Folk Alliance International will include an instructional camp for instrumentalists as a part of its annual conference in 2014, hosted in Kansas City, MO next February 19-23. This will be a first for the organization, which supports and promotes all sorts of folk and traditional music forms, much as the IBMA promotes bluegrass.
Billed as the Folk Alliance Winter Music Camp, the many workshops scheduled are designed to serve both amateur and professional players, with bluegrass and old time artists prominently figuring in the list of faculty members.
- Banjo: Bill Evans, Alan Munde, Gerald Jones, Ken Perlman, Gerald Jones, Pete Wernick
- Mandolin: Mike Compton, Josh Hungate, Gerald Jones, Matt Sircely
- Fiddle: Byron Berline, Casey Driessen, Betse Ellis, Riley Baugus, Howard Rains, Tricia Spencer
- Bass: Missy Raines, Mike Bub
- Dobro: Rob Ickes, Doug Cox
There will also be classes for a wide variety of guitar styles, plus workshops in songwriting, ukulele, pedal and non-pedal steel, accordion, dulcimer, harmonica, folk percussion, keyboards and digital recording. Sessions of interest for groups and amateur players include:
- Making A Better Band (band coaching)
- Playing in Church
- Playing in A Family Band
- How To Play in Jam Sessions
- Instrument Building & Maintenance
- A Guide to Vintage Instruments
- Basic Music Theory
Early registration (through 1/16/14) runs $250 for Folk Alliance members, and $350 for non-members. Full details can be found online.
