The ArtistWorks Academy of Bluegrass Set to Launch
By Mandolin Cafe
June 10, 2011 - 6:45 am
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ArtistWorks Academy of Bluegrass
Napa, Calif. — ArtistWorks Academy of Bluegrass is set to launch June 7, offering comprehensive beginner, intermediate and advanced two-way video lessons for mandolin, guitar, banjo, fiddle and bass combined with online chat, forums and exclusive interviews accessible 24/7.
The Academy of Bluegrass consists of The School of Mandolin with Mike Marshall, The School of Banjo with Tony Trischka, School of Guitar with Bryan Sutton, School of Fiddle with Darol Anger and School of Bass with Missy Raines.
Each school contains hundreds of high quality video lessons and every student has the opportunity to send their teacher a recorded video of themselves playing and receive a personal video response with individualized instruction from the teacher.
Speaking about the creation of the mandolin content, Mike Marshall said, "I started with the absolute basics and marched through an entire mandolin curriculum that reaches pretty advanced subject matter. There are hundreds of short, concise videos the student can work through that are appropriate to their level. It's a massive amount of content and I think what we've created for mandolin students is as comprehensive as anything that's out there.
... what we've created for mandolin students is as comprehensive as anything that's out there.
— Mike Marshall
"Part of what makes the Academy unique is that students interested in personalized feedback and instruction (though not mandatory) can use ArtistWorks' Video Exchange System to upload a video of themselves playing and then the instructor provides a critique back by video. Student and instructor videos are available for viewing by all mandolin enrollees so it's similar to a public master class.
"There's also a forum where mandolin students can interact with students of other instruments in the entire School of Bluegrass so it's really a comprehensive educational environment."
ArtistWorks' use of Video Exchange for music instruction has been successfully implemented and is currently in use at the Martin Taylor Guitar Academy, the Qbert Skratch University, Andreas Oberg Guitar Universe, Peery Piano Online, and Howard Levy Harmonica School. Tony Trischka has used the format to teach banjo for close to two years.
Membership in the ArtistWorks Academy of Bluegrass is $20 per month per student per instrument with an initial 3-month minimum sign-up.
Additional information:
ArtistWorks Academy of Bluegrass
ArtistWorks
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Reader Comments
rwmanos
June 12, 2011 02:00 PM
I signed up and I have to say that this site is great :D
It totally worths the 30$ . Although there is not a great variety in material ,they told me that they are going to update the site daily . The things I love is that I get answers instantly to my questions and I can ask or send videos to mike marshall .
walt33
June 12, 2011 03:52 PM
I may try the fiddle lessons. However, I wonder how many student videos the teachers can handle each week? That sounds like something that could get out of control quickly.
rwmanos
June 12, 2011 04:11 PM
Quote from walt33: I may try the fiddle lessons. However, I wonder how many student videos the teachers can handle each week? That sounds like something that could get out of control quickly. End Quote
This is what I thought too . So far there are only 2 mandolin videos sent which are already answered , I guess we have to wait and see.
SternART
June 12, 2011 05:53 PM
What I like is you can watch the other students videos and then watch Mike's video in response, so it is like a group Master class, where you learn from what everyone is doing. Mike's critiques are like additional mini lessons, and he gives students both compliments on what they did good & gives them stuff to work on & think about. He is really a good teacher, but I already knew that having taken private lessons from him when I was starting, and of course from attending the Mandolin Symposium.
There are tons of lessons already on there, at least 100....... 5 or 10 minute videos by Mike, in Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced categories.....covering theory, chords, tunes, improv. ideas for the tunes, there are backing tracks for you to practice with, etc. You can stop the videos, or play them as many times as you want. I'm sure they will get it more together as time goes on, and get the bugs worked out.
There is a hub where people playing all the BG instruments can communicate, and a separate Mandolin zone. So you can't watch any fiddle or guitar videos if you sign up for mandolin, but you can communicate with other students. Lets say you are looking for a guitar player in your area, to work on tunes with.......post on the hub.
I don't even have the hardware to make a video, but I can see lots of great stuff on there already, to add to my bag of tricks. Sending videos of yourself playing is optional.
