Pete Wernick’s world-famous Jam Camp comes to ROMP

For the first time ever, the Bluegrass Museum’s ROMP activities will include a music camp. Pete Wernick’s Jam Camps have inspired “closet pickers” all over the country and will make a stop in Owensboro during ROMP, June 21st-24th. The camp will be held at the Museum from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Wednesday, and 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM on Thursday. Pete plans to include special guests and top bluegrass talent to help teach at the camp.

Bluegrass jam camps were first conceived by Pete to help encourage novice fans to participate in the bluegrass community. “A jam camp is to help closet players or people getting into bluegrass—or even more experienced musicians—develop their ensemble skills,” Pete says. “A lot of people are learning to play bluegrass, but are rarely taught the skills involved in playing as part of a group.”

Pete uses a variety of teaching methods, including traditional classroom workshops, large group lessons and small group ensemble in a fun, low-pressure environment. “In a few days, everyone gets the hang of the process. Even if they can't lead a song or take a solo, they can be a ‘follower-alonger’ as we say.”

Using multiple teaching strategies ensures that everyone is included in the learning process, Pete says. “People learn all sorts of ways, but one thing we try to make clear is that bluegrass is not about reading chord changes or solos from a piece of paper or only being able to play what you've memorized,” he continues. “We show how to follow along by watching and hearing the basic chord changes, which is the key to making it all work. We even teach how to solo convincingly when you barely know the song, but are just going from the chord pattern.”

Soloing isn’t a requirement nor is it the main focus of the camp, according to Pete. All that is required of potential Jam Campers is the ability to tune their instruments and change smoothly between G, C, D and A, nothing more. “We especially like to welcome people who have been struggling with trying to play instrumental solos as a way of starting to play bluegrass,” Pete says. “We tell them to never mind that, it's more about following chords, keeping rhythm and hopefully doing some singing. It's often news to them that singing is more fundamental than instrumental soloing, and that we don't expect people to play at fast tempos.”

Pete, who was a long-term president of IBMA, says he’s especially pleased at the success of the Bluegrass Museum and is looking forward to seeing old friends and returning to the Riverpark Center. “This building and the IBMM are living monuments to the dedication of people worldwide to the beauty and power of bluegrass music,” Pete says. “As a native of New York City, I understand if people are surprised at my lifelong commitment to bluegrass, but it feels as natural as can be, and returning to Owensboro and the Museum are going to be among my highlights of 2010.”

For Jam Camp information and registration, point your browser to DrBanjo.com.

Concert Video Night Dec. 12!

On December 12, 2009 at the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky, the museum will present a night of Old-Time & Progressive Bluegrass as videotaped by Kentucky Educational Television for their “Jubilee” series on public television. All these performances were videotaped at ROMP, the Bluegrass Museum’s annual festival which takes place the 4th weekend of June.

The event is free and open to the public. Featured artists and times are:

5:00 PM Foghorn String Band (Old Time)
6:00 PM Tim O’Brien (Progressive)
7:00 PM Uncle Earl (Old Time)
8:00 PM Adrienne Young & Little Sadie (Progressive)
8:30 PM Cadillac Sky (Progressive)

This event is part of The Holiday Stroll, during which many downtown Owensboro businesses will be open and welcoming to the public, showing off their holiday decorations, exhibits, menus and merchandise. Free refreshments will be served at numerous businesses, including the Bluegrass Museum. Get into the holiday spirit with strolling carolers, live performances, and storefront decorations making this a reminder of the good old days of being downtown at Christmas. Singers, instrumentalists, dancers, storytellers and actors will perform in storefronts and outside along Second and Third streets from Daviess to St. Ann.

The Bluegrass Museum is located in the RiverPark Center Complex, 117 Daviess Street, in downtown Owensboro just under the blue bridge… over the legendary Ohio River that is the subject of so many bluegrass songs.

Calling all bluegrass associations around the world!

The International Bluegrass Music Museum wants to partner with you! We’re starting an official Bluegrass Museum Ambassadors Program, and we’re inviting your association to participate.

Your association will appoint or elect a person who is willing and enthusiastic about being an Ambassador from your association to the International Bluegrass Music Museum. This Museum Ambassador will work with the Bluegrass Museum on special projects, report news and information for our newsletter, report Museum news back to your association for members and newsletters, encourage Museum membership and donations, encourage donation of bluegrass artifacts to the Museum and attend a yearly meeting of Ambassadors at ROMP in Owensboro each year. ROMP takes place the 4th weekend of June.

Ambassadors will receive a complimentary IBMM membership, a VIP ROMP pass (which includes VIP access to all events, backstage privileges, meals with Artists/Pioneers), and an Ambassadors t-shirt. The museum will arrange low-cost lodging for your stay at ROMP, getting you in on our artists’ rates (typically $54/night + tax).

What we need from you:
Designate your official Museum Ambassador and send us the following information.

Association Name:
Ambassador:
Mailing Address:
Phone Number:
Email Address:
T-shirt size: S M L XL 2XL

Please mail this information to the address below or email it to gabrielle@bluegrassmuseum.org.

International Bluegrass Music Museum
Attn: Bluegrass Ambassadors
207 East Second Street
Owensboro, KY 42303

‘Saturday Lessons Program’ brings new musicians to bluegrass!

The Saturday Lessons Program kicked off its fourth year on October 10 at the International Bluegrass Music Museum (IBMM) in Owensboro, KY. The group lessons program provides instruction in fiddle, guitar, mandolin and banjo to students and community members of all ages. Students are taught in groups of 10-15 for 45 minutes twice a month at the museum, and loaner instruments are available for those who do not have one.

Students range in ability from beginner to intermediate, and some have been attending Saturday Lessons for several years. The group lesson format is a good way to introduce newcomers to bluegrass music, says fiddle instructor Randy Lanham. And compared with individual lessons, the program is more affordable at $30 for the fall semester. “A group lesson goes slower. It’s not quite as much information, not quite as fast, and it’s a great way to learn with the cheaper price and less time required,” says Lanham.

Beginners learn familiar bluegrass standards such as “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” More experienced students work together as in a band format and learn more advanced musical parts, says Lanham. “There are about 25 students that have been coming for years. With them, we teach not only the melody part, but the harmony part and solos. And they learn a variety of songs: a patriotic song, an Irish song, a gospel song,” he says.

The first day of lessons kicked off smoothly, according to Lanham. “Sometimes the first day can be chaotic for new students. There are broken strings, instruments are out of tune and some students show up at the wrong time. This went really well, we didn’t have a lot of those problems.”

Participants come to the Saturday Lessons program from a variety of communities and from all walks of life, with many students coming from local schools, says Lanham. “Another museum program I’m involved in is the Bluegrass in the Schools, and that generates a lot of interest in lessons, so the two programs kind of go hand in hand.”

The spring Saturday Lessons program is twice as long, classes are generally larger, and it culminates in a performance of all students in the Kentucky BlueGrass AllStars at the IBMM’s River of Music Party (ROMP). The spring semester registration fee is $60, and each additional immediate family member is only $30. Students performing at ROMP will also receive free 3-day admission to the festival as an AllStar, as well as a 3-day complimentary pass for a parent or friend. The next Saturday Lesson term begins February 20, with a registration deadline of January 30. For more information call 270-926-7891 or visit the IBMM website at www.bluegrassmuseum.com.