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 Students will be taking a different class during each Block for a total of three classes, plus a band class. Although your student will only be taking three classes, please indicate your top five choices in order of importance on the Registration Form. We will make every effort to give each student his or her top three choices for the three Blocks. If you have questions about what classes to sign up for, please email us at bluegrasscampsforkids@yahoo.com.

Please spend a few moments on your Registration Form to tell us about your ability: How many years you have played, what your favorite song is, what song you are currently working on, other capabilities, and your goals for camp. You may fill this out in the “Additional Comments” section.

We highly recommend that students that sign up to be in an Intermediate, Advanced, or Master level class also sign up to be in a Jamming class. One of the great things about being able to play and learn music is to able to play songs with one another and our peers, and our Jamming classes encourage that growth in our more advanced students.

Band
Everyone will be participating in a band class during the third block. This is a chance to work up a song with your peers to play during the camp concert. The class will be mostly students of your same age or level, and will include everything from stage presence, to singing and taking solos, to playing rhythm. Everyone is automatically put into a band, so you don’t need to worry about signing up for it; we will take care of putting you into a band.

*If you are signing up for the Cordova Camp, please choose one of the Cordova Camp Bands listed below.

 No prerequisite. Students must be ten or older due to the length of the banjo. This class is an introduction to the three-finger style of bluegrass banjo playing. Students will learn basic rolls, chords, and an easy banjo tune.

Click here to see a video of Steve Martin and Earl Scruggs on the David Letterman Show.

 Students will begin to improve on rolls and increase their repertoire of rolls and chords used in bluegrass tunes. This class will teach how to read tab as well as teach students 3-4 basic bluegrass tunes on banjo.

 Students should be comfortable playing at least five chords and rolls on the banjo, as well as most of the basic bluegrass tunes, and also feel comfortable in beginning jam scenarios. Students will learn the nuances of the role of the banjo in bluegrass jams and bands and learn how to solo, as well as increase their song repertoire.

Students should be comfortable in beginning jam sessions, should be starting to hear chord changes, know all of the major chords, and should be fairly comfortable with their rhythm. Students will learn theory behind the Nashville Number System, how to solo on the bass, different scenarios for moving from chord to chord, and the nuances of how the bass fits into a band or jam.

*For Cordova Camp Students: Advanced Electric Bass is also offered.  Please see below for class description.

 No prerequisite. This is a chance for students to explore different types of traditional dances: square dancing, clogging, swing, waltzes, contra dances, and more! Students will learn basic moves of each dance, and the basics of calling a dance. Students will also explore how to write a square dance.

For Cordova Camp Students only: There will be an additional two dance classes that will be offered: "Folk Dance" and "Swing Dance". Please see below for descriptions.

No prerequisite. This class is geared towards students who have no or very little background in playing fiddle or violin. Students will learn how to correctly hold and bow the instrument as well as a few basic fiddle tunes.

 

Students should have been taking fiddle for one year or be in Suzuki Book 1, and/or know songs like Boil Em Cabbages, Buffalo Gals, Old Joe Clark, Cripple Creek, Angeline the Baker, or Camptown Races. In this class, students will work on becoming stronger players and learn a few basic fiddle tunes in first position.

Students should be in Suzuki Book 2 and/or be fairly comfortable playing basic fiddle tunes such as Over the Waterfall, Arkansas Traveler, Soldier’s Joy, etc. Students will increase their fiddle tune repertoire, and begin to learn how to put together a solo to singing songs.

This class is geared towards students who already know most of the basic fiddle tunes, like Blackberry Blossom, Fisherman’s Hornpipe, Wheelhoss, Squirrel Hunter, etc. Students will learn the nuances of bluegrass fiddling, including bowing, tunes, fingerings, improvisation, backup, and other techniques.

For Cordova Camp Students: Please specify in the “Additional Comments” section which Master Class you would prefer: “Irish Fiddle”, “Bluegrass Fiddle”, “Texas Contest Fiddle”, “Old-Tyme Fiddle”, or "Improv Fiddle". Basic descriptions of genres are listed in the Cordova Camp Band descriptions. You may choose more then one Master class.

 No prerequisite. Students will learn fun singing songs to sing with a group, a guitar, or by yourself.

