Saturday, March 27, 2010
iPhone App You Must Read About
Okay...so I know this has nothing to do with bluegrass, but it is a money-saver and it's way cool. This new app allows you to get a second line on your iPhone complete with voice mail and other amenities, and you can use WiFi to place phonecalls instead of AT&T. This means you don't use your AT&T minutes, which means you can downgrade your base plan. It also can turn your iPod into a telephone with no cell service plan at all!!!! There's no way I can describe this new app. You simply have to read it yourself: http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/109173/iphone-app-to-sidestep-att
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Eureka Contests for Youth - Interpretation & Results
It is hard to imagine the amount of talent that we currently have right here in our own midst! Many times, I'm in my own little bubble (which is quite good in and of itself), and I don't always get the chance to hear what's outside our Bluegrass Shack world, if you want to call it that. Last night at the MABC Spring Bluegrass Festival I got the chance to fully listen the youth talent that was present at the contest. It is simply amazing!
First of all, since I manage many of these contests, I don't always get the chance to listen to all the performers. I am busy making sure the judges have everything they need, that the performers are on deck when they should be, warming up contestants, backing up contestants, presenting the awards, and many other duties that arise. I made it a point last night to try to listen to as many of the performers as I could. I couldn't stop thinking and talking about it afterwards. Don't get me wrong -- it's not that I don't know it's out there and it's not even that I don't get to hear it. It's just that I don't always get to the hear the "live" performances.
A contest is not actually a true picture of a person's talent. It is a small snapshot into their abilities. What I mean by that is this: Some people have the unique ability to rise to the occasion and really perform under pressure. The audience energizes them. Unfortunately for others, lack of stage experience and/or nerves and/or myriad other things prevent some performers from doing as well under pressure. Much of this can be chalked up to the number of times a person has performed on stage or in contests; a person's general make-up and how well they do under pressure; the judges' individual tastes; coincidence or luck on a particular day; how many other contestants there are and how they perform; song choice; order of performance; and other issues.
As an experienced teacher, I have the ability to see through mistakes not only in lessons but also in performances. I can see and hear a fine musician flub up an entire performance and still know what kind of a musician they are. I am able to look at the entire picture, even if I don't know the performer and haven't heard them play before. And, obviously, if I DO know them, I am even better at this. How? Well, I am looking at how a person handles mistakes, how they can recover from them, execution and tone of a song, demeanor, and other things. In a nutshell, I can learn more from a person's mistake than I can a perfect performance. Everyone can get lucky and have a perfect or near perfect performance. When a person makes a mistake, I get to see how they recover from that mistake. That is a key factor in overall musicianship.
What I saw at the youth contests last night was incredible. The banjo and fiddle contests were something that I get to see more often than anything. The talent portion of the contest is something that we only have around here once a year. We had 16 entries in the talent contest last night and it ranged from fiddle, to flatpick guitar, to singing, to youth bands. Since kids are natural performers, it was a blast to watch them all in their element. I heard a little girl named Olivia, who was not even 10 years old yet, sing Mule Skinner Blues like no one's business. In fact, she won 3rd place in the contest! Drew, who also played in the banjo contest, flatpicked in the last spot in the contest and was a huge hit. His banjo playing was good, but his guitar picking was outstanding! Drew won 1st place. Drew is only 10 years old. (Makes me want to throw my Martin...) Wyatt sang with some guitar backup from dear old Dad and I can only just wait to hear what will become of this young man's future. Sophia and Daniel did an outstanding job playing and singing Old Joe Clark. They had the entire arrangement all figured out and performed flawlessly. The first contestant of the night, someone I have watched for the past several years, is only 11 years old and sang and played guitar to a song that she WROTE herself. Heather is an example of a young girl I have gotten to watch improve dramatically over the past couple of years. She also played in the fiddle contest and won second place. I could actually write something about each and every performer, but I think I'd run out of room here.
