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Thread: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

  1. #1
    Registered User Tom Hart's Avatar
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    Default Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    It will be my 1st camp. (Excluding Lutheran church camp in 1972.) I only play in my family room, alone, quietly. My Monroe knowledge is limited but I intend to work through the slow jam list from 2016. What do I need to do? I see people are attending from 5000 miles away. Tell me I won't be the only low intermediate player there.

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    Loarcutus of MandoBorg DataNick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    I've never been Tom, but from what I hear the staff and attendees are very "inclusive"...there's some really good & equally nice folks who are instructors there.

    We do a thing at The Great 48 every year called "The Monroe Jam" and it is welcoming to all levels; and for me it's one of the highlights of the weekend

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    I'm sure you'll have a great time...it's not a competition, it's a conversation!
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  4. #3

    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Hart View Post
    It will be my 1st camp. (Excluding Lutheran church camp in 1972.) I only play in my family room, alone, quietly. My Monroe knowledge is limited but I intend to work through the slow jam list from 2016. What do I need to do? I see people are attending from 5000 miles away. Tell me I won't be the only low intermediate player there.
    You won't be the only low intermediate player there!

    I attended that Monroe Camp a few years ago. I will admit, there were some moments that I thought "What the heck am I doing here?" There were many very good players and yes...a few of them (attendees, not staff) were somewhat aloof and not really very friendly or welcoming. The vast majority however were very friendly and welcoming. The staff was fantastic.

    The curriculum is designed so as to have options available to all but the complete neophyte. I can pretty much guarantee that if you consider yourself to be "low intermediate", you will not only find equal company, but there will be a few that will marvel at your abilities.

    If you still have reservations/worries, talk to Heidi.

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  6. #4
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Who are the instructors?

  7. #5

    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Here's the poster with all the info. You won't meet anyone as dedicated and friendly as Mike Compton and Heidi Herzog. I'm going to get to this one of these days if I can ever retire.

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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Well ..... I went once a couple of years back. At that time it was only mandolin instrument classes and a vocal class or two, as best I remember, and only in the Monroe style. There were several instructors some of which were excellent some less so. Judging by the above poster it appears that their instruction has spread out to fiddle and banjo and other styles of mandolin. IMO that will make for better jamming in the evenings. I have to say I wasn't thrilled with the housing then, that appears to have changed as well. Perhaps it is time too give it a second visit. Nashville is certainly closer than Swannanoa , NC or Cumberland , MD. R/
    I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...

  10. #7
    Registered User Tom Hart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Thanks FLATROCK. I feel better about it now.

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    hillbilly lion tamer Wilbur James's Avatar
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    I have been going to Monroe Camp for many years now and have never encountered anyone not being friendly and have always felt welcome by all who attend, this is a camp that I garrantee will not disappoint you no matter what skill level you may be, everyone is there because of their enthusiasm for Monroe and his style of playing and are happy to share and help all those attending to learn more about his playing and his music. The staff and attendees are top notch and it is worth being there!
    Dignity, Respect and Love, for who they are, not what they are.

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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    The Mandolin Cafe is an official camp sponsor so you know it's a good camp.



    --ducking--

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  15. #10

    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    I've been to Monroe camp four times. I am not a Monroe stylist, but I've enjoyed the camp each time. Yeah, not everyone is warm and fuzzy, but a lot will depend on you and the effort you put into meeting people. Heidi (camp director/goddess) is one of the greatest people you will ever meet. I've enjoyed the classes and have had some really great experiences. One year I had a great one-on-one conversation with Bobby Osborne. Then during one camp, several Bluegrass Boys gave a concert and discussion about what it was like playing in Monroe's band. Totally priceless. There is a concert at Carter's Guitars on Saturday which is awesome, plus you get to try out a ton of mandos. I would highly recommend this camp.

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  17. #11
    Registered User Tom Hart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Sounds like I'll be grinning all week long. Not a Monroe stylist but still loved it? That's exactly what I wanted to hear.

