Summer Mini Courses / Augusta Heritage Center

Augusta Mini-Courses add to students’ daily learning experiences and allow busy local residents to be part of the Augusta experience. You DO NOT need to be enrolled as a full-time Augusta student to sign up for Mini-Courses. (You DO need to be a full-time student to stay on-campus.) Check out the wide array of subjects, listed by week, from which to choose! A real bargain, Mini-Courses cost only $55 for four evenings of instruction by world-class artists. Some Mini-Courses may require a small materials fee (which is paid to the instructor in the first class).

Mini-courses meet Monday-Thursday evening from 6:00 to 7:15. To register, specify Mini-Course and the class that you would like to attend.

More mini-courses will be added, so check augustaheritagecenter.org for more information!

WEEK ONE:
July 5-10

Accordion Repair
(Larry Miller)
This class will fascinate anyone who plays button accordion or who wants to repair or build accordions. Participants learn common maintenance and repairs, mainly for diatonic instruments, although other accordion types are also possible. The class includes how to replace buttons, bellows and gaskets; rebuild fingerboard and bass box; change springs and replace and tune reeds. Routine maintenance includes checking for leaks, readjusting flappers and cleaning and re-waxing reeds. Minimum age: 16. Material costs will vary. All Levels.

Beginning Guitar
(Daniel Coolik)
The beginning guitar mini-class is for those with little to no experience playing guitar. We will begin by looking at tuning, basic strum patterns, basic guitar positions and keys that are often used in Cajun music. By the end of the week students should be able to feel comfortable in a jam session.

Beginning Harmony
(Dick Harrington & Debbi Kauffman)
Students will be learning by ear as instructors explain, demonstrate and lead the class in basic two-part harmony singing in small groups. We will listen to simple duets from familiar classic country songs, separating the two parts and putting them back together as a group and in pairs. No music theory backgroung is needed, just the a ability to carry a tune.

Cajun/Zydeco Dance
(Talia Moser)
Talia’s class format builds from basic to creative, focusing on two-step, waltz, jig, zydeco and a few line dances to Cajun and Zydeco tunes. All Levels.

Exploring the Archives of Cajun & Creole Folklore
(Chris Segura)
The Archives of Cajun and Creole Folklore at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a treasure trove of noncommercial recordings dating from the early 1930s to present day. Archivist Chris Segura will bring selections from various collections. The class will be an informal, discussion-based session where we will listen to tunes and interviews, discuss styles, evolution of songs, etc.

Nature Journaling & the Country Music Songwriter
(Mary Battiata)
From Hank Williams and Jimmy Rodgers to Dolly Parton, Hazel Dickens and Billy Joe Shaver, country music’s master songwriters have woven memorable observations about the natural world into their lyrics. Students will examine classic country music songs for references to nature and develop their own descriptive powers by learning how to keep a nature journal. We will use art materials that are easily tucked into a gig bag, including colored pencils, colored chalk, graphite pencil and even watercolor. The basics of botanical drawing and atmospheric perspective will be taught. No previous art-making experience or training is required.

WEEK TWO
July 12-17

Gospel Choir
(Angela Hill)
Come and sing songs of praise with the choir while learning the elements and foundation of gospel music. This class will cover basic gospel dynamics and techniques that are found in all forms of music today. Learning how to perform different styles including negro spirituals, traditional and contemporary forms of gospel music will be our focus. If you enjoy singing and hearing the sound of gospel music come and join the gospel experience! All levels.

Harmonica Performance
(Joe Filisko)
Performer, educator and SPAH (Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica) Harmonica Player of the Year, Joe Filisko, will lead this class geared toward the details of performing. Filisko will provide critiques on students’ playing, stage presence and musicianship. Amp, mic and accompaniment will be provided. Students will not be taught how to play, but instead how to be more musical and professional while performing at their current level. Int./Adv.