Click here to see Crooked Still with Sarah Jaroz.

 Ages 12 and up. This class is geared for older students, who will work on harmonizing and the finer techniques of singing, while building their repertoire. You don’t need to have any singing experience to take this class.

 No prerequisite. Students will learn 4-5 basic guitar chords, how to strum with a pick, and a few basic bluegrass and folk songs.

Click here to see Skaggs and Rice.

 This class is geared towards students that can play 4-5 chords comfortably and the boom strum rhythm. Students will begin to flatpick, along with strengthening their chord and rhythm knowledge.

 This class is for students who are comfortable with many chord changes: Most of the major chords, and a few minor and seven chords. Students will increase their chord and theory knowledge, as well as work on basic soloing and begin to learn how to improvise.

 The Master Class for Guitar is for students who are very comfortable with their rhythm and chord changes and are ready to explore the nuances of how guitar fits into band and jam scenarios. Students will also continue working on creating a great solo and how to improvise.

For Cordova Camp Students - Please Specify in the Additional Comments section which class you would prefer: “Fingerpicking Guitar”, “Bluegrass Guitar”, "Improv Guitar", "Swing/Jazz Guitar", and "Slack Key Guitar".  Basic descriptions of genres are listed in the Cordova Camp Band descriptions.  You may choose more then one Master class.

 No prerequisite. This class will teach students the basics of how to hold and play the mandolin. They will learn a few easy mandolin chords, some bluegrass tunes, and mandolin rhythm.

Click here to see Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder with the Del McCoury Band.

           

 Students should be quite comfortable playing 2 finger chords. They should also be able to play a few basic tunes like Boil Em Cabbages, Shortenin’ Bread, Old Joe Clark, Cripple Creek, or Angeline the Baker. Students will learn how to play closed finger chords, work on their rhythm, and lead on a few new fiddle/mandolin tunes.

Students should be comfortable with three or four finger chords, and should be able to jam on some easy tunes. Students should also be able to play lead on tunes such as Soldier’s Joy, Over the Waterfall, Fisherman’s Hornpipe, Arkansas Traveler, etc. Students will increase their tune repertoire, learn how to jam on some more difficult tunes, and be introduced to the Nashville Number System.

Students should be very comfortable with all of the three-or-four-finger major chords, and should know some minor chords, as well being comfortable playing more complicated tunes such as Blackberry Blossom, Opus 23, or Wheelhoss. Students will learn the nuances of how a mandolin fits into a jam or band, how to create a great solo, and how to backup a singer or lead player. Students will also begin to explore improvisation techniques and genres: Dawg, jazz, and blues.  

 This class is geared for our older and/or more experienced students. Students must at least be at an intermediate level in their instrument, or be 11 years old. This class will learn the art of to how to write songs, from instrumentation to lyrics.

 Students must be signed up for an Intermediate class in the instrument of their choice, or be an older student (ages 12 and up). Students must have a basic understanding of their instrument, and be able to play 1-2 tunes like Boil Em Cabbages, Old Joe Clark, Cripple Creek, Shortnin’ Bread, Buffalo Gals, Camptown Races, or similar songs OR be able to play 3-4 chords and rhythm. Students will learn how to jam with their peers by learning basic jamming tunes, the different elements of a jam, and jamming etiquette.

For an introduction to Jamming, click here to visit the Toneway Project.

Students must be signed up for an Intermediate or Advanced class in the instrument of their choice, or be an older student (12 and up). Students must have a basic understanding of their instrument and be able to play 4-5 tunes like Soldier’s Joy, Arkansas Traveler, Turkey in the Straw, Over the Waterfall, Liberty, or similar songs OR be able to play the 5 major chords, and 2-3 seven chords and minor chords. Students will continue to increase their jam tune repertoire, and begin to take leads in singing songs. 

Students must be signed up for an Advanced or Master class in the instrument of their choice, or be an older student (12 and up). Students will continue to learn how to create a successful jam with their peers - taking leads when appropriate, how to sing verses or choruses, and keeping background rhythms for the group. They will also delve into the different genres of acoustic music, and learn some traditional jamming tunes that are commonly played. 