  18. #12
    Loarcutus of MandoBorg DataNick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Hart View Post
    Sounds like I'll be grinning all week long. Not a Monroe stylist but still loved it? That's exactly what I wanted to hear.
    Respectfully submitting a word of caution Tom: why in the world would I subject myself to something that I'm not interested in or have little taste for? As an example, there are a few Classical mandolin camps that I am aware of, including one here in San Diego that is put on by a friend of mine, Chris Acquavella. I was raised musically on classical music (trumpet), I have classical music in my gigabites of music files, I love some examples of the genre, but you'd be hard pressed to find me at a classical mandolin camp, especially forking over my own hard earned $$ to attend!

    It's nice to be surprised by an experience, like "that wasn't so bad" but if Monroe is not your cup of tea, there are a myriad of mandolin camps to pick and choose from...I mean we're not talking about doing some kind of mandolin pennance here! A camp is supposed to be fun for you the attendee! Personally, I would be bored at a classical mandolin camp, therefore I have no plans to ever attend one.

    If going in, Monroe is kind of meh! to you, why attend?...YMMV
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    "Mandolin brands are a guide, not gospel! I don't drink koolaid and that Emperor is naked!"
    "If you wanna get soul Baby, you gots to get the scroll..."
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  19. #13
    Registered User Tom Hart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Birthday gift from my wife. She means well. I'll be fine. Maybe this will be such an eye opener I might change musical direction. Or I find out I love to leave my dogs and family room and venture out next year to a camp with Don Stiernberg.

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  21. #14

    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    I think you'll have a good time. I think anyone who plays bluegrass mandolin should have a little bit of Monroe in their playing. I've attended other camps including Swannanoa and Mandolin Symposium. Consider it time well spent if you leave camp with one tidbit of info that helps your playing, consider yourself fortunate. To me the camp experience is more than just learning. It's hanging with other folks in full mandolin immersion. Then, as I said before, there are concerts, jams, good food. Monroe camp is in Nashville. You can visit Carters, Gruhns, the Station Inn. It's a blast and a great experience. You may never play like Monroe, but the camp will give you a really good insight to his style of playing and help you appreciate him and the history behind the instrument.

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  23. #15
    Monroe Mandolin Camp reddressproductions's Avatar
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Hart View Post
    It will be my 1st camp. (Excluding Lutheran church camp in 1972.) I only play in my family room, alone, quietly. My Monroe knowledge is limited but I intend to work through the slow jam list from 2016. What do I need to do? I see people are attending from 5000 miles away. Tell me I won't be the only low intermediate player there.
    Hi tom,
    Heidi Herzog here. This camp is so inclusive of all level learners, from beginners to advanced. We have various level classes scheduled at the same time, so you can choose what you want to take. We have beginner, beginner-intermediate, intermediate, advanced. We also have a floating instructor who has the time slots available for groups of folks who want a bit deeper tutorial on techniques, chord structures and shapes, etc...it is custom made for folks who say, "hey, I didn't quite understand that...can we get a bit more time on this?"

    Re: the slow jam list...this is a suggestion to help folks focus on the tunes...as an educator myself, and a professional musician, what I highly recommend is that you listen to recordings of Monroe playing the music. There is a wealth of resource material out there, from the Bear Family box set, to youtube videos, to cds and audio versions. Listen and familiarize yourself with the tunes, the melodies...and then pick up your mandolin, and at your level, pick out the tune...then listen for the harmonies (chordal structure)...if you have youtube videos, watch intently on what is happening...you will familiarize yourself in so many ways by doing these things.

    In our jams, it is very hands on-we have organized slow jams with professional 'support' Nashville musicians who come in to round out the jam, to have an all-inclusive 'bluegrass band' sound...everyone is encouraged to take a solo, at whatever level you are at...really, it is such an incredible environment to get involved, whether you are 8 or 80, a beginner who knows 3 chords and 4 tunes, whether you are a woman or a man, whether you grew up with this musical genre or are new to it.

