Festival Mandolin Workshops

[onlyagibsonisgoodenuff]

I've been asked to do a mandolin workshop at a festival this summer, and I've actually never been to a workshop. I guess my question is: what material do the workshop teachers generally do and what, if anything, would people rather have taught at the workshop?

[sonnyjammer]

I have only been to a few but here's how they usually went. There is generally a panel of 4 - 6 mandolin players from the groups performing at the festival. They begin with an introduction of each person. They generally play a few traditional fiddle tunes. Each person will play a tune he has composed, perhaps one his band commonly plays.They open the floor for questions, "What pick do ya use, what kind of mandolin are ya'll playin? What type of warm up exercises do you use ? What do you recomend to help me play faster ? As far as what I like to see, Fiddle tunes always are in style. Sometimes the classical tunes some folks demonstrate are a bit too long. I love to hear Flamengo type numbers played on the mandolin. I would be interested to hear a bit about alternate tunings just as a change of pace. But generally the crowds will applaud most anything you might choose to play. I would say play your favorite tunes and enjoy. Just my .02 # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif