NOTF,
Inc
Kids
Bluegrass
Academy
The National Oldtime
Fiddlers' Contest and Festival isn’t just for fiddlers. Come join the fun with a special new program for kids ages
7-14. Children who are either new to bluegrass, novice, or intermediate
level players are welcome. Join us the week before the contest for three days of
instrument, vocal, and band instruction on June 14th, 15th and 16th that concludes with a performance on
Saturday, June 16th to kick off the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest & Festival. This is the perfect opportunity to bring the
whole family and enjoy the musical magic of Weiser, Idaho.
Your
children can choose from one or more of the following instrument classes:
guitar, fiddle, mandolin, cello and bass. Vocal and dance classes are also offered.
The total
cost of the
Kids
Academy is
$295. A non-refundable $100 deposit will
hold your place. Registration for the
Kids
Academy
is available from September 2011 through May 2012. All
applications received before March 1st. 2012 will receive $50 off their
registration fee.
Registration
Application
Please
complete the registration form and mail it, together with your $100 deposit, to
the NOTF,
PO Box 447,
Weiser,
Idaho
83672 no later than May 1, 2012.
Accommodations
Many options
are available to make your stay comfortable. Hotels in the area are available and a representative of the NOTF, Inc
will be glad to help you with finding one that suits your needs. Also, camping spots will be available Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday that are within walking distance of the
Kids
Academy. These spots can be reserved on your
registration form or by contacting the NOTF, Inc either through email (admin@fiddlecontest.com) or phone
(208)414-0255.
Daily Schedule
To give you
an idea of how camp days are structured, here is what a typical day will look
like at the
Kids
Academy.
· 8:30
am – Registration on Thursday
· 9:30am-Orientation
on Thursday
· 10:00am-Block
1
· 11:15am-Snack
Time
· 11:30am-Block
2
· 12:30pm-Lunch
· 2:00pm-Block
3
· 3:00pm-Band
· 4:00pm-Snack
· 4:15pm-Staff/Kids
Concert
· 5:00pm-Done
for the Day
Camp
Concert
Thursday and
Friday from 4:30pm-5:00pm will end with a staff concert. Saturday is the end of the camp concert with
performances from the children.
Lunch Break
Lunch will
be provided from 12:30 to 1:30 with a short break until 2:00. Water bottles and recording devices are
recommended. Snack will be provided by
the NOTF.
Faculty
Kicking off
our first year we have two great Artist-in Residence bands teaching and
conducting the camp.
In April of 2007, singer/songwriter
Jonathan Warren packed up his life and
his guitar to move from Knoxville,
Tennessee to the Northwest in search of work as a Wilderness Instructor. He
brought with him strong roots in traditional blue grass and old-time music
inherent in the
Southern Appalachians.
Warren teamed up with
David Sather-Smith, a vocalist and classically trained cellist. Shortly
afterwards, Idaho native Ty Clayton traded in his electric guitar for a mandolin to
play with the goats. Austin Clark joined the band in 2011 bringing fresh energy on the
violin, and Bennett Barr finalized the band with percussion.
A mix of folk, bluegrass, rock, blues and
Americana coupled with
raw energy and brilliant song writing make the Billy Goats a band you will
remember. Check out their website at www.jonathanwarrenmusic.com.
Strings
Attached has appeared at the Northern Rockies Folk Festival, the National Old
Time Fiddle Contest in Weiser, Idaho, some guy's wake by mistake (true story),
the National Country Music Festival in Avoca, Iowa, the Southern Utah Bluegrass
Festival in Kanab, and the Brenda, Arizona Jamfest. They appear regularly
at many events in
Idaho's Magic and
Wood
River
Valleys including local
contra dances. Check them out at www.stringsattachedband.com
Read full
bios for each of the instructors on the instructor’s page coming soon.
Volunteers Needed
Putting
together a camp like this takes a lot of work. If you can help in any way, please contact the NOTF. Volunteer jobs include setting up for snacks
and lunch, helping kids to classes, helping with registration, tuning
instruments and other camp jobs. If you
plan on staying for the NOTF Contest and Festival and would be interested in
volunteering, again, please contact the office.