    One of the specialty offerings we have is an incredible ONE-ON-ONE tutorial, that students can sign up for a slot with their instructor of their choice (Mike Compton, Skip Gorman, Adam Tanner, Sharon Gilchrist, Lauren Price, Mark royal, Alan O'Bryant (banjo), Buddy Spicher (fiddle), Glen Duncan (fiddle), Brian Christianson (fiddle), where YOU work on your specific questions or needs.

    All classes are up to your choosing. If one doesn't seem to hit your fancy, no worries. Just get up quietly and move to another class.

    We provide a camp resource booklet that includes class handouts for EVERY CLASS offered...which means, that you will get material and handouts, video resources, tablature, regular notation, a cd-from each instructor, for each class they present, whether you take that class or not. It is a TREMENDOUS resource. We are the only camp, I believe, that provides a MANUAL for that year's camp...a resource that you can take home and work on for the next year until camp rolls around again. it is bound for ease of use, and it is included in your welcome bling packet (with other sponsor bling items such as strings, sometimes tuners, stickers, and our own person welcome gift from me and Mike Compton-one year was a custom keychain, one year custom handmade coffee mugs with our logo, last year a double cd set of the 2015 Benefit Concert with 5 original Bluegrass Boys and all our instructors. You'll have to come to the 2017 camp to see what that item is!

    Any questions you may have, feel free to call me on my cell-714-553-4433. You can also email me at monroemandolincamp@gmail.com.

    My job is to handle everything so that when you arrive, you can concentrate on two things...well, three really. 1.) What classes you want to take. 2.) How late you want to stay up each night jamming and hanging with this extraordinary group of like-minded participants. 3.) Whether you can eat another bite or not of the INCREDIBLE food that is custom made for our participants, and served in a gothic Harry Potter-esque dining hall.

    We are here to serve you and to provide you an outstanding and excellent experience. We created the Monroe Mandolin (fiddle and banjo) camp to provide outstanding instruction in traditional, roots-based bluegrass music created by Bill Monroe, and the music that influenced him (old-time fiddle tunes, blues).

    We are at service here. Come on out-it is a grand time, and we are so proud of being able to provide this camp to musicians from New Zealand, Sweden, Ireland, the US, Canada, Dominican Republic, England, France, Italy, Australia...we are spreading the doctrine of Monroe, and it is an incredible family of participants who have a grand time!

    Feel free to contact me at any time! Cheers-Heidi

    website: www.monroemandolincamp.com

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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    I'll tell a quick story about one experience I had at Camp a couple of years ago. It was the night of the Concert at Carter Vintage...What a great evening that was! The whole 'Carter' experience, the show Mike and the boys put on, the unbelievable array of high-end instruments...the Loars. It was a night I'll never forget.

    I was riding with Mike Compton to the event. I'm trying not to let on how 'star-struck' I was to be sitting there talking with THE Mike Compton. Most of the ride was just a blur, but I remember telling Mike how I fly a Learjet for a living. Because he was driving, Mike handed me his cell phone and asked me to dial up the number of one of the local "Music City" celebrities as he needed to ask him a question. All I could think was "man...this is so cool!" Sadly, I couldn't figure out how to operate his cellphone to save my life.

    Mike just took his phone back and smiled. "I don't know how hard it is to fly one of them Learjets son, but as far as the phone goes...you failed."

    Might not have been a shining moment in displaying my 'tech' capabilities, but a treasured memory none the less!

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  27. #17

    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Quote Originally Posted by FLATROCK HILL View Post
    I'll tell a quick story about one experience I had at Camp a couple of years ago. It was the night of the Concert at Carter Vintage...What a great evening that was! The whole 'Carter' experience, the show Mike and the boys put on, the unbelievable array of high-end instruments...the Loars. It was a night I'll never forget.