The kids made my evening! If I was judging I'd have to proclaim a 10-way tie. It was that good. Now after that long summary, here are the actual results:
16 & Under Fiddle:
1st - Paige Park
2nd - Heather Stortz
3rd - Paige Johnson
Most Entertaining - John Klein
Youngest - Sophia Hasler
16 & Under Banjo
1st - Nikki Warnecke
2nd - Emily Hall
3rd - Drew Thurmond
Most Entertaining - Nikki Warnecke
Youngest - Drew Thurmond
16 & Under Talent
1st - Drew Thurmond
2nd - The Pickin' Chicks
3rd - Olivia Park
4th - Emily Hall
5th - Paige Johnson
Many thanks to our judges, who had some very tough decisions to make; to MABC, for sponsoring this wonderful contest and opportunity; to Carla (my mother), for her scorekeeping duties, which are vitally important for this kind of function; to Zane, for providing backup to anyone who needed it; to Steve, who did a great job on sound; and to all of the audience, who provided support to MABC and all of the performers. It was a successful night indeed!
First of all, since I manage many of these contests, I don't always get the chance to listen to all the performers. I am busy making sure the judges have everything they need, that the performers are on deck when they should be, warming up contestants, backing up contestants, presenting the awards, and many other duties that arise. I made it a point last night to try to listen to as many of the performers as I could. I couldn't stop thinking and talking about it afterwards. Don't get me wrong -- it's not that I don't know it's out there and it's not even that I don't get to hear it. It's just that I don't always get to the hear the "live" performances.
A contest is not actually a true picture of a person's talent. It is a small snapshot into their abilities. What I mean by that is this: Some people have the unique ability to rise to the occasion and really perform under pressure. The audience energizes them. Unfortunately for others, lack of stage experience and/or nerves and/or myriad other things prevent some performers from doing as well under pressure. Much of this can be chalked up to the number of times a person has performed on stage or in contests; a person's general make-up and how well they do under pressure; the judges' individual tastes; coincidence or luck on a particular day; how many other contestants there are and how they perform; song choice; order of performance; and other issues.
As an experienced teacher, I have the ability to see through mistakes not only in lessons but also in performances. I can see and hear a fine musician flub up an entire performance and still know what kind of a musician they are. I am able to look at the entire picture, even if I don't know the performer and haven't heard them play before. And, obviously, if I DO know them, I am even better at this. How? Well, I am looking at how a person handles mistakes, how they can recover from them, execution and tone of a song, demeanor, and other things. In a nutshell, I can learn more from a person's mistake than I can a perfect performance. Everyone can get lucky and have a perfect or near perfect performance. When a person makes a mistake, I get to see how they recover from that mistake. That is a key factor in overall musicianship.
What I saw at the youth contests last night was incredible. The banjo and fiddle contests were something that I get to see more often than anything. The talent portion of the contest is something that we only have around here once a year. We had 16 entries in the talent contest last night and it ranged from fiddle, to flatpick guitar, to singing, to youth bands. Since kids are natural performers, it was a blast to watch them all in their element. I heard a little girl named Olivia, who was not even 10 years old yet, sing Mule Skinner Blues like no one's business. In fact, she won 3rd place in the contest! Drew, who also played in the banjo contest, flatpicked in the last spot in the contest and was a huge hit. His banjo playing was good, but his guitar picking was outstanding! Drew won 1st place. Drew is only 10 years old. (Makes me want to throw my Martin...) Wyatt sang with some guitar backup from dear old Dad and I can only just wait to hear what will become of this young man's future. Sophia and Daniel did an outstanding job playing and singing Old Joe Clark. They had the entire arrangement all figured out and performed flawlessly. The first contestant of the night, someone I have watched for the past several years, is only 11 years old and sang and played guitar to a song that she WROTE herself. Heather is an example of a young girl I have gotten to watch improve dramatically over the past couple of years. She also played in the fiddle contest and won second place. I could actually write something about each and every performer, but I think I'd run out of room here.
