Bluegrass: |
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Demos: : During Our “Pre-Camp”, many of our class sessions are devoted to demonstrations. Demos are round-robin presentations or mini performances that address a theme, combined with explication and Q&A sessions. Somewhere in between hands-on classes and demos are those classes labeled "demo-instructional." Following are a few examples of the kinds of demos we might offer: |
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- Progressive Approaches to Bluegrass
- All "Earl" all the time
- Banjo-Fiddle Duets
- Singing with the Banjo
- Black Banjo Styles & Influences
- Old-time Fingerpicking
- Blues on the Banjo
- Tunes you Don't Expect to Hear on Banjo
- Playing in a Band: Concepts & Techniques
- Fiddle Tunes on Banjo
- Vocal Harmonies
- Bill Monroe Tunes on Banjo
Note: All students at MBC are free to take any class at any time. You can move among levels, move freely between old-time and bluegrass, take classes in different instruments, and generally create a program that works best for you.
We now offer four levels or "tracks" for both bluegrass and old-time banjo: Novice, lower intermediate, upper intermediate, and advanced. Here is how we define our levels:
Novice track: The novice program is designed primarily for true beginners: banjoists who have been playing a few months or less, or who have not yet learned even the most basic mechanics of either fingerpicking or the clawhammer stroke. If you already know these basics, we recommend diving into either the lower intermediate or even the upper intermediate programs. Even if they are a little over your head, you'll still be taking home vital advice and mental images that will guide your growth on banjo for years to come.
Lower Intermediate Track: Our lower intermediate track is for students who are beyond the novice stage but still need a lot of technical help on a variety of fronts -- such as efficient left hand and right hand techniques, building up speed and power, achieving good timing, basic song and tune arranging, and so on. Estimated minimum playing experience required: 6 months to 2 years.
Upper Intermediate Track: The upper intermediate track is for students who can play pretty well at a basic level, but are looking to increase their repertoires and playing efficiency, and expand their horizons. It is also designed to help your playing sound more "authentic" and professional. Estimated minimum playing experience required: 18 months to 3 years.
Advanced Track: The advanced track is for those who can already play up to (or close to) speed, but who are looking to grow further as musicians through learning from some of the world's best players. Estimated minimum playing experience required: 3-4 years and up.
Other Tracks
The MBC Guitar Track. MBC offers a full program in guitar, with one option during each class session. You can study guitar full or part time. For 2013, our principal instructor in the guitar program is the great flatpicker Jack Lawrence of North Carolina, who toured for many years with the legendary Doc Watson. Guitar Classes will also be taught by Dave Para.
New!! The MBC Mandolin Track. By popular demand, for the first time MBC offers a full program in mandolin, with one option during each class session. You can study “mando” full or part time. For 2013, our principal instructor in the mandolin program is Nashville legend Mike Compton. Other instructors in the mandolin program will be announced later.
Jamming:
Organizing a successful jam when the available crew is made up only of banjoists presents a special challenge. We rise to the occasion by having Camp accompanists and a number of other guest musicians on hand to assist our jam leaders by playing a variety of other instruments - such as fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bass, etc.By the way, at MBC we call our guest musicians "musos" (pronounced "mew-zoes"). Ken Perlman picked up this expression in Australia where it's an affectionate nickname for "musician" and it has stuck.
Here's the kind of jam sessions we offer:
- Slow Jams for those who like to jam, so long as we promise to keep the speed way down
- "How to Jam" workshops for those who can play pretty well but just don't know how to play with others. Issues covered in these workshops are jam etiquette, the roles of different instruments, how to find appropriate chords, how to play something effective when you don't know the tune, etc.
- Intermediate Jams: moderate tempos and common tunes.
- Open Jams: pretty much up to speed, but leaders will be instructed to keep tempos under control.
- Specialty Jams: We like to offer jams from time to time that appeal to special interests, so check the schedule for this year's options. Among the jams we may offer are bluegrass vocals, old-time vocals, jazz and swing, and northern & Celtic.
- Jam from a list: Over the years many students have requested a list of tunes that might come up at jam sessions, so they can learn them before Camp. Although it's impossible to predict what songs might come up at jams spontaneously, for 2013 we will schedule one special bluegrass jam and one special old-time jam where teachers guarantee to stick to a predetermined list of about 25 standards. Click here for MBC's list of 25 standard bluegrass jamming tunes. Click here for MBC's list of 25 standard old-time jamming tunes. These special jams will take place on Saturday evening, and are entitled "Jam From a List" on the schedule.
