Itinerary

I know this is really late and will cause problems for folks who have enquired about classes this year.

My situation is/was I had a stroke at the end of October 2010 and spent the winter here at Brown’s Creek alone, basically in isolation. Previous to that I had been poisoned by a doctor who gave me a large dose of Abilify which served to cause some major problems.

I have been planning to hold 5 or so classes this year, but had two invasive surgeries over the past few weeks. The one I had in May is healing well. I wanted to make sure of that before I put out final word regarding classes. Thus my tardiness.

Here is the way the classes stand:

My good friend, Bob Sattler, who has bee assisting me for the past few years is going to be able to attend all my classes. Bob is as good a beginner/advanced beginner teacher in what I feel is most important of all — developing proper technique on the rhythm (generally right) hand as anyone in the “African downstroke style” as there is available.
My son Caleb is presently working locally six days a week, but he is planing to stop by in the evenings. Folks always get a lot out of his assistance also. He teaches the most important part of the “African downstroke style” (or “clawhammer,” “frailing,” “thumping” – they are all the same for me) which is rhythm for the right hand as well as some right good tunes.
I, personally, am in better condition for teaching now than I have been for a long time. It was the medicine I had been taking for 18 years which had caused so many problems. I was taken off them when I had my stroke last November and have been healing well since then.

Schedule of classes:

May 22, Sunday afternoon arrival and class departs Friday May 27 after breakfast. Introduction Sunday evening and class all day M-TH (4 full days with evenings having something going on). Friend Gail Hatton (one of the extremely small minority left who can actually sing in the old mountain way — she grew up in Kentucky) comes to cook for the classes. Folks tell me what level they feel they are on, but after 40 years (since 1971) of teaching the old mountain style, never have I had a student who has arrived with the good solid rhythm needed. So my classes are first and foremost about “rhythm, rhythm, rhythm” with a few tunes thrown in. But melody ultimately counts for about 2-3% of the whole “just like it did for the old folks who played the old mountain music.” They all played the tunes with different notes and they all played it right! It was about RHYTHM. Student’s instruction is met on an individual need basis since the classes are very small Price $495 includes single room (small), meals, class instruction (4 full days plus 5 nights room). Before attending you need my “Just Rhythm” DVD and it would help to have one of my CD’s for listening. Bring a recording device. If you do not have a banjo or are traveling by plane, let me know.
June class: Sunday afternoon 12 June to Friday morning 17 June after breakfast. Days and nights run same as the week in May.
If interested, check out West Virginia State Folk Festival @ Glenville, WV. 60 years in the running. It begins Friday 17 June.
July class: Sunday afternoon 10 July to Friday morn 15 July after breakfast. Class work is same as May classes
August class: at the moment I don’t have any planned.
Labor day period, 31 August thru 5 Sept. This is a class for fiddle (w/ me) and Appalachian mountain vocal (Gail Hatton). Already have 4 students signed up for this.
Mid September: at present I do not have a banjo class during this period
October class: 2 October Sunday afternoon through Saturday 8 October morning. This class is one day longer and the cost is $595 for 6 nights and 5 days of classwork. I already have 2 or maybe 3 students for this class. Everything is run about the same as the other classes
At this point I have no other classes set up for late October or November.
I have been going to Pittsburgh to teach a weekend class every year for many years except because of health problems in 2005 and 2010. This year the class is scheduled for December 2-4 at Cindy Harris’ home. You can e-mail her for more info.

One last thing: I will need a deposit to hold a slot. Sorry, but have been left holding the bag over the years. If you can send $100 I would appreciate it.

Any questions, please email me.