    I was riding with Mike Compton to the event. I'm trying not to let on how 'star-struck' I was to be sitting there talking with THE Mike Compton. Most of the ride was just a blur, but I remember telling Mike how I fly a Learjet for a living. Because he was driving, Mike handed me his cell phone and asked me to dial up the number of one of the local "Music City" celebrities as he needed to ask him a question. All I could think was "man...this is so cool!" Sadly, I couldn't figure out how to operate his cellphone to save my life.

    Mike just took his phone back and smiled. "I don't know how hard it is to fly one of them Learjets son, but as far as the phone goes...you failed."

    Might not have been a shining moment in displaying my 'tech' capabilities, but a treasured memory none the less!
    Ha! Fun story, very Monroe-esque... thanks for sharing.

    I've been thinking about attending this camp at some point but not being a Monroe style devotee and having experienced the Bluegrass Police on more than one occasion I was apprehensive however, it sounds like it would be a nice camp, I'll put it on the todo list.
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  29. #18

    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Yes bigskygirl, check it out if you get the chance. it's well worth it in my opinion. Due to my work schedule, I haven't been able to get back yet, but I fully intend to when I can.

    Quote Originally Posted by bigskygirl View Post
    Ha! Fun story, very Monroe-esque... thanks for sharing.
    Ya know what?... I never really put that together before you mentioned it. Mike might take after 'Ol Bill in more ways than just his playing. And I guess for one brief shining moment, I wasn't no part of nuthin!

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  31. #19
    Registered User Tom Hart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Thanks everyone, especially Heidi. My fears have been eliminated. This is like having a fall marathon with nine months to train. Except I hope to not be sore afterward.
    See everyone in September.

  32. #20
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Enjoy, Tom! I'm envious. Monroe Camp makes my "Top 3 Mind-Blowing Intellectual Experiences" list. Once again my most important professional meeting exactly conflicts with the dates, so I won't make it. Which makes me cry.
    Amanda

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  34. #21
    Monroe Mandolin Camp reddressproductions's Avatar
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Thanks, Mandolin Cafe! You are a champion to the MonManCamp crew in so many ways! Glad to have you on board, and we look forward to having you at camp one of these years! Stop by for some tunes and a brew, courtesy of Yazoo Brewery, another great sponsor! You have added so much information and life to so many through your webpage. Glad to call you friend as well! Cheers-Mike and Heidi

  35. #22
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Quote Originally Posted by banjoboy View Post
    I think anyone who plays bluegrass mandolin should have a little bit of Monroe in their playing. Consider it time well spent if you leave camp with one tidbit. You may never play like Monroe, but the camp will give you a really good insight to his style of playing and help you appreciate him and the history behind the instrument.
    This! Is exactly what I would like to achieve! I too am a (very) low intermediate player, well advanced in years and not all that "musical" I do however love bluegrass and playing it with others. I hope to come away with some strategies to incorporate Monroe (ish) styling into my very rudimentary playing. Thanks banjoboy! db
    "Honey do" chores that need the tractor get done first!

  36. #23
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    there will be some kind of instruction for ALL levels at the camp.... something you can take home and USE....that's very important.... knee to knee with any instructor you want ,or the xtra impromptu classes as needed for the campers who may need reinforcement of a particular technique or tune breakdown...YOU can jump in as deep as you want to....youll have a blast man.... cmon man jump in !!!!

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  38. #24
    Registered User Tom Hart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    What a great time. So many unforgettable moments. Glen Duncan's Monroe memories, THE Paul Duff working on MY mandolin, all the instructors especially Mark Royal, and not an aloof person in the bunch. The Scarritt- Bennett Center is a fantastic facility and Mike and Heidi, thank you for bringing this all together.

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  40. #25

    Default Re: Monroe Mandolin Camp, 1st time.

    Hey Tom, we need an in-depth report. Sorry, a couple sentences won't do.
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