National Finger Style Guitar Champion Pete Huttlinger will give a workshop during Winfield.

Winfield, KS — Throughout its 37 year history, the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS has been known for attracting the finest acoustic musicians and performers from all over the world. The talent on the festival stages keeps audiences returning to Winfield year after year.

Since 1999, music lovers have had a chance to tap into the expertise of some performers at the Walnut Valley Festival’s Pre-Festival Workshops. Held this year on September 17th, the Wednesday prior to the start of the festival, musicians of various ages and levels get a chance to enroll in day-long workshops led by some of the top musicians in the acoustic music world. These workshops are limited in size, which increases the contact participants receive with the workshop leader. All workshops are hands on. The workshop leaders know that the best way to learn is to experience the techniques for yourself, so bringing your instrument is encouraged.

This year’s workshop line-up features a Who’s Who of internationally known musicians, all of whom will be featured performers on the stages of the Walnut Valley Festival. Presenters include two-time National Flat Pick Guitar champion Robert Shafer, who will be performing with Mandolin workshop presenter Johnny Staats. Also presenting is National Finger Style Guitar Champion Pete Huttlinger, who will share a workshop with award winning Australian Nick Charles.

Carnegie Hall performer and Grand Champion Guitarist of the Union Grove Fiddler’s Convention, Andy May returns to lead his extremely popular Porch Pickers series workshop. Award winning bluegrass singer, songwriter, performer and Sirius radio DJ Chris Jones will lead a bluegrass vocals workshop, and Jones’ banjo player Ned Luberecki, also a Sirius radio DJ who holds his own list of accolades, will share his knowledge and skills in a banjo workshop.

Andy May’s Porch Pickers series workshop returns to Walnut Valley.

Rounding out this year’s workshops are featured performer Linda Thomas of the Thomas/DeLancey Trio, who will be leading a hammered dulcimer workshop; and Michael Reno Harrell, award winning songwriter and storyteller who will be leading the Songwriter’s workshop.

All of the workshop instructors encourage full participation in the classes. Participants can tap the knowledge stream of the leaders as they improve their own ability. The limited numbers in each workshop allows the sessions to become family-style learning, with each participant having the same goal – becoming better musicians while learning from the best performers in the business.

The workshops are filling up quickly, but there is still room in each workshop. For more information, head to www.wvfest.com, and on the left menu, click on “Special Events” and then “Workshops.” This will show you registration information as well as workshop descriptions for this year’s Pre-Festival Workshops.

Advance tickets are currently available for the Walnut Valley Festival set to begin on September 17th at the Winfield Fairgrounds. Additional information can be found on the World Wide Web at wvfest.com. Advance priced tickets are still available and may be purchased at the 918 Main Street office through 5:00 pm. September16.

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East Hartford, CT — The Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival is proud to announce some very special band workshops to be held on Saturday, August 2, 2008 as part of the 13th Annual Podunk Bluegrass Festival.

New last year was a band competition at the Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival held in East Hartford, Connecticut the first full weekend of August. The competition was an opportunity for bands looking to take their presence to the next level and be given an opportunity to perform with some of the top names in bluegrass. As a way to enhance this experience the Board of the Podunk Bluegrass Festival decided to develop a series of workshops from some of the best in Bluegrass to give the bands in the competition even more of an opportunity to improve. Podunk Vice President, Jim Perry said, ” We wanted to offer something that no other festival was doing as a way to promote these upcoming bands and help them become players on the National scene.” Perry went on to say, “If you have a band, play in a band or are thinking about starting a band then this is for you. You don’t have to be playing Bluegrass to learn a great deal from the group we have put together to present.”

These workshops will be held a half mile from the festival grounds at the East Hartford Cultural Center 50 Chapman Place, East Hartford, CT 06108, on Saturday, August 2nd where the sessions will be in an air-conditioned building. Roger Moss, Director of East Hartford Parks and Recreation and one of the coordinators of the festival said, “We didn’t want to just have these sessions in a field were there would be distractions and people coming and going. We wanted these to be class like but informal enough to allow people to ask questions and get answers that will help them whether they played in a Bluegrass band or an acoustic band to even rock and roll. I believe these presenters will be able to give advice to all.”

