The camp is located on a wooded ridge at 4,000 feet, in the historic Sierra Nevada Gold Country in Placer County, northeast of Sacramento.
CCMC offers more than 30 classes in mandolin, guitar, bass, banjo, voice, ukulele, fiddle, percussion, harmony singing, theory, songwriting, and stagecraft. CCMC focuses on teaching practical, usable skills that you can incorporate into your playing or singing. Styles include bluegrass, swing, blues, old time, country, folk, jazz, rock, Brazilian, Celtic, and more. The camp features extra workshops, band labs, jams, concerts, dances, and performance opportunities.
Swimming and hiking are non-musical options at CCMC, and some campers bring bikes to explore old roads and mining towns in the area. The camp has fairly flat terrain, with improved roads and trails throughout, and it overlooks one of the main canyons of the American River. Camp includes all meals and activities; for lodging, you can bring a tent or RV or stay in shared cabins.
But most of all, you get lots of music and music instruction from mandolin teachers like these:
Week 1 Mandolin Instructor: Tristan Scroggins
Tristan Scroggins is an award-winning instrumentalist best known for his work with the internationally renowned bluegrass band Jeff Scroggins & Colorado. A prolific composer, writer, and amateur bluegrass historian/archivist, Tristan has exhibited a wide range of skills that all focus on thoughtfully and purposefully preserving, promoting, and evolving bluegrass music. Various awards and nominations culminated in Tristan being awarded the Momentum Award for Instrumentalist of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in 2017. In 2018, Jeff Scroggins & Colorado was nominated by the IBMA for Emerging Artist of the Year. Tristan now resides in Nashville, Tennessee, and works full time as a touring musician, workshop instructor, and writer.
Week 2 Mandolin Instructor: Tim Connell
Tim Connell has created a sophisticated and original global style on the mandolin. Widely regarded as one of the top North American interpreters of the Brazilian choro style on the mandolin, Tim has his own unique voice on the instrument, described in a Mandolin Magazine cover story as "fiery and energetic, soulful and evocative." Tim's latest releases include June Apple, a nationally noted album of bluegrass fiddle tunes with guitarist Eric Skye, and MandAlone, a collection of original solo mandolin arrangements including his popular arrangement of "Here Comes the Sun."
The CCMC website details classes for mandolin and other instruments, plus information about the camp itself including videos. Students may register for one or both weeks at this site or by mail.
Information about scholarships and camp instructors are available at the CCMC web site.
Whether you're a shy beginner or a seasoned professional, CCMC's classes and activities will challenge and inspire you. The supportive atmosphere will encourage you to stretch musically, regardless of your level or experience. And CCMC is fun — and has been since 1992!
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