Wintergrass Intensives
Serious musical study for serious students

We couldn’t be more pleased with the instructor lineup for the 2012 Wintergrass Intensives. There is excellence every which way you look from the superstar lineup of Vocal Harmony instructors to the stellar instructors for individual instruments. Whether it be the full day Vocal Harmony or the half day instrument classes, each session is organized around a curriculum or plan of action. You get bathroom and lunch breaks but otherwise, you’re going to be working hard and learning a lot!

We’ll be posting further information on this page but for now here’s a peek at what your instructors have planned for you. You may download your Registration Form here. Sorry, no online registration option is available at this time.

Vocal Harmony with Frank Solivan (Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen), Amanda Smith (Kenny & Amanda Smith Band), Annalisa Tornfelt (Black Prairie), and Martino Coppo (Red Wine)
February 23, 2012, 9am-4pm

The day will begin with an overview of healthy singing practices including things that are good for the voice and things that are bad. You’ll learn some vocal techniques and warm up exercises. Then the fun begins with a session on finding harmony. Learn how to stack harmonies placing the lead in different keys and ranges. Figure out how to find the notes or follow a melody. Test out your new found knowledge on some familiar tunes in bouts of group singing.

Later in the morning you’ll learn how to blend, the difference between singing lead and singing backup, and how to shape notes for better pitch.In the afternoon you’ll enjoy small group sessions where you can really dig into honing your harmony skills.

As a special treat Martino will teach everyone an Italian song. You’ll learn harmony and a second language all at once! No matter what, the day is built with lots and lots and lots of opportunities to sing and then sing some more. That’s why you’re there, right?

Bring comfortable clothes, a recording device if you like, and you water bottle.

Fiddle Intensive with Betse Ellis (The Wilders)
February 23, 2012, 1-4pm

SOLD OUT!

It’s hard to find a more ‘hair-on-fire’ fiddler than Betse Ellis. She is just as fiercely devoted to teaching as she is to performing so hang on baby, you’re going for a ride. Here’s a secret: Betse has a degree in classical music, so she fluently speaks the language of both classical and oral tradition music. Her goal is to help all students with practice methods directed to individual challenges and to encourage students to turn frustrations into opportunities for growth.

"Help for Frustrated Fiddlers" is an ongoing learning project by Betse Ellis. Students are encouraged to share issues that impair their progress as musicians, whether specific to playing fiddle, music theory questions, or relating to playing fiddle with other musicians. Betse responds with discussion and demonstration of practice techniques to successfully move beyond these challenges. The students will examine and play these exercises as a group, or sometimes alone or with Betse.

Tunes taught are not in written format; rather, they are taught by ear and by eye. (Blind students are able to learn solely by ear as bowing directions are given orally.) Learning to relieve dependence on watching the noting hand helps a student to learn more music on their own after the class. Certain iconic bowing patterns emerge and the student leaves the class with a better grasp of how bow direction relates to note phrases and rhythmic emphasis. Though the class holds a serious purpose, Betse presents the material and techniques in a lighthearted, encouraging manner. Laughter is a great way to relax, and we play best when we’re relaxed!

Class requirements: Each student will bring their own instrument. This class is for intermediate to advanced players. The student will be able to tune their instrument and should know common fiddle keys and associated scales (G, D, A, C). The student should have some experience playing music by ear. A recording device (audio or video) is strongly recommended.

Guitar Intensive with Kenny Smith (Kenny & Amanda Smith Band)
February 23, 2012, 1-4pm

SOLD OUT!

Kenny is one of the most effective and popular guitar teachers we’ve ever had at Wintergrass. His personable style invites students to relax and have a great time while learning. A much honored guitarist, Kenny is also a gifted and in-demand teacher at music camps across the country. In addition to his work with The Lonesome River Band, the Kenny & Amanda Smith band and his own solo work, he has also produced two guitar instruction books/dvds for Acutab.