Anyone who would like to attend these sessions may register at the Podunk Bluegrass website at http://podunkbluegrass.net by clicking on ticket information. There will be a $15.00 fee to attend all the sessions. Jim Perry concluded by saying, “If you paid for these sessions anywhere else it would cost you $500-$1,000 to get this information. This is an opportunity you won’t want to miss.”

The sessions will include:

10-11:15 AM Working with an Agent - by Jim Roe, Roe Entertainment, Nashville, TN

Jim Roe possesses a diverse array of experience, including 7 years at MCA Nashville as the Senior National Director of Sales and two years of sales consulting for Skaggs Family Records. He began his own booking agency, Roe Entertainment, in November of 2005 with a few acts and a wealth of acquired knowledge and dedication. Roe saw his roster expand quickly to include the eminent acts represented today which includes: The SteelDrivers, The Freight Hoppers , Lonesome River Band, Dan Paisley & The Southern Grass and Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper.

11:30-12:30 PM Record Companies - Ken Irwin President, Rounder Records

Today, Rounder Records is the third-leading independent record label in the United States. Its catalog has grown to include 3,000 titles that span genres from folk, bluegrass, Celtic, folk, and children’s music to reggae, calypso, jazz, blues, and indie rock.

Rounder recording artists are as varied as They Might Be Giants, Madeleine Peyroux, the Cowboy Junkies, and the Dry Branch Fire Squad.

Rounder has also issued extensive series of recordings from the Library of Congress and from the archives of the legendary ethnomusicologist and record producer Alan Lomax, and funded the ongoing North American Traditions series of recordings by Mark Wilson. At the same time, critical and commercial successes such as those of the Grammy award-winning Alison Krauss and Union Station have brought the company solid financial footing.

So it’s fair to say that Rounder has made it big-very big. But from their no-frills warehouse/headquarters on a side street in Cambridge near the border with Somerville, it’s clear that they’ve kept a bedrock commitment to music with sincerity and integrity, music that has staying power, just like them.

Producing Your Albums - by Carl Jackson

Multiple Grammy award winner, Mississippi Musician’s Hall of Fame member, and 2008 SPBGMA Preservation Hall of Greats inductee, Carl Jackson has also had a hand in the production of several great artists such as Ruby Lovett, Slickerbilly, Mike Ward, Real Surreal, Carly Goodwin, Bering Strait, Jim & Jesse and Bobbie Cryner, whose first effort on Sony Records received the honor of Best Country Album of 1993 in USA Today. He is currently producing new artists, Shawn King, Jennifer Wayne, Bradley Walker (2007 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year) and Alecia Nugent.

12:30 - 1:30 PM Lunch on own

1:30 - 2:30 PM Booking At Venues - Arnie Fleischer, Promoter Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck, NY

A multidisciplinary performing arts center in Mamaroneck, the Emelin Theatre presents a diverse roster of programs including classical recitals, cabaret shows and theater for children. Arnie Fleischer is a promoter for the theatre where he over sees the booking of the Bluegrass acts.

2:45 - 3:45 PM Managing The Band with Pete Wernick “Dr. Banjo” and Vicki Simmons
Pete Wernick, is renowned worldwide for his accomplishments and contributions to bluegrass music: the hot-picking force in several trend-setting bands including Hot Rize, respected author and teacher, songwriter, and long-term President of the International Bluegrass Music Association Pete’s credentials in bluegrass include:

• Started Country Cooking in 1970, with whom he recorded three of Rounder Records’ first albums.
• Founded Hot Rize in 1978, still playing after 25 years.
• Performed worldwide, many #1 radio hits, Grammy Nomination, IBMA’s first Entertainer of the Year award recipient.
• Pioneered bluegrass instructional camps in 1980, has conducted over 100 music camps, coast to coast and in Europe.
• President of IBMA 1986-2001. Initiated youth and educational and Bluegrass Pentathlon projects
• Writer of over 50 recorded compositions on major bluegrass labels, including two bluegrass #1’s.
• Experience as bluegrass deejay, concert promoter, publicist, record producer, graphic designer, band manager and agent, road manager, teacher, video instructor.