The kids made my evening! If I was judging I'd have to proclaim a 10-way tie. It was that good. Now after that long summary, here are the actual results:
16 & Under Fiddle:
1st - Paige Park
2nd - Heather Stortz
3rd - Paige Johnson
Most Entertaining - John Klein
Youngest - Sophia Hasler
16 & Under Banjo
1st - Nikki Warnecke
2nd - Emily Hall
3rd - Drew Thurmond
Most Entertaining - Nikki Warnecke
Youngest - Drew Thurmond
16 & Under Talent
1st - Drew Thurmond
2nd - The Pickin' Chicks
3rd - Olivia Park
4th - Emily Hall
5th - Paige Johnson
Many thanks to our judges, who had some very tough decisions to make; to MABC, for sponsoring this wonderful contest and opportunity; to Carla (my mother), for her scorekeeping duties, which are vitally important for this kind of function; to Zane, for providing backup to anyone who needed it; to Steve, who did a great job on sound; and to all of the audience, who provided support to MABC and all of the performers. It was a successful night indeed!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Bluegrass Retreat Date
It has come to my attention that I cannot do the bluegrass retreat on the August date I initially chose. I am going to be doing workshops in Belleville at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine that weekend. Where was my brain???!!! Please stay tuned for the correct date, and in the meantime, keep those e-mails coming to tell me what you would like for the weekend!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Chris' Beginning Bluegrass Banjo DVDs are Here!
Finally! Yes, they are here! You can order them online at http://www.learnbluegrass.com/, or you can call The Bluegrass Shack directly to place your order. By visiting the Learn Bluegrass Website, you can get the full details on the DVDs.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Bluegrass Festival in Eureka, MO This Weekend!
Don't forget about the MABC bluegrass festival this weekend at the Holiday Inn Six Flags in Eureka, MO. Friday night's highlights include the All Youth Fiddle, Banjo & Open Talent Competitions. This is the only annual Youth Talent Contest for bluegrass that I know of locally. It is my favorite of all the contests because I like to hear the youth sing and play anything and everything!
The Bluegrass Shack will be set up as vendors this weekend, so we hope you'll come by the vendor's room and say hello! (The Bluegrass Shack in New Athens will be closed to the public this weekend, but Friday & Saturday lessons will still be held as usual there.) If you want us to bring something in particular, you'd better call or e-mail us right away!
If you haven't joined MABC, we hope you'll consider it. The Bluegrass Shack is not affiliated in any way with MABC, but I do manage their contests and I believe they are a fantastic local organization. They produce a great newsletter that comes out six times a year and lists many area festivals, events and general bluegrass news. You get discounts for all MABC events with your membership. Check out their website at http://www.bluegrassamerica.com/.
The Bluegrass Shack will be set up as vendors this weekend, so we hope you'll come by the vendor's room and say hello! (The Bluegrass Shack in New Athens will be closed to the public this weekend, but Friday & Saturday lessons will still be held as usual there.) If you want us to bring something in particular, you'd better call or e-mail us right away!
If you haven't joined MABC, we hope you'll consider it. The Bluegrass Shack is not affiliated in any way with MABC, but I do manage their contests and I believe they are a fantastic local organization. They produce a great newsletter that comes out six times a year and lists many area festivals, events and general bluegrass news. You get discounts for all MABC events with your membership. Check out their website at http://www.bluegrassamerica.com/.
BG Shack to Sponsor Workshops & Retreat
Please watch the blog for the date! We are thinking late August, but I have to firm things up still.
The Bluegrass Shack is tentatively planning a series of workshops and concerts for its 1st Annual Bluegrass Retreat to be held in Pinckneyville, IL. All of the details are currently in the planning stage, but we wanted interested folks to 1) save the date; 2) give us feedback; 3) be the first to get "official" notice!
Some of the things that we would like to plan for this weekend include --
Workshops on:
Fiddle, Banjo & Guitar (Possibly mandolin & bass as well)
Jamming
How to Change Strings
Take Apart Your Banjo
Fiddle Strings & Bows (does it make a difference?)