 Students must be signed up for an Intermediate level instrument class or higher, or be 12 or older. Using a condenser microphone, Garage Band, and a laptop, students will explore how to successfully record themselves and their peers while playing a song. Students will also learn how to mix their recording, how to get the best tone out of their instrument for recording, and how to arrange a song.

 This class is not offered during the Blocks, but meets during some of the Morning and/or Afternoon activities with the Camp Director. This class is an opportunity to help the Director gather information for the camp program and concert, create a set-list of bands and classes performing, and as emcee (introduce bands and classes for the concert) and stage manage the concert (making sure bands are ready to go on stage, how many chairs they need, and send bands on stage at the appropriate time). You may sign up for this class, as well as three other classes, as this class will not be held during the Blocks.

 For Cordova Camp Students only. No prerequisite.  Students will learn basic chords on the ukulele, how to strum and tune the instrument, and a few songs.

Students must have at least 1 year of lessons, and/or be familiar with the notes of the piano. This class is open to all levels and will explore piano as a folk instrument. Students will learn to build scales and chords to jam along with their favorite songs, and the finger technique to pull it off. They will also learn about chord progressions, melodies and useful accompaniment patterns. Since this is a folk-based piano class music-reading is not a requirement, but we will use some musical notation for reference.

Learn folk dances from around the world, places like Africa, England, Scotland, United States, Mexico and more. These dances are repetitive in nature making them easy to remember and pick up, just like a square dance! 

Come learn the United States’ most popular social dance - Swing Dance. Students will watch brief excerpts of swing dancers from the swing era. Students will also learn the basic step as well as many turns, wraps, dips, lifts & tricks. Class will choreograph a piece to perform for the Camp Concert. 

 For Cordova Camp Students only. Students will receive hands-on experience on how to set up microphones and stands, speakers and monitors, hook up a sound system, mix with a mixing board, and operating the sound system.  Students will be running all camp activities that have a sound system: blackboard concerts, dances, the faculty concert, and band performance workshop, with the exception of the Camp Concert on Friday.

For Cordova Camp students only. Students should have been taking lessons in orchestra or otherwise for 6 months to a year. Students should be fairly familiar with the notes of the bass and how to play in rhythm. This class is an introduction to how to play electric bass on bluegrass and folk songs. This is similar to the Intermediate Bass class, but will be taught on electric bass instead of acoustic stand-up bass. 

 For Cordova Camp students only. Students should have been taking lessons in orchestra or otherwise for 2 years. Students should be very familiar with the notes of the bass, how to pluck in different rhythm and genres, chord changes, and at least starting to solo on the bass. This class will cover how to play electric bass on bluegrass and folk songs, for more advanced players. This is similar to the Advanced Bass class, but will be taught on electric bass instead of acoustic stand-up bass.

 For Cordova Camp Students only. This style originated in Ireland, and is known for its quick fingered fiddle tunes. Like Old-Tyme, Irish music usually has more fiddles then other instruments. Irish music does not usually have singers, but is well known for its few beautiful songs that highlight Ireland. Typical instruments include fiddle, mandolin, guitar, piano, tenor banjo, bodhran drum, penny whistle, and accordion or concertina.


Click here to see an Irish band, Solas.

 For Cordova Camp Students only. This style of music is coined “the people’s music”. Singing and thoughtful lyrics are big parts of this genre. Typically the instruments are meant to “back up” a singer or songwriter, but can be used to take solos during the song. Folk is a large genre and can be taken in many directions. Typical instruments: All instruments!!

Click here to see Nanci Griffith and Emmylou Harris.

 For Cordova Camp Students only. This style explores the improvisational styles of Jazz, Swing, Dawg, and Blues. Taking solos is a huge part of the Improvisation band. Instruments could include: guitar, mandolin, acoustic or electric bass, piano, dobro, and sometimes fiddle. Improvisational band is usually an instrumental band, with no or few vocals.

Click here to see the David Grisman Quartet.

For Cordova Camp Students only. This style of music is one of the oldest traditional musics in American and came out the Appalachian Mountains. Old Tyme is a very rhythmic music, where everyone plays the melody at the same time. Typically the guitar does not take solos in Old-Tyme music, but is a very important part of the rhythm section. Old-Tyme can usually have more fiddlers then Bluegrass and Folk. Typical instruments include fiddle, mandolin, guitar, claw-hammer banjo, and stand-up bass.

