Semester Away/Abroad or Field Study

[Baron Collins-Hill]

Hello All,

I am trying to put together a semester field study or program for college next fall.

I am pretty up in the air on the specifics, but I am mainly interested in mandolin/traditional american music/fiddle tunes from all over the world related studies. Whether it is studying oldtime music down south (I am at school in western massachusetts), doing a semester at a different school (again, probably down south), or traveling abroad or within the states to study fiddle tunes (i am into old time, new england, quebecois, scandinavian, a little bit of irish, and am really open to anything). I am also very interested in newgrass and progressive bluegrass, whatever you want to call it.

I was wondering if anyone had done anything similar to what i am looking for, or if anyone had ideas, thoughts, contacts, or other things to look into.

Thanks,
Baron

[man dough nollij]

I'd go to the Czech republic or Slovakia, and study Czechgrass. I understand it's big over there. It would also be cool to see the shops of Capek, Labeda, etc.

[mandroid]

Expand your horizon, How about Brazil and Argentina and study Choro and Tango styles?

Heard on an Overnight radio show [insomnia, part of tinnitus] of Bela Fleck going to Africa ,

and coming back learning the music of Mali and Tanzania,(for example), from some of the musicians there.

has a Film and some CD's to show for it.

[Jill McAuley]

The University of Limerick, in Ireland, has a degree program in traditional music - wonder if you could do some kind of academic exchange there?

Cheers,
Jill

[Charlieshafer]

Jill's idea of Ireland is great. There's always been this push-pull about where many of the tunes we know came from. A number of the Irish traditional ones actually emigrated from here; early Irish settlers came here, learned tunes, and then carried them back to Ireland when their circumstances changed. Then there's the Scots stuff, from a different planet entirely. The Cape Breton/Scots link is very strong, many people now saying the purest Scots tunes are played in Cape Breton. Then you can jump the channel to northern France, on the Bretonne (or however it's spelled) coast, as a lot of things came from there as well. Oops, then there's Galicia, in Spain, an odd little Celtic outpost with their own language that also spawned a lot of our tunes.

Of course, one multi-all Ireland fiddle champ (who will probably want to remain nameless) told me that in actual fact, there are only 4 Irish tunes. Usually the guys at the sessions were too drunk to remember the tune they'd learned last night clearly, and there was no way they'd remember the name...

Get on a plane and have some fun

[Don Grieser]

If I had a chance like that, I'd figure out some way to spend some time with Norman Blake.

[steve V. johnson]

I like your ideas.

When I was in college my dad arranged for me to spend a semester in Scandiavia, a total surprise to me. It was just tremendous, and tho I've been abroad since, that time stands out as some of the best times of my life.

So I say, get out of the country, wherever that might lead. There are very good suggestions here. Follow your heart, but follow it offshore early in your life.

We'll all still be here, all over America, when you get back.

Enjoy,

stv

[Baron Collins-Hill]

thanks for the ideas folks, always good to get more perspectives.

much appreciated
baron