• 2020 Jim Richter Camp For the Rest of Us Returns in September

    2020 Jim Richter Camp For the Rest of Us

    Bloomington, Ind. — The 7th Jim Richter Mandolin Camp for the Rest of Us Featuring Don Julin (and Bourbon Tasting!) will commence in 2020! It has been scheduled for September 23-26 at the Grant Street Inn in Bloomington. The 2020 Mandolin Camp is proudly sponsored by Kimble Mandolins, New Riff Distilling, and the Grant Street Inn.

    The Camp has been moved from its July dates to September in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Camp will be limited to 15 attendees to ensure social distancing. Attendees will wear masks.

    As always, this camp focuses on non-bluegrass mandolin styles with a special emphasis on rock and blues. Additionally, the camp intends to address "beginner-its," or the dreaded disease effecting those mandolinists who never seem to move beyond beginner status. If your goal is to win Winfield next year, this may not be the camp for you. But, if your goal is to learn to better enjoy the instrument we all love and endear, this most definitely will be your 2020 mandolin camp.

    Don Julin is back from taking names in the mandolin world the last several years between performances with Billy Strings, teaching at every relevant mandolin camp in the USA, or writing the incredible Mandolin for Dummies. As always, looking very forward to have Don be an integral part of camp.

    2019 saw the introduction of Bourbon Tasting at our opening night Meet & Greet. It was a blast last year. This year sees some Van Winkle, Weller, Kentucky Owl, Blanton's, and other premium whiskies making appearances.

    Course Curriculum

    • Blues
    • Rock
    • Jazz
    • Arrangement
    • Basic music theory
    • Technique
    • Practice routines
    • e-Mando
    • Jamming

    However, like previous years, the attendees will also help refine the curriculum by completing the questionnaire that is a part of the registration form. Let us know what you'd like to learn and we'll do our best to work it into the schedule.

    Returning this year will be concurrently held "special topic" classes. For example, while Don is teaching basic music theory, Jim will accept a handful of students for blues arrangement. Or conversely, while Jim is teaching a general class on practice routines, Don will hold a small group on jazz arrangements.

    Also, 20 minutes of individual instruction is a standard part of the camp. Given that camp is open to around 15 attendees, we have to limit private instruction to 15 minutes. Individual instruction will be held in the mornings between 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.

    Schedule and Activities

    Wednesday - Meet and Greet, bourbon tasting (featuring New Riff), and jamming
    Thursday - Individual a.m. sessions, classes noon - 5:00 p.m. followed by jamming
    Friday - Individual a.m. sessions, classes noon - 5:00 p.m. faculty concert at 8:00 p.m. followed by jamming
    Saturday - Individual a.m. sessions, classes noon - 5:00 p.m., student concert at 8:00 p.m. followed by jamming

    Cost: Tuition for the workshop is $320 ($330 if paying via PayPal). This covers camp instruction, printed materials, individual instruction, and the faculty concert. It does not include dining or lodging. Campers are highly encouraged to use our sponsor the Grant Street Inn.

    Additional Information