Funding
Class Descriptions
Students
will take an elective class during each block time period, in addition to
participating in a band.
Band
Everyone
will be participating in a band class during the fourth block. This is a chance to work up a song with your
peers to play during the camp concert. The class will be mostly students of your same age or level, and will
include everything from stage presence, singing and taking solos, and playing
rhythm. Everyone is automatically put
into a band, so you don’t need to worry about signing up.
Bass
Beginning
Bass
No
prerequisite. Students will learn how a
bass fits into a jam or band. They will
learn 4-5 chords and how to back up a guitar on simple singing songs.
Intermediate
and Advanced Bass
Students
should have been taking lessons in orchestra or otherwise for at least 6
months. Students will learn chords to
back up a guitar, as well as scales, patterns for following new chords, new
songs and how to walk.
Cello
There is no
prerequisite for this class. Students
will learn basic chords on the cello and how to back up instruments on simple
songs. They will also learn the new role
the cello is taking in bluegrass music.
Fiddle
Beginning
Fiddle
No
prerequisite. This class is geared
toward students who have no or very little background in playing fiddle or
violin. Students will learn how to
correctly hold and bow the instrument as well as a few basic fiddle tunes.
Intermediate
Fiddle
Students
should have been taking fiddle for one year or be in Suzuki Book 1. In this class, students will work on becoming
stronger players and learn a few basic fiddles tunes in first position.
Advanced
Fiddle
Students
should have been taking fiddle lessons for 2 years or be in Suzuki book 3. Students will learn 2-3 fiddle tunes, some
basics on how to improve, different bowings, backup, and other techniques to
bluegrass fiddle playing.
Singing/Vocals
No
prerequisite. Students will learn fun
singing songs to sing with a group, a guitar or a solo.
Guitar
Beginning
Guitar
No
prerequisite. Students will learn 4-5
basic guitar chords, how to strum with a pick and a few basic bluegrass songs.
Intermediate
and Advanced Guitar
This class
is geared towards students that can play several chords comfortably and the
boom strum rhythm. Students will learn
to flat pick, along with strengthening their chord and rhythm knowledge.
Mandolin
Beginning
Mandolin
No
prerequisite. This class will teach
students the basics of how to hold and play the mandolin. They will learn a few easy chords, some basic
bluegrass tunes and mandolin rhythm.
Intermediate
and Advanced Mandolin
Students
should be quite comfortable playing 2 finger chords. They should also be able to play a few basic
tunes. Students will learn how to play
closed finger chords, work on their rhythm and lead on a few new songs.
Jamming
Beginning
Jamming
No
prerequisite. Students will learn how to
jam with their peers by learning basic jamming tunes, the elements of a jam and
jam etiquette.
Intermediate
and Advanced Jamming
Students
must have been playing their instrument for at least one year and feel fairly
comfortable playing it. Students will
learn how to jam with others-taking leads when appropriate and keeping
background rhythms for the group. They
will also learn a selection of bluegrass standards typically playing in a
bluegrass jam.
Choosing Your Classes
Students can
choose three classes. Students will take
an elective class during each block of time in addition to participating in a
band. Please select your top two choices
for Blocks 1, 2 and 3 and indicate your choices on the Registration Form.
Block 1 (10:00am-11:00am)
· Beginning
Mandolin
· Beginning
Guitar
· Beginning
Fiddle
· Intermediate/Advanced
Fiddle
· Vocals/Singing
· Intermediate/Advanced
Guitar
· Intermediate/Advanced
Bass
Block 2 (11:30am-12:15am)
· Beginning
Bass
· Beginning
Guitar
· Beginning
Mandolin
· Beginning Jamming
· Intermediate/
Advanced Mandolin
· Vocals/Singing
· Beginning
Fiddle
· Beginning
Cello
Block 3 (2:00pm-2:45pm)
· Beginning
Guitar
· Intermediate/Advanced
Bass
· Intermediate/Advanced
Guitar
· Vocals
· Intermediate/Advanced
Fiddle
· Intermediate/Advanced
Mandolin
· Intermediate/Advanced Jamming
· Beginning
Mandolin
If you have any specific questions
about classes, please contact Missy Chambers at ldyhazer@yahoo.com | 
