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The Boston Bluegrass Union sponsors and supports instrument and vocal classes for beginners to advanced, taught by our region's best bluegrass musicians.
Classes by Tony Watt Starting in mid-May 2012
Hey Everybody,
This spring I am offering a group class in North Cambridge titled Beginning Bluegrass Lead Guitar for adults and teens through the Boston Bluegrass Union's Bluegrass Academy. The class is intended for those who can already play bluegrass rhythm guitar, but are new to playing lead, or who have been frustrated trying to learn to play lead before.
Classes will be held a half mile from where Rt. 2 hits Cambridge at the Alewife T station. This location is one block from the intersection of Rt. 16 and Mass. Ave., near the Cambridge/Arlington border. There is plenty of meter-free, permit-free parking on Mass.
Ave., and it is also only a 10 minute walk from Alewife and 15 minutes from Davis Sq.
The class includes a corresponding book and companion CD (a $20 value), and enrollment includes a year-long BBU membership (a $15 value for only $10), therefore you should not sign up for BBU membership prior to enrolling in classes. The class details are as
follows:
Beginning Bluegrass Lead Guitar
- seven hour-long classes held every Monday this spring
- 8:30 until 9:30 pm on May 14th through June 25th
- $135 for BBU members ($145 for non-members), with book and CD
Below is a brief description of the course, and you can always e-mail me if you have questions. If I'm not offering a class you'd be interested in, or you can't attend the scheduled time slot, please e-mail me and let me know. Enrollment is limited, so please e-mail me at
tonywatt@gmail.com if you are interested or have any questions.
Thanks!
Tony
website: www.theoriginaltonywatt.com
email:
tonywatt@gmail.com
CLASS DESCRIPTION:
Beginning Bluegrass Lead Guitar
The class is intended for those who can already play bluegrass rhythm guitar, but are new to playing lead, or who have been frustrated trying to learn to play lead before. In this course we'll learn how to read tablature (tab), how to play fiddle tunes and take breaks on vocal tunes (including carter style, crosspicking, and single-string soloing), and get an introduction to improvisation. The primary focus will be on developing fundamental lead guitar skills, as well as helping students improve their practice and self-directed learning. To take full advantage of this course, students should already have some ability to play basic bluegrass rhythm, however you don't need to have previous experience playing any style of lead guitar, or know how to read music.
****************************************
Quotes from students in Tony Watt’s previous Bluegrass Academy classes:
"While I have studied bluegrass for a while, I have not taken a lesson or workshop yet where the concepts were so clearly laid out."
"The handouts are great and the mp3's are a nice asset."
"Tony's enthusiasm for the music and for the teaching process is infectious and will inspire any student to become a better picker."
"I feel the amount of new material each week was great. It was beneficial to be grouped with appropriate skill levels and work on the tunes."
"Overall this has been the best group or workshop format class I've taken."
Banjo Classes by Rich Stillman Starting early March 2012 in Burlington, MA
Beginners: The class will be six sessions, held every other Tuesday night from 7:30 to 9PM starting March 6th. This class will start from scratch, so total beginners shouldn't feel left out and people who have spent some time on their own exploring the banjo through books or other instructional materials should be well-prepared. We'll start with playing fundamentals and progress through a few simple tunes and techniques to get you on the road to learning tunes on your own, playing in beginner jam sessions, and/or starting to work with a private teacher. A banjo and three picks (plastic thumbpick, two metal fingerpicks) is required; all other materials will be provided.
Class dates: March 6 and 20, April 3 and 17, May 1 and 15.
Advanced: The purpose of this class is to practice jamming skills needed by banjo players. The class will be six sessions, held every other Tuesday night starting March 27 from 7:30 to 9PM. We'll work on one tune per class, spend some time focusing on techniques that work well for that tune, and the rest of the session playing breaks and backup using that tune as a starting point. The class will also focus on ear training - being able to recognize and play the melody and chords of a tune after hearing it. We'll also work on improvising breaks, rather than learning them from tablature.
People taking this course should have at least a little experience playing with other people, in slow or regular jams.
Class dates: March 27, April 10 and 24, May 8, 22 and 29.
Both classes will be held at the Real School of Music, 56 Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, MA 01803. Cost will be $120 for BBU members, $125 for non-members. Payment is due at the first class. If you have questions, contact Rich Stillman,
stillman@waystation.net . To sign up, contact Tim Rowell,
tim.rowell@therealschoolofmusic .
Award-winning flatpicking guitarist Tony Watt has performed at
bluegrass festivals throughout the United States and Europe, on the
Grand Ole Opry, and elsewhere. He has been featured in Bluegrass Now
Magazine and Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, and toured and recorded with
Nashville-based Cages Bend, east Tennessee-based Meridian, and most
recently with Rounder Recording artist Alecia Nugent. Tony currently
performs with his band, Southeast Expressway, and with Leigh Gibson,
guitarist for The Gibson Brothers. He has taught privately for over 10
years, and now teaches courses for the Boston Bluegrass Union’s
Bluegrass Academy. He has also taught guitar workshops and Kids'
Academies at bluegrass festivals including Grey Fox, Thomas Point
Beach, Joe Val, and many more. Tony teaches guitar and mandolin
lessons in Albany, NY, Cambridge, MA, and points in-between. For more
info visit www.theoriginaltonywatt.com or e-mail tonywatt@gmail.com
*************
Banjo: Rich Stillman
Richard Stillman
has been playing banjo for nearly thirty years, including stints with a number of influential Northeast bluegrass bands, including the Jersey Travelers (four years, one album), Southern Rail (four years, two albums), WayStation (seven years, one CD) and his current band, Adam Dewey and Crazy Creek (three years, two CDs). He has additional studio recording credits with New England folk artists John Burrows and John Michaels. Mr. Stillman was New Jersey banjo champion in 1983 and the 2002 and 2003 New England banjo champion. He is a six-time winner of the annual banjo contest held at Lowell, Massachusetts (1985-1995), where he has given the bluegrass banjo workshop every year since 1996.