Music Camps - the Pros and Cons!
Well I guess Henry had a good time at Augusta! It's a great place and the music is fantastic. For those interested in a wide variety of musical genre look up Augusta Heritage on the net.
I attended about 20 years ago (for Hammered Dulcimer)on Blues week. The "camp" takes place all summer long and includes lessons for all levels (beginners, Int. Advance) on many instruments (eg. bluegrass banjo, clawhammer banjo, blues guitar, etc.) Each week of the summer has a theme such as Irish, bluegrass, blues, old time, etc. The campus(Davis and Elkins Un.) is nice and the location (Elkins, W.Va) is in the mountains and is spectacular.
You can stay in the college dormitories and eat in the campus dining hall if you wish. However, this may remind you too much of the hardships of college life. Couples and families often go to the "camp" possibly as a summer vacation. There are a lot of good musicans that attend the "camp", but also some intermediate beginners. The evening concerts are fantastic and you may get a chance to play with pros (like Henry did) like Ralph Gordon the bass man.
The only downside to the whole experience is it is a week of intense music. 8 hours in class, evening concerts, nightly jam sessions (and a few beers at the Ice House)-- your day can start at 8 in the morning and not end until early the next morning.
There is something to be said for a 1 & 1/2 day workshop like Dave and the Kruger's will be giving in April. Then you can eat what you like and sleep where you please (within reason).
