Bonnie Black

The Need For Speed

November 25, 2019 By

Instructor: Bonnie Black

We all want it: the ability to play FAST! Not just speedy, but clean, beautiful, steady, dancey, and easy-sounding all at the same time. It’s the gold standard for instrumentalists wanting to jam, play for dancers, or simply make those fast tunes sound like they’re meant to — and, weirdly, you can’t get there just by practicing slowly! In this workshop, Bonnie will show you the techniques and practice strategies you need to start playing fast tunes with ease and excellence. Come demystify the “secrets” of achieving those top tempos!

Ninja-Style Tune Learning

November 25, 2019 By

Instructor: Bonnie Black
All Levels; All Melody Instruments

“So many tunes, so little time” — and the faster you learn them, the more you can get to! Come learn some incredibly powerful techniques that can help you understand, digest, and master tunes in a fraction of the time you’re used to. No matter whether you are learning by ear or reading music, the skills are the same, and Bonnie will have you feeling like a tune- learning ninja by the end of the workshop! Open to any melody-playing instrument.

Conquering Your Fear of Treble Clef Territory: Thumb Position for Cellists

November 25, 2019 By

Instructor: Bonnie Black
All Levels; Cello

Us cello players can sound great on melodies….but sometimes those tunes are just so high up! How do you navigate all those treble clef tunes without shifting up and down endlessly? Enter Thumb Position, a great tool that opens up the treble clef range for cellists, without the need for tiresome shifting. Come explore some common “high tunes” and extend your range to be able to join those violinists on the melody with ease!

0-5 Songs in 60 Minutes: How to Give Total Beginners a Start in Your Fiddle Group

November 25, 2019 By

Instructor: Bonnie Black
Intermediate-Advanced Levels; All Instruments

This workshop will dive into the joy of helping new fiddlers get started from the very beginning — or more specifically, how to take folks who have never even held an instrument before and turn them into enthusiastic fiddlers for your local fiddle orchestra! Drawing on her decades of experience raising musicians of all ages, Bonnie will show you how to teach beginners of any age (yes, including “I’ve always wanted to play” adults!), starting from scratch and arriving as quickly as possible at a repertoire of classic fiddle tunes that any fiddle orchestra or band would be happy to play. Open to anyone with the desire to teach bowed string instruments (violin, viola, ‘cello, bass) — bring your instrument, your sense of playfulness, and your curiosity!

Everyone In: Build Your Own Multi-Level Fiddle Orchestra

November 25, 2019 By

Instructor: Bonnie Black
All Levels; All Instruments

Every good fiddle group has players of mixed levels …. but every GREAT fiddle group knows how to harness the skills of its less-experienced players and use them to help the whole group sound way better than it would without them! In this workshop, we’re going to throw out the idea of “easy” or “beginner” parts, and learn instead how to create simple, but clever and catchy parts designed for every level of player in your orchestra. We’ll work with classic tunes that any fiddle group would be proud to play, and explore how to create a multi-level arrangement that not only maximizes the skills of every player, but also uses them to build a rich, interesting, and fun arrangement that everyone will love! Open to all instruments — bring your “axe”, and be ready to play!

Sacred Fiddle and Song

January 5, 2019 By

Led by: Pam Weeks; Bonnie Black; Joni Harms; Rob Flax; Fred White
All levels, All Instruments

How might we come together as instrumentalists and singers of all levels of playing and singing ability, and of experience in this form of music, and then ply them all together in a grand chorus of gratitude, praise and lamentation? This session will attempt to answer this question by an active involvement in that direction. One hoped-for outcome would be a sense of the possibility of organizing similar gatherings at home, as might meet the needs of the local community.