SincereCorgi
June 13, 2011 02:58 PM
So how many people are doing this? I'm a little wary of the $90/3 months price, although I'd probably spend $30 once to try it for a month once it gets going.
mandodan1960
June 13, 2011 03:56 PM
Yes, I paused a little at price especially since the article stated a $20 per month 3 month minimum. I have only spent an hour or so looking it over and from what I've seen it does look good. Our mandolin community is relatively small and I feel that we really need to try and support these innovative folks to encourage the competition that will spur even more creativity to make it even better. This sort of thing is really in its infancy and needs the bluegrass communitys support. NFI just an opinion.
rwmanos
June 14, 2011 01:42 AM
Quote from SincereCorgi: So how many people are doing this? I'm a little wary of the $90/3 months price, although I'd probably spend $30 once to try it for a month once it gets going. End Quote
The bad thing is that you can not subscribe for a month . You have to subscribe for three months. =\
DSDarr
June 14, 2011 12:17 PM
I'm doing it -- in the grand scheme of things $90/3 months doesn't seem that expensive. In this area $90 is basically the price of two one-hour private lessons. Granted that AOB and private lessons aren't exactly the same -- it still seems like a bargain to me since I can put as much time into them as I can find.
Theo B
June 14, 2011 12:21 PM
I'm excited... I'll be doing this in the near future. Cmon who doesn't love Mike Marshall?
walt33
June 14, 2011 03:57 PM
Quote from SternART: (Mike) is really a good teacher, but I already knew that having taken private lessons from him when I was starting End Quote
Wow, you are blessed! The closest I ever got was that little D'Addario vid on YouTube where Mike shows how to hold the mandolin.
Still thinking about signing up . . .
SternART
June 14, 2011 06:02 PM
Quote from DSDarr: I'm doing it -- in the grand scheme of things $90/3 months doesn't seem that expensive. In this area $90 is basically the price of two one-hour private lessons. Granted that AOB and private lessons aren't exactly the same -- it still seems like a bargain to me since I can put as much time into them as I can find. End Quote
I agree, in some ways it is WAY better than 2 private lessons. For example do you video tape your private lesson? You can watch these over and over. I think one of the most interesting aspects is watching other student videos and then watching Mike's response & suggestions on where to go next. You can learn from what everyone is being taught, so it like sitting in on your buddies lessons too.
SternART
June 14, 2011 06:12 PM
Quote from walt33: Wow, you are blessed! The closest I ever got was that little D'Addario vid on YouTube where Mike shows how to hold the mandolin. End Quote
You're right Walt.........I was in the right place at the right time. In the 70's I met David Grisman when he was in Old and In The Way with Jerry Garcia & a few years later became his archivist. Todd Phillips used to build & repair mandolins in the back of my art studio & the Grisman archives was stored there in my music room. So it became like a DGQ hangout. I remember when a very young Mike Marshall showed up & Todd was teaching him all the 2nd mandolin parts..... as Todd was switching to bass. I was about a year into playing mandolin, when I first started Todd showed me how to hold a pick & loaned me an old Gibson A.......it was a great time for New Acoustic music in the Bay Area. Mike already had quite a bit of teaching experience, as he had Mike Marshall's Pickin' Parlor in Florida, where he taught all the Bluegrass instruments. Mike was a natural at teaching, he has an ability to see right where you are at & then show you the next steps to take. I always came away from a lesson with some new hot licks that were within my grasp to work on. This is a great opportunity to study with one of the best, and if you compare it to the price of private lessons, I think it is a deal!
PJ Doland
June 14, 2011 06:16 PM
I signed up for it.
So far, I'm quite impressed with it, and it's quite inexpensive if you compare it to traditional lessons in meatspace.
There's a also community aspect to the whole ArtistWorks system, so it should become even better once more people are signed up.
Perry
June 14, 2011 06:58 PM
Just viewed the sample Mike M. lessons. Great stuff from Mike as always. The price seems very reasonable especially when you compare it to private skype lessons. Yet you still get some personal feedback from the instructor.
I suppose the only draw back is sticking to their curriculum. Though I suppose you can venture out of the bluegrass world if you are clever about it ;)
Question:
Can you view samples of the student and teacher responses without joining?
Don Grieser
June 15, 2011 01:03 PM
Wish I had a faster connection. The sample videos take forever to load on my satellite, so it's not feasible for me.
