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 The 5th Annual DCBU Bluegrass & Oldtime Camp
 At Common Ground on the Hill

Traditions Week II,  July 10-15, 2011

The greater Washington, D.C. area is home to some of the finest musicians and bands in bluegrass and oldtime music. The region has been a hotbed of talent and creativity for more than sixty years and has birthed such major acts as the Stonemans, Reno and Smiley, Emmy Lou Harris, Hazel Dickens, Ola Belle Reed, Mike Seeger, the Country Gentlemen, the Johnson Mountain Boys, the Seldom Scene and many others. Mindful of that tradition, the D.C. Bluegrass Union joins with Common Ground on the Hill to present a week of instrumental, band and vocal classes taught by some of Washington’s best performers and teachers—plus some very special additions. We welcome beginning to advanced players of all ages to an unparalleled week of learning, jamming, singing, concerts and bluegrass/oldtime camaraderie. Parents, bring your kids and enroll them in World Village while you play music!

The DCBU Bluegrass & Old Time Camp boasts a top flight teaching staff who offer five separate class periods of instruction every day, Monday - Friday, July 11-15.  The bluegrass and oldtime curriculum reflects the reality that both musical styles are historically and currently interrelated in a profound way, and offers campers the rare opportunity to learn from both idioms.

We encourage you to attend the Common Ground on the Hill Roots Music & Arts Festival at the nearby Carroll County Farm Museum on the Saturday and Sunday prior to the start of classes, where you will hear your instructors play. Don't miss headliner  Jesse McReynolds on Sunday, July 10th as well as an all star collection of bluegrass and oldtime greats including Jim Hurst, Barry Mitterhoff, Bruce Molsky, Chris Jones, Missy Raines, Nate Leath, Randy Barrett, Dede Wyland, Bryan Bowers, Harry Orlove, Sam & Joe Herrmann, Suzanne & Jim, Dave Kiphuth & Linda Schrade, Kevin Neidig, Fennig's All-Stars, Ralph Lee Smith, Slim Harrison and many more! 

Wake up Monday morning and dive into your classes, enjoy evening concerts and dances and informal playing into the wee hours....for five days and nights!  Consider attending as a family, enrolling your 5-12 year olds in our World Village youth program.

Tuition fees are $420, unless you register by May 1st for the Early Bird Special at $390.  Room and Board in our air conditioned housing runs from $240 - $290 for the week, with meals taken in the campus cafeteria.  Commuters my elect to stay at any number of nearby motels.

Bluegrass/Oldtime Camp Instructors

• Jim Hurst – guitar
  
  
• Bruce Molsky – Oldtime Banjo & Fiddle
   
• Chris Jones - Bluegrass Songwriting & Singing
  
  
• Randy Barrett – Camp Coordinator, Bluegrass Banjo 
   
• Bryan Bowers   - Autoharp
  
  
• Harry Orlove - Swing Guitar, Make a CD
  
   
• Dave Kiphuth – Bluegrass Banjo, Singing
  
  
• Linda Schrade – Beginning Guitar, Singing
  
  
• Nate Leath – Bluegrass Fiddle
  
  
• Suzanne & Jim – Clogging, Singing
  
  
• Kevin Neidig – Bluegrass Guitar
  
  
• Susan Boyer Haley – Mountain Dulcimer

• Ralph Lee Smith - Mountain Dulcimer

• Fennig's All-Stars - Hammered Dulcimer, Northern Fiddle, Piano
  
  
• Barry Mitterhoff – Mandolin

• Sam & Joe Herrmann - Hammered Dulcimer, Oldtime Fiddle & Banjo
  
  
• Slim Harrison –  Dance Caller
  
  
• Missy Raines – Bass
  
  
• Art Menius – Exploring an Appalachian Perspective on Global Issues
  
  
• Dede Wyland – Voice, Singing
  
  
• Mike Atherton – Recording Your Music Workshop
  
  
• Tom Jolin – Mountain Dulcimer, Mountain Dulcimer Construction
  
  

DCBU Camp Daily Schedule

THE FOLLOWING CLASSES ARE OFFERED AS PART OF THE DC BLUEGRASS UNION CAMP, AND ARE OPEN TO ANYONE WISHING TO ENROLL.  CAMP ENROLLEES ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ANY AND ALL CLASSES THROUGHOUT THE COMMON GROUND ON THE HILL SPECTRUM, INCLUDING DANCE, ART, LECTURE AND ALL MUSICAL GENRES. SEE CLASS DESCRIPTIONS UNDER INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES.

1st Period: Beginning Guitar, Oldtime Banjo II, Bluegrass & Blues Mandolin, Oldtime Fiddle I, Bluegrass & Oldtime Band Tutorials & Practice, Hammered Dulcimer, Vocal Tehnique, Carter Family Duets

2nd Period: Bluegrass Guitar II, Bluegrass Banjo II, Bluegrass Bass II, Beginning Fiddle, Bluegrass Fiddle II, Autoharp I, Hammered Dulcimer, Oldtime Song Repertory

3rd Period: Masterclass of Roots Music, Oldtime Banjo I, Beginning Mandolin, Hammered Dulcimer, Mountain Dulcimer I, Build & Play Mountain Dulcimer,

4th Period: Bluegrass Songwriting, Bluegrass Guitar I, Swing Guitar, Bluegrass Banjo I, Bluegrass/Oldtime Mandolin I, Bluegrass Bass I, Bluegrass Fiddle I, Oldtime Fiddle II, Northern Fiddle, Autoharp II, Hammered Dulcimer, Mountain Dulcimer/Ballads, Recording Your Music

5th Period: Bluegrass Slow Jam, Oldtime Session, Super Slow-Mo Oldtime Jam, Clogathon, Recording Your Music, Clog-a-thon, Folk Dance, Friday-Student Performances.

Evening Concerts 8:00 PM, Dances and Jamming until you drop.

Sign up for other Common Ground classes too -
art, dance, film, lecture and more!  

Create your own curriculum!

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