Beginners in mountain dulcimer or hammered dulcimer have the option of joining a bootcamp for all four daily sessions, or can choose suitable individual classes.

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Bootcamps are also available for ukulele (morning only) and for teachers (all day). 

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Bootcampers are welcome to join Early Bird sesssions too. 

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Mountain Dulcimer Bootcamp with Linda Weber Collins - 
sessions 1-4

Welcome to Dulcimer Bootcamp! First, don't let that name scare you; this will be fun! We are going to start at the very beginning with this new to you, easy to learn instrument. We'll have periods of teaching and time for supervised practice in small groups. You'll begin your journey of exploration and meet new friends along the way.

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What will we be covering? Holding the instrument, tuning, strumming, learning simple tunes from the very first day. Reading tab, counting, and simple rhythms. We'll be learning lots but not forgetting that this process is for enjoyment. Laughter is a given!

 

See you in Black Mountain!

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Hammered Dulcimer Bootcamp with Ruth Smith - sessions 1-4

Join us for a fun introduction to playing the hammered dulcimer! In this relaxed and encouraging class, nothing is “too dumb” to ask and no prior skills are required. We will start at the very beginning so you

can learn the basics skills needed to get started playing music right away, including how to choose and use your hammers, tuning, technique, basic chords and scales, and lots more. Don’t let all of those strings intimidate you because the layout is very logical and visual, with shapes being your best friends in playing the hammered dulcimer. Begin your next adventure by learning how to play this captivating instrument!

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Ukulele Bootcamp with Danny Shepherd - sessions 1 and 2 only

No previous musical knowledge necessary. Learn your first song in 3 minutes or less. You’ll learn to hold, tune, play chords - C, F, C7, Am, G, G7, D7, and others. We’ll spend time working on changing chords smoothly, developing good left hand technique, playing musically, learn a variety of useful strum patterns, and play lots of songs. You will also learn to read TAB, play in a simple Hawaiian style, and have a lot of fun at the same time.

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Teacher Bootcamp with Judy House - sessions 1-4

Where Do I Go From Here? (Intermediate and Advanced Levels – Any Folk Instrument)

 

You’ve taken all the classes, you can play almost anything, and people are always asking you to show them how to play or do something. So, have you thought about taking the next step into the realm of teaching or leading a group?  Perhaps you already do this but have a desire to be better.  If you are curious about how to be an effective teacher with successful students, then this class is waiting for you, no matter what folk instrument you play!

 

In this week-long comprehensive class, we will cover:

• The foundations of teaching and learning that all effective teachers know and use

• The importance of sequential skills and the advantage of organized thoughts

• How to build up a collection of lessons and materials for success

• Practice teaching others how you do what you do so well

• Ideas to promote yourself

 

This will be a new experience with lots of creativity and fun thrown in. You may want to bring your laptop or tablet along! 

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Hope to see you there!

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