Bassist Vicki Simmons had been 2007 IBMA Female vocalist of the year, Dale Ann Bradley’s musical partner for a decade. Born in California but raised in Berea, Kentucky, Vicki began her musical career in her early teens, learning guitar before switching to the bass. She won a job at Renfro Valley when she auditioned on-stage, and was an original member of the New Coon Creek Girls when the group was created by the legendary John Lair in 1979. Simmons’ determination and commitment led her into a role as the band’s business manager.

4:00 - 5:00 PM Songwriting - by Larry Cordle and Jerry Salley

Most widely known as a writer, Kentucky native Larry Cordle has had songs recorded by Ricky Skaggs, Garth Brooks, Alison Krauss, Alan Jackson, George Strait, The Osborne Brothers, and many others. At last count, Cordle’s songs had appeared on projects that had sold a combined total of more than 50 million records.

Equally as impressive is Cordle’s performing career. Founded in 1990, Lonesome Standard Time began as a joint venture between long-time friends Larry Cordle and Glen Duncan. Success came quickly for the band, yielding a Grammy nomination for the group’s debut album. In 1995, Larry’s songwriting commitments and Nashville’s increasing demand for Glen’s talent in the studio led the duo to take a hiatus from the road and focus on other aspects of their careers.

Award winning songwriter, Jerry Salley has been writing and singing in Nashville since 1982. To date, he has had 300 songs recorded in his career, including; “I’m Gonna Take That Mountain” - Reba McEntire, “Breaking New Ground” - Wild Rose/Universal Records, “I Fell in the Water” - John Anderson/BNA Records, “How Do You Sleep at Night” - Wade Hayes/DCK/Columbia Records, and ten (10) top twenty gospel songs.

As an artist, Jerry has performed on numerous stage shows, including the honor of performing as a soloist many times on the world famous Grand Ole Opry. His television appearances include Late Night With David Letterman, Regis and Kathy Lee, NBC’s Today Show and several different TNN (The Nashville Network) shows.

In addition to his “SESAC Country Music Songwriter of the Year” award and Dove recognition from the Gospel Music Association, Jerry has received numerous awards from different associations for his songwriting accomplishments (NSAI, SESAC, Gospel Voice Magazine, etc.).

Along with friends Carl Jackson and Larry Cordle, the trio (Cordle, Jackson & Salley) have recorded the song “You’re Runnin’ Wild” on the new Louvin Brothers Tribute on Universal-South Records, which features numerous country music stars singing songs made famous by the legendary duo.

For more information or to order tickets by phone call, Roger Moss at (860) 282-8241.

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Billing itself as “the original pickin’ camp,” the 24th annual Bluegrass Week will be held July 27 through Aug. 2 at the Augusta Heritage Center on the campus of Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, W. Va.

Some of the genre’s most respected musicians will lead students this year in workshops, demonstrations, special presentations, concerts and picking sessions, according to Bluegrass Week coordinator John Rossbach. This year’s staff is led by special guest artists Tim O’Brien and Stuart Duncan.

Bobby Hicks. Photo by Thomas Stout

Teaching fiddle will be Bobby Hicks, Buddy Spicher and Andrew Van Norstrand. Mandolin will be taught by Herschel Sizemore, Sharon Gilchrist and John Rossbach. Teaching guitar are Russ Barenberg, Leigh Gibson and David McLaughlin.

Banjo will be handled by Terry Baucom, Eric Gibson and Ira Gitlin. Dobro/resonator guitar teachers are Mike Witcher and Jimmy Heffernan. Bass is taught by Mike Bub and Missy Raines.

Vocal instructors are Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum and Chris Stuart and Janet Beazley. Two levels of bluegrass vocal classes are being offered.

Informal picking sessions at all levels will go on into the wee hours all over campus as students get together with old friends and make new ones.

Evening concerts will feature combinations of master bluegrass artists with special guests. Picking time with the teaching staff will be part of the program for all students.

On Friday afternoon, an optional student showcase will give students the opportunity to perform for each other and the staff.

Young people who are able to maintain an adult level of participation are welcome. There will be opportunities to form bands, dance, and socialize with other teenagers at Augusta that week.

The week will run concurrently with the heritage center’s Folk Arts Week and Teen Week.

Information, including registration details, is available at www.augustaheritage.com

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