Click here to see an Old-Tyme band, Foghorn Stringband.

For Cordova Camp students only. This style will explore the bands and people that inspired the genre of rock to become what it is today: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elvis, Nirvana, Van Morrison, Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and others. Instruments could include: electric or acoustic guitar, vocals, electric bass, piano, and mandolin or fiddle. Students should be fairly advanced, as this class will explore challenging rhythms, barre chords, and more difficult chord changes and structures.

The Director will choose for you based on your class preferences. 

 For Cordova Camp students only. For Cordova Camp Students only. This style of music was pioneered by Bill Monroe in Kentucky around the 1930s and incorporates flat pick guitar, stand-up bass, hard driving fiddle, rhythmic mandolin, three finger style banjo, dobro, and three part harmonies. Singing is a huge part of bluegrass music, as well as each person taking a solo. Usually, bands or jams only have one or two of each instrument, versus Irish or Old-Thyme, which can have more fiddlers.

Click here to see Alison Krauss and Union Station.

 For Cordova Camp students only. Students will learn slack key guitar tunings and chords, as well as traditional Hawaiian songs to play with their instrument.

 For Cordova Camp Students only. Ages 6-8. Students will engage and learn about Hawaiian culture through music. Ukulele introduction and instruction, hula instruction, Hawaiian arts and crafts, culminating in a 20 minute final performance of songs and dance from Hawaii. Campers learn about Hawaiian food and culture and the Aloha Spirit.

Schedule:
10:00am – Aloha Morning Circle
10:15am – Snack
10:30am – First Class – Ukulele/Arts and Crafts
11:30am – Second Class – Ukulele/Arts and Crafts
12:30pm – Lunch
1:15pm – Hula Instruction
2:15pm – Afternoon Circle
2:30pm - Dismissed

*When registering, please choose Cordova Ukulele Camp as your class. The classes in this camp are pre-determined.

 This band will explore Reggae and Hawaiian music and how they influence traditional styles today. Instruments that are commonly seen in Reggae and Hawaiian are ukulele, guitar, slack-key guitar, bass, strong vocals and sometimes mandolin and fiddle.

Students will be divided into three or four ensembles on the first day based generally on ability and interest. Each ensemble will ideally consist of a drummer, a bassist, a guitarist and/or keyboardist, and vocalists/other instrumentalists. These ensembles will choose their own material and perform material recommended by faculty. Each ensemble will perform a short “set” comprised of two-four songs at the end-of-camp performance. Students may choose to perform solo pieces with or without faculty/student accompaniment at the end-of-camp performance.

Students will learn the fundamentals of determining chord qualities and interval relationships by ear. Classes will focus on terminology for chord qualities (e.g. major/minor/diminished/augmented chords) and interval relationship names (e.g. minor 2nd, perfect 5th) with live piano demonstration. Students will also learn introductory theory concepts including key signatures (sharps and flats), time signatures, scale degrees and names, and lengths and values of notes.

 Students will learn the fundamentals of improvising melodies and rhythms. Classes will focus on hearing a melody and repeating it back (call and response), creating melodies using only 5 notes (pentatonic improvisation), trading and expanding on each others’ musical ideas, and learning and implementing the blues scale.

 Students will learn the components of writing a song (lyrics, chords, and melody) and the associated terminology (chorus, verse, bridge, form, etc.). Classes will focus on choosing chord progressions, and creating melodies, writing lyrics, and choosing arrangements (order of verses, choruses, etc.).

 Students will learn the basics of breathing, phonation (creating sound), and sound-placement associated with singing. This class will focus on breathing technique and other physical properties of singing, warm-up exercises, and applying those concepts to vocal performance.

 Students will learn basic time signatures and common rhythms associated with percussion instruments, including rock, latin and jazz/swing styles. Basic rhythmic dialogue and conversation (“Simon Says”, call and response, etc.)

 Students will learn about the components and how to set up and use a sound system. This class will focus on microphone technique and using electronic instruments and amplifiers.

 Students will learn how to operate music-writing software to create and record songs.