Swannanoa fiddle mando,banjo week

[Phil Goodson]

Whoa John. Check your calendar.
If you're going for Mando week, it won't start till August 3. Don't rush down to Swann THIS Sunday!!

[John Ritchhart]

That's what I meant. Should have said next Sunday. May go over in the evenings just to jam this week.

[Tony Pearce]

Safe travels everybody. See you Sunday.

[Jim Mullins]

I'm looking forward to my first time at Swannanoa. Great instructor line-up.

See you all next week! I'll be wearing my Mando Cafe cap, which should be unique, like everyone else.

Jim Mullins

[Tony Pearce]

I wrap up work Friday (our first flight is Saturday lunchtime) and I'm unlikely to get much chance to shop between landing late Sat night and getting the shuttle Sunday morning. Usqebach suggested a small fan in case it gets too hot. Other than towels, I'm not missing anything if I pack mando, strings and clothes am I?

[David Smith]

If you don't bring it and find out you need it someone will get it for you!

[David Surette]

Looking forward to one of my favorite music weeks of the summer! I would love to meet some denizens of the Cafe; I'll be on the lookout for you.

DS

[Phil Goodson]

Well, home from Swannanoa. Thought I'd just try to summarize what I remember from the classes I took, more for me than anything else, but maybe helpful to someone.

Two Mike Marshall classes each day:
Let me say from the start that Mike is the most versatile mandolinist I've seen and the most intellectual. He can play and call notes and scale positions instantaniously and has an amazing depth of understanding underlying his astounding playing.

Mike's approach is mostly to develop infrastructure rather than teach tunes.

He started with posture: left foot elevated, mando resting on both thighs and locked in place by the right forearm as you lean slightly forward. Frees the left arm completely.

Showed several right hand string-crossing exercises from his 'Finger Busters' book.

Described ways to solo by using 7th chord arpeggios and following the chord pattern, then beginning each arpegg. with the tonic note, then with the 3rd, then the 5th, then the flat-7. Then connecting the arpeggs. with connecting notes. (Enough to think about and work on for about 20 years!!!!)

Showed us some new rhythms, using Brazilian Choro tunes as examples. (Not too helpful for me, but interesting.)

My other class was "Advanced Bluegrass" by Matt Flinner.
This was actually my favorite class.

Matt did a great job of showing us, with examples, how to use doublestops in solos and connect them using scale tones. Then added examples of kick-off licks and licks for fills which start on each of the fingers of the left hand (well... we skipped the pinky).

This is because you naturally land on different fingers at different times in various songs.
Started learning "Cheyenne"; still have some work to do.

Those are the classroom high points that I remember right now.
Maybe others can add other things that they will be working on this year.

My thanks to Mike & Matt.

[Gary Alter]

Mandolin week at the Swannanoa Gathering was a pretty incredible week for me as well, I had a fiddle tunes class with Matt Flinner and an old time/fiddle tunes class with John Reischman. Both classes far exceeded my expectations, Matt and JR are both not only inspiring players but excellent teachers as well. I was in a different class of Matt's than Phil but from the sounds of it there was some similar material that was covered. It was the first time that I had someone present how they created variations/improvisations that had a logic to it for me and I feel like I can take what he presented and begin to be able (with a whole lot more practice time) to implement it into my playing. In John Reischman's class he talked about his own process for creating and improvising with his music and presented in a very practical way how he incorporated arpeggios, double stops while still staying close to the melody of the tunes. We learned some of his originals and also some Monroe tunes that I had never given a try before. Just having an opportunity to sit up close and listen to the man's playing was over the top.

I can't recommend the Swannanoa Gathering highly enough to anyone thinking about doing one of these workshops. Excellent classes, beautiful campus, 200 smiling musicians, lots of jamming, super concerts.

It was also fun being able to meet some fellow Cafe members and share stories of our mandolin obsession. Also have to say thanks to Jim Magill (Cafe member) who organizes and directs the program for putting together such a fine mandolin camp.

[Tony Pearce]

Met some fine people, watched some highly talented musicians and generally had a ball. Same time next year?