|
2010
Early Country Music Week
|
Week
1 |
| July
11-16, 2010 |
| Tuition $435 |
| Housing
& Meals |
|
Bill
Kirchen |
Photo
by Jacob Blickenstaff |
Early
Country Music is about life, so it's no wonder the songs ring so
true. It borrows from folk, popular, and religious sources, and
yet it is distinctly different. It's easily  remembered,
loves to tell a story, and usually includes "3 Chords and The
Truth." To ignore or denigrate this music robs us of what Dorothy
Horstman, in her book Sing Your
Heart Out, Country Boy, calls "some of the saddest,
the happiest, the most touching moments in our country's literature
- and we've missed a good time." The music we will be focusing
on is not the current Nashville scene. This is the real country
music from its roots with Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family,
through folks like Kitty Wells, Merle Haggard, and Dolly Parton,
to the soulful singing of George Jones and Vern Gosdin.
 |
|
John Lilly |
|
During this week at Augusta,
we will have the opportunity to explore this true American treasure
of music with some of the most dedicated instructors in the
country music scene today. Instructors will include
Bill Kirchen [top left], Ginny
Hawker 
and Courtney Granger [bottom right],
John Lilly [bottom left], Carol
McComb [top
right], Tracy Schwarz, Thomas Bryan Eaton
and Karen Collins & Ric Sweeney
(mini-course).
Vocal classes cover duet harmonies,
Honky-Tonk styles, and more. Instrumental classes cover acoustic
guitar, lap steel guitar, fiddle, and traditional country electric
lead guitar. Evenings are filled with jam sessions, public concerts
and Cajun and Honky Tonk dances in Augusta’s beautiful open
air dance pavilion. Optional evening mini-courses coffer a variety
of opportunities to experience something different. After this
week in the mountains of West Virginia no one will leave with
their heart untouched.
At
Sunday evening orientation, students will choose up to three workshops
- two in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each class builds upon
information presented the previous day. Early Country Music Week runs
concurrently with Cajun/Creole Week and Guitar Week.
Need to rent a lap
steel and amp? These are available for rent in Elkins very
reasonably.
Call Reese Brown at 304-636-0147 to reserve what you need.
- GH
|
To register,
specify “Early Country Music Week” as the class.
At
the Sunday night Early Country Music orientation, after meeting
the instructors and hearing more specifics about the classes they
are offering, students will choose three classes, one for each
of three periods. Students
should stick with those classes for the week. See classes listed
below for class descriptions.
|
Classes, Schedule, and Staff
Ginny Hawker - Coordinator
|
|
What level should
I take? |
PERIOD
1
9:00 - 10:15
|
Country
Gems on Vocals & Guitar
|
Carol
McComb
|
| Basics
of Right Hand Acoustic Guitar (all levels)
|
John
Lilly
|
| Playing
Fiddle in a Country Band
|
Tracy
Schwarz
|
| 10:15 - 10:45 |
Coffee
and Tea Break |
PERIOD
2
10:45 - Noon
|
Memorable
Country Duets
|
Ginny
Hawker
& Courtney Granger
|
| Honky-Tonk
Electric Guitar
|
Bill
Kirchen
|
Songs
of Hank Williams
|
John
Lilly
|
Beyond
Boom-Chuck Acoustic Guitar
|
Carol
McComb
|
| NOON
- 1:15 |
LUNCH |
| 1:15 - 2:30 |
Group
Meeting for announcements and special programs with Cajun Week |
PERIOD
3
2:45
- 4:00
|
Country
Soul
|
Ginny
Hawker
& Courtney Granger
|
| Introduction
to Lap Steel
|
Thomas
Bryan Eaton
|
| Singing
in a Honky-Tonk Band
|
Bill
Kirchen
|
| 4:00
- 5:00 |
Optional
Half-hour, one-time Workshops
(as requested by students, and as time and staff will allow)
|
|
Mini-courses (optional)
6:30pm to 7:45pm Monday through
Thursday, unless otherwise noted.
Mini-courses cost an additional $55, and some classes may require
a small materials fee. |
| Accordion
Doctor |
Larry
Miller
|
Repair |
| Accordion
from Scratch |
Drew
Simon
|
Novice/Beginning |
| Cajun
Fiddle Repertoire |
Al
Berard
|
|
| Creole
Cooking |
Charlmaigne
Thibodeaux-Chavez
|
Materials
fee: $35 |
| Cajun
Dance |
Kelli
Jones
|
|
Acoustic
Guitar From Scratch
|
Thomas
Bryan Eaton
|
Novice/Beginning
|
| Harmony
Singing From Scratch |
Karen
Collins &
Ric Sweeney |
Novice/Beginning
|
|
