- Folk and Traditional Music

Aspiring mandolinist shows her stuff at Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall Education

With their continuing support, I have developed programs in international traditional music. Both classroom and concert versions are available for youth or adult audiences. In 2008 the group is again on the Neighborhood Concerts roster. (Presenter Feedback ) In past years we have participated in the Carnegie Kids and LinkUp Programs.

Students preparing for gig at Murray School

Lincoln Center Institute

Since 2002, LCI's Music Repertory included "Fire On The Mountain" a bluegrass program aimed at both educators' workshops and in-school concerts. The series began at Julliard's Opera Theater, and has continued for more than 90 performances at Lincoln Center's Clark Theater and various academic and school settings.

- How to Play Songs You Don't Know with People You've Never Met

This has also gone by several other titles including: "Jam Session Etiquette", "Ensemble Skills", and "Slow Jam". I've given it at Port Fairy Folk Festival and Illawarra Folk Festival in Australia, Minstrel Show/Folk Project Festival, NY Pinewoods at Camp Freeman, and the Park Slope Jamboree.

Suitable for different instruments and abilities, this workshop discusses techniques for making music with others whose songs are unfamiliar. Depending on the level and number of attendees, it has ranged anywhere from a facilitated jam (sort of like group occupational therapy) to a spontaneous Folk Orchestra with sections composed of different voices or instrument families.

Harmony Singing

One of traditional American music's most recognizable components is the three part close vocal harmony associated with bluegrass, gospel, and pop music. This workshop starts with basic techniques for singers (repetoire and key selection) and progresses to duets and trios, with an emphasis on how best to structure parts for different combinations of genders and ranges.

- Theory For Folk Musicians - Everything You Were Afraid To Ask About Traditional Music

Ken Kosek, Bob Mastro, Travis Wetzel - photos Ben Freed

Vassar Clements with John Herald at Big Apple Bluegrass '99 - photo Elizabeth Jean

Music theory may seem a world away from those musics which spring spontaneously from people and communities, but theory can be very helpful in communicating with other players and in solving thorny problems like "what chord should I play?" or "what note should I sing?". This workshop is intended to provide some vocabulary for practical application in everyday music making.
(mandolin-great Jethro Burns said "I've had some training, but not enough to hurt my playing any")