June 4-6, 2010

MBC News Hot Off the Press

We're Now Accepting Registrations. Sign Up Now!!

Jens Kruger Joins Our 2010 Bluegrass Staff

Kruger Brothers Band to Join us for 2010

MBC Adds on Two New Tracks for 2010: Guitar and Bass (details forthcoming)

Ken Perlman & Stan Werbin Directors

You now can also find us at MySpace: www.myspace.com/midwestbanjocamp

2009 Midwest Banjo Camp Group Photographs

(click on photos for details)

Midwest Banjo Camp VI will take place on June 4-6, 2010 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:

To get a better idea of what we're about, check out our Preliminary Schedule for 2009. You can also access programs for former MBC's: 2008 Schedule, 2007 Schedule, 2006 schedule and 2005 schedule .

Our preliminary schedule for 2010 should be posted by December or January.

See a collection of photographs from the 2009 Midwest Banjo Camp See a collection of photographs from the 2008 Midwest Banjo Camp See a collection of photographs from the 2007 Midwest Banjo Camp See a collection of photographs from the 2006 Midwest Banjo Camp See a collection of photographs from the 2005 Midwest Banjo Camp

Check out what students said about the 2009 camp.
Check out what students said about the 2008 camp.
Check out what students said about the 2007 camp.
Check out what students said about the 2006 camp.
Check out what students said about the 2005 camp.

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.

Classes:

In the tradition of the Tennessee Banjo Institute and the Maryland Banjo Academy, our 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.

Here are some classes that were popular at last year's MBC:

Old Time: Intro to Round Peak Clawhammer The Round-Peak Clawhammer Style of Fred Cockerham The Round-Peak Clawhammer Style of Kyle Creed Intro to Melodic Clawhammer The Styles of Black Banjoist Nate & Odell Thompson Charlie Poole's 3-Finger Backup Style The Fundamentals of Drop and Double Thumbing Strategies for Playing Up the Neck in Clawhammer Mastering the Mechanics of Good Tone Western North Carolina Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer That Old-Time Rhythem The "Chuck"and Other Rhythmic Space Fillers Pete Steele's Fingerpicking Style Can That Tuner: Learn to Tune & Change Tunnings by Ear

Bluegrass: Fitting in at a Jam: Hearing & Following Chord Changes Intro to Melodic Bluegrass Essentials of Single String The Essential Earl: Licks & Techniques Using Alternative Tunings in Bluegrass Appropriate & Musical Backup for Vocals Don Reno Techniques & Tunes Roll Logic: How the Rolls Work Orchestrating a Bluegrass Song from Intro through Breaks, Backup & Endings Top Ten Bluegrass Licks Hot Rize Banjo: Tunes from the Band Repertoire Intro to Jazz Improvisation Analysis of Classic Bluegrass Solos Old-Time Fiddle Tunes, Bluegrass Style Picking it Solid: Achieving Clarity, Punch, & Timing: From Bluegrass to Western swing: A New Slant on Bluegrass Chord Progressions

To give you more of an idea, check out our 2009 schedule.

Demos: Some of our class sessions are devoted to demonstrations. Demos are essentially presentations or mini performances 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:

• Progressive 3-Finger Style
• Great Tunes I Collected
• Crafting Breaks
• Scruggs Fest
• Jazz and Blues on Banjo
• Composing for Banjo
• Singing with the Banjo
• Fiddle Tunes on Banjo

Levels

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.

The MBC Fiddle Track. We now offer a full program in fiddle, with one option in old-time or bluegrass fiddle during each class session. Full-time fiddle players can now study their instrument throughout, while those banjoists who also play fiddle can enrich their experience by taking an occasional fiddle class. Over the course of Camp, we will offer six classes in old-time fiddle, and two in bluegrass fiddle. This year our camp fiddlers are Alan Jabbour (old-time) and Peter Knupfer (bluegrass). Last year's program can be viewed on our 2009 schedule.

The MBC Guitar Track. This year for the first time, we're offering a full program in guitar, with one option in old-time or bluegrass guitar during each class session. You can study guitar full or part time. This year our principle guitar instructor is Uwe Kruger of the Kruger Brothers Band. Check this space for forthcoming details.

The MBC Bass Track. This year for the first time, we're offering a full program in bass, with one option during each class session. Study full-time or part-time. This year our principle guitar instructor is Joel Landsberg of the Kruger Brothers Band. Check this space for forthcoming details.

The Special Events Track:: This is our "miscellaneous" column. Here's where you'll find classes in instruments not already listed above, set-up and repair, and other special subjects. In addition, old-time and bluegrass jams sometimes appear as class options.

Jamming: Needless to say, enabling 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 novices

- "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.

- Play 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, we're going to try having special jams where teachers guarantee to stick to a predetermined list of standards.

- Experts' Jams. On the last night of Camp, we're going to assign a few teachers to jam with each other with "no holds barred." Students are welcome to join in of course, but we also figure that some students might also enjoy just watching experts' interaction.

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.

Concerts: 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 MBC "Pre-Camp"

To get the idea, check out the MBC 2009 Pre-camp Schedule.

Introducing the Banjo: a Two-Hour Crash Course for Absolute Beginners.

For more information, see the Accommodations and Fees page.

In Memoriam We regret the passing of musician extraordinaire Mike Seeger, who served on staff at MBC in 2005 and 2007. Mike was a dedicated teacher, a brilliant and innovative musician, a tireless collector of traditional music, and passionate advocate for the old traditions. He will be greatly missed.

Read the March 26, 2005 article on The Midwest Banjo Camp from WCFCourier.com.

Click on an artist to see a bio.

others to be announced...

	Cathy Barton Para (old-time banjo)
	Mac Benford (old-time banjo)
	Paul Brown (old-time banjo)
	Ryan Cavanaugh (bluegrass banjo)
	Bill Evans (bluegrass banjo)
	Murphy Henry (bluegrass banjo)
	Adam Hurt (old-time banjo)
	Alan Jabbour (old-time fiddle)
	Bill Keith (bluegrass banjo)
	Peter Knupfer (bluegrass fiddle)
	Jens Kruger (bluegrass banjo)
	Uwe Kruger (bluegrass guitar)
	Joel Landsberg (bass)
	Brad Leftwich (old-time banjo)
	Ned Luberecki (bluegrass banjo)
	Joel Mabus (old-time banjo)
	James McKinney (bluegrass banjo)
	Terri McMurray (old-time banjo)
	Michael J. Miles (old-time banjo)
	Dave Para (old-time guitar)
	Ken Perlman (old-time banjo)
	Mike Sumner (bluegrass banjo)
	David Talbot (bluegrass banjo)
	Peter Wernick (bluegrass banjo)

Camp Directors:

	Ken Perlman
	Stan Werbin

email: info@midwestbanjocamp.com
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.

We are also now on MySpace: myspace.com/midwestbanjocamp

Would you like to help us out with publicity? Here is a 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!