Henri Deschamps, proprietor of The Mast Farm Inn, a lovely B&B in western North Carolina, has announced a new series of intimate musical retreats, designed to offer serious students of bluegrass music an opportunity to study closely with its top practitioners.
Deschamps also manages a Facebook group, The Bluegrass Legacy, where he shares news about our favorite music online, and he is calling this series the Bluegrass Legacy Musical Retreats. These 3-4 day events will be targeted towards younger artists, though musicians at any age will be welcome to attend.
The first is scheduled for August 1-4, featuring 3 1/2 days with Ronnie Bowman and Dan Tyminski. It will be limited to 12 participants, and only those dedicated to pursuing a career in bluegrass music will be accepted for registration. Henri will screen applicants and select those he feels can truly gain something powerful from the experience.
All registered students will stay at The Mast Farm Inn, as will the instructors and their wives, and meals will be taken together as a group. The Inn is a getaway like few others – historic buildings listed on the National Register, fine dining, rustic beauty – and the sessions with Dan and Ronnie will be structured to allow for the sort of mentoring that is uncommon at workshops and camps.
The fee for the 4 days/3 nights will run between $1090 and $1290 per couple, depending on lodging options, with one person attending the sessions. Henri has limited accommodations for families with children, and there are a few rooms for singles. A scholarship has been established to allow one young bluegrass musician (under 30) to attend free of charge.
Deschamps spent many years as a text book publisher, and has long experience designing and moderating educational forums. He tells us that a great deal of thought will go into the format, with plenty of input from Dan and Ronnie.
You can find more details on his Facebook page, or call The Mast Farm Inn (828-963-2626) for more information. Henri says that three more similar retreats have been scheduled, and details about those will be forthcoming.