Or, organize your own jams -- there's plenty of available spaces -- either during the scheduled jams, immediately afterwards or at any other suitable time. And if there are musos around when you get started there's a good chance you can get them to join in.
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The faculty concert is split into two parts; half the staff plays on Friday evening and the other half plays on Saturday evening.
Given that our staff contains a hefty percentage of the best banjo pickers in creation, these concerts come pretty close to achieving banjo heaven.
Here's how some of our students have described our staff concerts: "The best banjo concerts in the world", "As good as any bluegrass festival",
"None better! What a ride!" And finally, "Either half of the faculty concert was worth it coming to camp alone. But both!"
The Pre-camp is a low pressure way to ease into your weekend of intense banjo-immersion. On Thursday evening June 6 and Friday morning June 7,
our instructors will host jam sessions, offer demonstrations, and generally be available for mingling with students.
The "Pre-Camp Program" is optional for both students and staff. However, most of our staff and well-over half our students generally participate.
See the Accommodations & Fees Page for the details There is an extra tuition charge for MBC students who wish to take part in pre-camp events; there is also a charge for lodging at the Olivet dorms
on Thursday night, and for signing on to an Olivet meal plan that covers meals from Thursday dinner through Friday lunch. To get the idea, check out the MBC 2012 Pre-camp Schedule
or other Pre-Camp schedules ON Friday morning MBC will run a special two-hour class for people who want to get started on banjo (or for those who have already gotten
started and figure they need a quick review before diving into our novice program). The class covers the following topics: getting acquainted
with the instrument, holding it, getting in tune, how to finger the strings and play a few basic chords, how to keep time by simple strumming,
etc. For those who are undecided about which banjo path to pursue, our instructor will also demonstrate both bluegrass and old time styles on
the banjo and explain some of the pluses and minuses about trying to learn each genre. "Introducing the Banjo" is open to all MBC Registrants. You do NOT have to register for the Pre-Camp in order to take this course.
For more information, see the Accommodations and Fees page.
Concerts:
The MBC "Pre-Camp"
Introducing the Banjo: a Two-Hour Crash Course for Absolute Beginners.
Use of Recording Devices at MBC
Many of our instructors prefer to teach by ear and example rather than by tab or other notation. Consequently,
we encourage students to bring along compact recording devices, so that recordings made in class will be available after camp to serve as memory aids.
As a courtesy, however, please ask each instructor at the start of class whether he or she permits the use of such recording devices.
Click on an artist to see a bio.
email: info@midwestbanjocamp.com
Banjo Staff
Greg C Adams
(old-time)
Cathy Barton Para
(old-time)
Riley Baugus
(old-time)
Janet Beazley
(bluegrass)
Mac Benford
(old-time)
Greg Cahill
(bluegrass)
Pat Cloud (bluegrass)
Chris Coole
(old-time)
Bill Evans
(bluegrass)
Dan Gellert
(old-time)
Casey Henry
(bluegrass)
Gerald Jones
(bluegrass/jazz)
Bill Keith
(bluegrass)
Mike Kropp
(Bluegrass)
Brad Leftwich
(old-time)
James McKinney (bluegrass)
Alan Munde
(bluegrass)
Joe Newberry
(old-time)
Ken Perlman
(old-time)
Tony Trischka
(bluegrass)
others to be announced...
Other Staff:
Tom T. Ball
(bass)
Mike Compton (mandolin)
Sheila Graziano
(guest instructor)
Alan Jabbour (old-time fiddle)
Don Julin (mandolin)
Peter Knupfer(bluegrass fiddle)
Jack Lawrence (bluegrass Guitarist)
Dave Para (old-time guitar)
Rich Rickman
(bass)
"Stretch" Reinsmith
(repair technician)
Camp Directors:
Ken Perlman
Stan Werbin
If you have any questions or concerns that you would prefer to address by phone,
send us an email with your phone number and suggested times to call.
We'll then get back to you as soon as we can.
Would you like to help us out with publicity? Here is a Color pdf file
of a flyer for the camp. You can print it out yourself, or ask us and we'll be glad to send you a batch.
If you have an appropriate place to post or distribute it (coffeehouse, festival, music or record store) then we would appreciate it.
Thanks!
(Black and White version of pdf.)