Basic Fiddle Setup
Jamming for:
Open Jams anywhere you want
Beginning Jams
Bands to perform concerts & open stage time
We are planning to hold the retreat at Lake Sallateeska. This is Baptist Camp, but please note we are not affiliated in any way with the camp and this is a non-religious event except for maybe some great old-time gospel music! The camp has over 160 acres, with 40 acres being the main part of the camp. They have RV hookups available as well as hotel rooms on-site! They have additional beds available if you'd like to reserve for a group (these are bunk beds with a working kitchen & livingroom area, and bathroom facilities). They have multiple pavillions, an indoor pool, paddle boats, and you can fish in the lake. There is a game room for the kids. This is a great place for our bluegrass retreat, as everything can be held indoors in air conditioning, or outdoors! They even have a cafeteria. There are several great antique malls nearby for those who wish to have another activity.
Please, take a look at their website to see all the facilities available: http://www.lakesallateeskabaptistcamp.com/
So what would we like from you? We'd like to hear from you to see what you might be interested in participating in. This can be from the list I posted above, or whatever you think of. You might be the one with the great activity we forgot! Feel free to send e-mail directly to The Bluegrass Shack (bluegrassshack @ aol.com) or as comments to this blog post.
The Bluegrass Shack is tentatively planning a series of workshops and concerts for its 1st Annual Bluegrass Retreat to be held in Pinckneyville, IL. All of the details are currently in the planning stage, but we wanted interested folks to 1) save the date; 2) give us feedback; 3) be the first to get "official" notice!
Some of the things that we would like to plan for this weekend include --
Workshops on:
Fiddle, Banjo & Guitar (Possibly mandolin & bass as well)
Jamming
How to Change Strings
Take Apart Your Banjo
Fiddle Strings & Bows (does it make a difference?)
Basic Fiddle Setup
Jamming for:
Open Jams anywhere you want
Beginning Jams
Bands to perform concerts & open stage time
We are planning to hold the retreat at Lake Sallateeska. This is Baptist Camp, but please note we are not affiliated in any way with the camp and this is a non-religious event except for maybe some great old-time gospel music! The camp has over 160 acres, with 40 acres being the main part of the camp. They have RV hookups available as well as hotel rooms on-site! They have additional beds available if you'd like to reserve for a group (these are bunk beds with a working kitchen & livingroom area, and bathroom facilities). They have multiple pavillions, an indoor pool, paddle boats, and you can fish in the lake. There is a game room for the kids. This is a great place for our bluegrass retreat, as everything can be held indoors in air conditioning, or outdoors! They even have a cafeteria. There are several great antique malls nearby for those who wish to have another activity.
Please, take a look at their website to see all the facilities available: http://www.lakesallateeskabaptistcamp.com/
So what would we like from you? We'd like to hear from you to see what you might be interested in participating in. This can be from the list I posted above, or whatever you think of. You might be the one with the great activity we forgot! Feel free to send e-mail directly to The Bluegrass Shack (bluegrassshack @ aol.com) or as comments to this blog post.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Closed Friday & Saturday, March 19 & 20, 2010
I just wanted to let everyone know that The Bluegrass Shack will be closed to the public on Friday and Saturday, March 19 & 20. Students that have lessons on Friday and Saturday will still have their lessons here, but the store will be closed to the general public as Earl and I will be out of town at the bluegrass festival in Eureka, MO.
We will be set up there in the vendor's room with instruments, books, DVDs, and accessories, so come by and say hello!
Don't forget the youth banjo, fiddle & open talent contest is also this weekend at Eureka. If you've never seen it, you don't want to miss it. This is my favorite because it features kids playing in bands, singing, and playing all different kinds of instruments. If you want to enter the contest, it is for all youth 16 years of age and younger. You can view the contest rules on MABC's bulletin board.
We will be set up there in the vendor's room with instruments, books, DVDs, and accessories, so come by and say hello!
Don't forget the youth banjo, fiddle & open talent contest is also this weekend at Eureka. If you've never seen it, you don't want to miss it. This is my favorite because it features kids playing in bands, singing, and playing all different kinds of instruments. If you want to enter the contest, it is for all youth 16 years of age and younger. You can view the contest rules on MABC's bulletin board.
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