Old-Time Week 2016 at the Augusta Heritage Center

This year we are excited to introduce another diverse team of outstanding teachers that have both a deep connection to the music and a passion for sharing it. Students will begin each day with a single morning class from 9:00 – noon (with a 15 minute coffee break) with their primary instructor. These in-depth morning sessions create an intimate learning environment where students get to know their instructors and classmates while developing new skills, awareness and repertoire that build throughout the week. After lunch we begin with a presentation from Old-Time Week instructors and/or older master musicians from around the region. In the afternoon students can choose from an array of elective workshops and demonstrations, or attend classes offered by Vocal and American Vernacular Dance Week. Evenings are packed with lively jams, slow jams, song swaps and concerts. There will be square dancing every night this year! Old-Time week instructors and staff are selected not only for their thorough knowledge of the music but for having extraordinary teaching skills and generous attitudes. Augusta Old-Time Week is a nurturing, friendly environment that encourages attendance by new musicians as well as seasoned players. Wherever you start, you can be sure that by the end of the week your musicianship will be elevated and you will have new friends from around the globe.

We are delighted to continue offering a new type of morning class this year! Classes in this category include story and listening components as well as hands-on exploration of specific musical styles. Students will learn about the people, places and rich culture of old-time music through personal stories, recordings and live musical demonstrations as conveyed by some of old-time music’s most compelling personalities. These classes include instrumental instruction and lots of hands-on playing, but will go a little deeper into the context and individual styles than our regular courses. These classes got RAVE reviews last year and we are super pleased to announce the classes for 2016 including “West Virginia Folks”, a study of West Virginia music with Gerry Milnes, and “Rare and Beautiful Tunes and Types from the Cumberlands” with Joseph Decosimo and Bob Fulcher, going deep into the music and personalities of Tennessee. These classes are open to all stringband instruments and will be roughly half hands-on playing and half lecture. The idea behind these classes is that there is a lot of information that you can’t get from tablature, an audio recording or a YouTube video. These classes will teach you not just the tunes/songs and techniques, but the story behind them, giving you a richer, deeper understanding of the music.

Tuition paid BEFORE June 1: $450.
Tuition paid AFTER June 1: $490.
REGISTER HERE: https://secure.dewv.edu/augusta/

The 2016 Old-Time Week staff includes:
(for bios and class information: https://goo.gl/BrqaTk)

Joe “Joebass” Dejarnette: Coordinator

Ben Nelson: Banjo – Beg.
Gabrielle Macrae: Banjo – Int.
Andy FitzGibbon: Banjo – Adv.
Nadine Landry: Bass – All Levels
Scott Prouty: Fiddle from Scratch
Jesse Milnes: Fiddle – Beg.
Sammy Lind: Fiddle – Int.
Emily Schaad: Fiddle – Adv.
Trevor McKenzie: Guitar – All Levels
Rachel Eddy: Mandolin – All Levels
Gerry Milnes: West Virginia Folks, Learn Their Music & Stories – All Instruments, Int./Adv.
Greg Adams: Early Banjo Explorations for Old-Time & Bluegrass Musicians – All Levels
Joseph Decosimo & Bobby Fulcher: Rare & Beautiful Tunes & Types from the Cumberlands – All Instruments, Int./Adv.
T-Claw & Becky Hill: Mountain Dance – Calling, Feet & Figures – From Scratch

Kylie Proudfoot-Payne: Folk Arts for Kids – Exploring the Arts, Augusta Style! (Ages 8-12)

Kevin Chesser: Guitar from Scratch Mini-Course

Marcia Bryant: Staff Musician
Mike Bryant: Staff Musician
Jess McIntosh: Staff Musician
Aaron Olwell: Staff Musician
Aaron Ratcliffe: Staff Musician
Barry Southern: Staff Musician

Betty Druckenmiller: Liaison