Dan Miller says it best in Flatpicking Guitar magazine: “Always a restless, inventive creator on guitar, Kenny Smith has opened amazing new horizons on the instrument by refusing to be limited to playing guitar within the confines of traditional "position" playing. Instead, he's taking concepts from many other guitar sources to create a fresh, innovative new approach to flatpicking that is as revolutionary in its own way as the work of earlier flatpicking pioneers such as Clarence White and Tony Rice.

A student of everything from the rock guitar stylings of Eddie Van Halen to the brilliant fingerstyle work of guitarists like Jerry Reed and Merle Travis, Kenny's trademark sound is built around a fluid style incorporating frequent open notes even when he's playing licks in the fingerboard's upper registers. The result is a technical and musical breakthrough allowing Kenny to utilize the instrument's entire tonal range at any given moment.”

Banjo Intensive with Jens Kruger (The Kruger Brothers)
February 23, 2012, 1-4pm

SOLD OUT!

Ask anyone, especially Dan Tackett from the Bluegrass Journal, “Jens Kruger very evidently sees no limits to what can be produced on the native American five-string banjo. He’s as much of a pioneer to today’s banjo fans as Earl Scruggs was 60-some years ago.” In 1982 Bill Monroe introduced Jens to the Grand Ole Opry, as the first known European banjo player. After living with Bill for the summer and following his advice, Jens returned to Switzerland to develop his own musical style and repertoire. Since that time he has traveled the globe with the Kruger Brothers performing music that personifies the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition.

Jens has been described by Happy Traum as “one of the world’s most musically sophisticated and technically accomplished five string banjo players.” He’s also an extremely skilled and highly sought after instructor, with experience leading classes and workshops throughout North America, teaching private students, and creating instructional DVDs.

Like Ms. Ellis, Jens speaks the language of both classical and oral tradition music. The Kruger Brothers released their stunning Appalachian Concerto this year. If you’ve ever had doubts about the effectiveness of banjo in an entirely classical setting, this piece will dismiss them. We’re not saying you have to play classical music on the banjo – just sayin’ that you could if you wanted to and that Jens is the guy to teach you. Jens was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Mandolin Intensive with Andy Leftwich (Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Three Ring Circle)
February 23, 2012, 1-4pm

When choosing faculty this year we couldn’t decide if Andy should teach fiddle or mandolin. Equally proficient at both (and many other instruments) and maintains a heavy touring schedule with Ricky Skaggs. Skaggs doesn’t hesitate to show his support for Andy – “You know, I’ve worked with a lot of young musicians over the years, and I’d have to say that Andy is one of the best. He amazes me with every new lick he delivers.”

Andy has built an impressive list of studio and performance credits, lending his talents to acts like Alan Jackson, Craig Morgan, Taylor Swift, Point of Grace, Dailey & Vincent, Jon Randall, Jimmy Wayne, Ronnie Milsap, Pam Tillis, Clay Walker, Travis Tritt and Steve Wariner, among many others. He is highly regarded for his clean, intricate picking – the Holy Grail for mandolin players.

Recording Acoustic Instruments in Your Home Studio with Joe Weed
February 23, 2012, 9am-4pm

We’ll run a full ProTools recording session. We’ll start by recording a basic track of guitar and bass, and then add other instruments and vocals, depending on the musicians we have in class. If we don’t have enough musicians, we’ll work with a session I recorded in Nashville with today’s top players. We’ll edit the performances to professional standards and then learn how to mix all the tracks into a great sounding mp3. All participants will get CDs.

We’ll cover microphone placement and choice, and show how to get a good, clean sound with each of the bluegrass instruments.

Listener-involved activities will help your listening become more sophisticated. I’ll provide printed handouts, and project images from the laptop computer while it's running the ProTools session.

We’ll discuss room treatments and acoustics, equipment selection and use, proper procedures when using digital audio workstations, and saving, backing up, and transporting audio files.

We welcome folks new to recording as well as old hands.

To register for any of these offerings, please fill out the Wintergrass Intensives Registration Form and mail it in.