MOO Music Gathering
November 3-5, 2023
We have a great slate of Featured Performers and workshops lined-up, with the inimitable Jonas Friddle and John Stano bringing their special brands of musical magic to the Gathering.
Jonas Friddle is a singer, songwriter and Old-Time banjo player whose songs have received The John Lennon Songwriting Award, First Place in the Great American Song Contest and a nomination for Album of the Year in the Independent Music Awards. His tunes bear the marks of a musician who has done his time in pub sessions and square dance halls, and his writing is full of imagery, honesty and humor. Friddle was raised in the mountains of North Carolina and learned to play guitar on a yard sale Harmony six string. He added a mandolin, fiddle and banjo to his arsenal and got a job slapping bass with the college bluegrass band. In 2007 Jonas landed in Chicago and began teaching at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Since then, he has released multiple studio albums under his own name and with the folk supergroup “The Majority.”
Creative Rhythm Techniques for the Clawhammer Banjo 10:15-11:45 AM CDT
From the basic “bum-ditty to setting that right hand loose, this is a “crash course” in right-hand technique for Clawhammer Banjo! Learn how to syncopate, sub-divide and up-pick to give your rhythm playing more variety. These techniques will help you play genres outside of old-time, including blues, swing and New Orleans jazz. This is a banjo class, but ukes and guitars may also glean some nuggets on clawhammer style and rhythm.
Get acquainted with “America’s Happiest Music” the Jug Band Blues 2:45-4:15 PM CDT
Learn a little history of this unique genre while learning to play the washboard, spoons and washtub bass. All instruments are welcome to join and learn a couple of classic songs in the genre.
John Stano is an award-winning singer/songwriter with a sound that is a distinctive blend of acoustic and slide guitar, harmonica, expressive vocals and insightful songwriting developed over many years of performance and study. He sometimes adds a little mandolin, cigar box guitar or banjo to the mix as well. His style can be described as a combination of folk, blues and Americana. Initially self-taught, John went on to study American fingerstyle guitar at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and harmonica with national blues legend, Jim Liban. John is a flexible and engaging performer who has released four recordings of original music.
Learn to Play Harmonica 8:30-10:00 AM CDT
Have you ever wanted to learn to play the harmonica? This hands-on workshop presented by award winning musician and educator, John Stano will have you playing popular melodies and even delve into the basics of playing the blues on this accessible and portable instrument. You can bring a Key of C harmonica or purchase a beginner model Hohner harp at the workshop. Handouts will include easy-to-understand harmonica tablature.
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Need a harmonica?
John will have a limited number of beginner level diatonic harmonica’s available to purchase.-
Click here to reserve a “C” ‘harp from John ($10 payable to John at the Gathering)
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OR order one of these online:
Fun with Open Tunings for Guitar 1:00-2:30 PM CDT
Open tunings on the guitar can open a whole new world of possibilities for the player. Simple fingerings can produce lush sounding extended and movable chords. This workshop will focus on one of my favorite tunings, Open D although I will also demonstrate other tuning possibilities. I’ll teach basic chords and some strum patterns and apply them to a song or two that we will all be able to play together. Open tunings also lend themselves to slide guitar. The information in this workshop is applicable to playing slide. If you are into slide guitar, please bring one along and we can delve into that too!
REGISTRATION
You can sign up for one, two, three, or all four performer workshops, in addition to some great participant-led workshop sessions!
Click here to return to Announcement Page and begin registration