The Black Lung Blues & other Gritty Coal Mining Songs from the Southern Mountains
(Michael and Carrie Nobel Kline)
Give voice to the experience of underground miners. Learn from Michael and Carrie Kline’s repertoire of hard-hitting coal mining songs gathered over a lifetime of singing and collecting in the southern Appalachians. From classics including “Dark as a Dungeon” and “16 Tons,” to Jean Ritchie’s “L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore” and Billy Ed Wheeler’s “Coal Tattoo” and lesser known songs that scrape down to the core of your being, this is a chance to sing with gusto, with feeling, learn harmony lines and put yourself “Down in the Mines.” All Levels.

WEEK THREE
July 19-24

Ceili Band
(Dan Neely & Billy McComiskey)
This class is for students who want to play in a ceili band. Teaching will be only by ear. Students will form a ceili band with an eye toward playing for dancing. We will cover topics such as smart tune selection, effective key changes, proper dance tempos and the importance of the three T’s (tops, tails and transitions). By the end of the week, students will have a couple of dance sets together and will be ready for the dance hall! Int.

Connemara Sean-Nós Dance
(Shannon Dunne)
Students will spend the week mastering a repertoire of traditional Connemara steps, with attention to musicality and style. Students will learn the building blocks and patterns of Connemara sean-nós steps. Students will leave Augusta with a connection to the tradition and the ability to create and improvise new steps of their own. All levels.

Images & Sounds of Appalachia
(Michael & Carrie Nobel Kline)
Join folklorists Michael and Carrie Kline for a journey into the soul of Appalachia. The Klines will draw from their repertoire of songs, stories and their own oral history recordings to paint a portrait of the lives of the people who have made their homes in central West Virginia. This class will appeal to people who want to rest their voices and bodies, but delve more deeply into the culture of these Appalachian hills.

Knitting from Scratch
(Anne Hartman)
In this class, you will learn the basic knitting stitches that, with a little practice, will allow you to make almost anything. We will start with a small project of your choice that can be finished within the week. In the process, we will learn to read patterns, knit to the proper tension and troubleshoot. Patterns will be provided. For this class, we will use “bulky” weight yarn and size 10 (6mm) needles. Students are welcome to bring their own needles and yarn, or they may purchase supplies during the class. Warning: knitting is highly addictive.

WEEK FOUR
July 26-31

Monroe Style Mandolin
(Jeremy Wanless)
Learn the fundamentals of traditional Monroe style bluegrass mandolin! This mini-course will delve into essential techniques including downstrokes, tremelo, slides, double-stops and more. We’ll discuss the role of the mandolin in a bluegrass band setting and learn some great tunes along the way. Int.

Working Shoes & Other Work Songs from Appalachia’s Dark Underbelly
(Michael & Carrie Nobel Kline)
Participate in Appalachia’s wealth of songs that take a stand, from “Which Side Are You On?” to “Black Waters.” Michael and Carrie Kline have been singing in prisons, on picket lines and singing for the survival of mountain life. The Klines teach these songs in ways that will implant their meaning under your skin. All Levels.

WEEK FIVE
August 2-9

Appalachian Songs from Across the Sea
(Michael & Carrie Nobel Kline)
Learn to sing Appalachian versions of songs which crossed the sea hundreds of years ago on leaky old sailing ships, then bounced along the frontier to be preserved and rekindled by Appalachian mountaineers. Michael Kline learned these songs from older generations of people living not far from Elkins. Enjoy the mix of Irish lilt and the Appalachian flair. Listen for influences of Scots, Irish, English, Africans and Native Americans entwining in these old songs and ballads. All levels.

New England Choral Music
(Penny Anderson)
In 18th-century New England a generation of self-taught composers created a new choral style. They were inspired by a grab-bag of materials including Handel’s oratorios, British “fuging tunes,” the “grave and solemne and plaine Tunes” of traditional psalmody, newfangled hymns and their own unruly imaginations. Too rambunctious and “incorrect” for the would-be sophisticated churches in the urbanizing northern states, the New England music gave birth to the shape-note tradition preserved in Appalachia and the deep South. We will sing some “plain” tunes, fuging tunes, anthems and “set pieces” in three- or four-part harmony. The ability to read music is helpful though not necessary, but students should be able to match pitch and hold a part.