Topic: 2005 workshop

[Reso1]

Well... I had to chime in on this thread! Paul Geremia!!!! Excellent. Cary & Lurrie Bell!!! Great harp!! Still on my wish list for Santa... Paul Rishell & Annie Raines, Guy Davis, Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart. All great players!!!

Happy Holidays to all, & thanks to Peter & all the other elves that make this happen!!


Lee in Sitka

[Bill Roggensack]

Peter - clearly you have been working hard to pull together such a fantastic line-up. I can hardly wait!
Is it too soon to start thinking about my annual string change?

[cmr]

Hi all:
I have a few questions about the 2005 workshop.   I have never attended a guitar workshop, nor have I had lessons. Is the workhop accessible for a beginner-intermediate guitarist?  I've played the guitar for about 4 years.  Since the workshop is on first-come basis, is there a problem with registering by April, 05?  Also how can I find out about the cost for room and board at the Fort Worden dormitory?  Is the dormitory recommended?   
Thanks,  Charlie

[waxwing]

Hey Charlie,
There is instruction for any level of experience, and, everyone offers encouragement to those just coming to country blues. If you've been playing 4 years you'll do fine and there is guidance at the outset (Blues Buddies who been around a few years) to help you decide which classes to take. It's all about love of the music. Also be aware that this is not just a guitar workshop. One of the things that makes PT so exciting is that there are also harps, mandolins, basses, fiddles, pianos, banjos, washboards, jugs, bones, the works. There's a jugband class in the afternoons. I think registration opens in March so you'll probably be one of the earliest to sign up. Ask for a room facing Puget Sound in Building 225 to get the best view. The prices will be posted when registration opens. I think last year the whole thing, tuition, room and board was maybe $650. This year camp is an extra day longer (yea!) so that may increase by 15-20% but I don't know for sure. It is still one of the best deals around. The dorms are great, private single lockable rooms, and really the most convenient way to go, and the cafeteria food gets better every year. Jams go on every night 'til very late but one dorm has a curfew at 10, I think, if you need your shuteye. Most of us are sleep deprived the whole week. Absolutely the #1 must: a good recording device that you are familiar with and can operate easily. Minidisc recorders are a favorite altho' digital recorders are coming out that look real good. Many use portable tape recorders, too. You'll also learn that many of us Weenies rent housing and cook our own meals. Extra work but we enjoy it. You'll get to meet many of the folks on this board and a whole lot more. See you there.
All for now.
John C.

[cmr]

Waxwing
Thanks for the encouragement.  Since I am only a 1/2 day drive away from PT, I will definitely try to attend the workshop.  At this point, I learn by listening to musical phrases numerous times and stuggle to duplicate it or use tab and still have to work at it.  I have never played the guitar with others, so it will be a new experience.  See you next summer.
Cheers, Charlie
   

[Slack]

Hi Charlie,

What JohnC said.

You'll have a blast...  there are all skill levels, it does not matter what level you play at (no one will care if you are a hotshot player or not - it is not an easy skill!), and most of the learning is done when you get back home and listen to your tapes or MD's.  The only pre-requisite that I can think of that helps and this is only to get the most out of it, is to have some basic, rudimentary fingerpicking skills... whic, if you've been playing for 4 years - you've got 'em.

Cheers,
slack

[cmr]

Waxwing and Slack
OK, what is the deal with recording devices?

. Absolutely the #1 must: a good recording device that you are familiar with and can operate easily. Minidisc recorders are a favorite altho' digital recorders are coming out that look real good. Many use portable tape recorders, too. You'll also learn that many of us Weenies rent housing

Some move information about minidiscs would be great, since I am totally uninformed about recording devices.  Are there non-magneto-optical options (e.g., store on mini-hard drive)?   I am going to plan my summer travel schedule around the '05 workshop calendar.

Cheers,
Charlie

[uncle bud]

Charlie,

You can find a bunch of info on minidisc recorders at http://minidisc.org/ , including the new high capacity recorders. Someone else may pipe up about the hard disk options, of which I know nothing but am curious.

Whatever you use, even if it's a recording walkman or portable tape recorder using good ol' cassettes, you should have something. There is so much information over the course of a week, you don't have a hope in hell of retaining it. I was listening to some of my recordings from last year recently and heard stuff I don't even remember...

UB

[Slack]

Hi Charlie,

I think Uncle Bud meant http://minidisco.com   lot of good information there on mini-discs, which seem to be a popular option (and the disks now hold 1 gigabyte of data) - they are similar to cassette recorders but with the advantages of digital media (eg you can manipoulate tracks in various ways).   There were a few folks at PT that had MP3 recorders and I think that is a great option - the sound quality was just fine for workshop type recording and the advantage with MP3 is those hard drives hold a LOT of data.

For workshop recording, just about any recording device will work - but you might think about double duty to record your stuff - or to put your CD collection on a MP3 device.  I'll try to think of the brand of MP3 recorder.

Cheers,
slack

[waxwing]

I haven't really worked with any mp3 recorders but last year Ken, from Bremerton, was using an Archos Jukebox, I believe, and it seemed to work pretty well. I just did a search and it seems that most of the current Archos models that have recording capabilities also now have video capabilities which certainly must affect pricing and size. There is also the IRiver line which gets quite a bit of discussion over at the IGS forum and they all seem to be happy with them. There, too, I think the models are being upgraded to include video. These are the only ones I've heard of and, as I said, I don't have any actual experience, but at least it gives you a direction to start looking.
All for now.
John C.

[Slack]

Thanks JohnC - it was Ken's Archos Jukeox that I was trying to remember.

[cmr]

Thanks all.  I will check out the minidisc site.  I may even consider an ipod. 

Charlie

[uncle bud]

Hi Charlie,

I think Uncle Bud meant http://minidisco.com? ?lot of good information there on mini-discs,

Actually, I did mean minidisc.org, a minidisc freaks portal as opposed to the store. I think minidisco.com was the store they used to recommend. Whatever, www.minidisc.org is loading for me right now, although it did earlier today.

edited to add: while an iPod does have a voice-recorder add-on, I don't know that this is really good for workshops. Have they introduced something better for recording along the lines of the iRiver or Archos?

[Cleoma]

Sounds like a cool lineup (as usual!)  I think I will try to coordinate with Rich on the mando-fiddle thing, maybe we can teach some of the same pieces.  Any suggestions for what would be good in fiddle or mando class?
Looking forward to seeing some of you there,
Suzy T.

[waxwing]

Hey, I just noticed the 2005 Faculty is up on the Centrum site. A few names Peter didn't mention. Orville J. is back with us. Looks super, Peter and Phil! Harder than ever to decide which classes to take. Thanks for the extra day.
All for now.
John C.