Re: KlezKamp Plucked String Offerings

[TheDorch <TheDorch...>]

Please let me give a plug to Jeff Warschauer's plucked string class at
KlezKamp. I was lucky enough to take it a few years ago, and its influence on
me has been very deep and lingering. Recently, hearing Jeff's admonishments in
my memory that solo plucked string klezmer could be a beautiful thing, I
figured out an open tuning for G freggish and now play a kind of slack-key
version of Heyser Bulgar. 
        When I took the class we focused on learning melodies by ear and 
through that
process explored theory and phrasing -- it was an incredible feat of both
ingenuity and patience on the part of Jeff that we went around the room, one
musician at a time, learning Buhusher Khosidl phrase by phrase. It was a
brilliant way to optimize the learning experience for a class made up of
students with varying degrees of skill and knowledge.

I'm a little afraid that folks who are less than enthusiastic about Shloinke
might think it less than a good reccommendation for the class that a
notoriously sloppy band's frontman should be plugging it. But my own musical
style, ability, or lack thereof aside, the plucked string class was a turning
point in my learning and my esthetic exploration of klezmer and guitar in
particular and music in general and was *instrumental*, if I may, in
increasing and fleshing out my personal enthusiasm and joy as a creative and
interpretive artist of music. It really made me see guitar in a new way. It
armed me with a new confidence in my ability to weild guitar as a melody
instrument as opposed to merely a chordal accompaniment for voice or some
other melodic instrument to soar above. 

I really can't say enough about the class. Had I the time and the money I
would be there this year. The mandolin orchestra was a blast, too. KlezKamp in
general is an amazing experience, simply a rich source of musical and Yiddish
lore. If you can go, go. You won't regret it!

shalom aloha
jeff dorchen
shloinke