| Focused Learning in Brasstown, NC. |
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| Written by Dan Landrum |
| Wednesday, 14 January 2009 14:22 |
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TO: Everyone who told me the John C. Campbell Folk School is an amazing place. RE: You were right. I loved it. The staff, facilities, pastoral countryside and most of all, my class combined to create a positive, lasting experience. Many of the students traveled thousands of miles at no small expense and I was admittedly nervous about making sure they got their money's worth of advanced hammered dulcimer instruction. We spent a week hammering out rudiments as defined by the Percussive Arts Society and focusing on the intricacies of striking a string with a piece of wood. We didn't attempt to learn a single song. Increased confidence and competence were evident on the faces and in the hammers of every student by the end of the week. A teacher can't ask for much more than that. The experience bolstered my conviction that this focused method of learning technique, rather than tunes, works for anyone - regardless of skill level. Thank you to Marilyn, Mary, James H., Helen, Bob, Karen and James for giving back as much as you absorbed. As an interesting side note, my friend Stephen Humphries spent the past weekend teaching a similar course and method at Kentucky Music Weekend. I spoke to him last night and he too was equally jazzed about how much improvement he was able to see in his students in a very short time. I'm back in my studio now with a recharged focus as I work to complete my Rudimental Approach to Learning Hammered Dulcimer project. I feel like I have a good grasp on how to teach this method effectively with live students. The challenging part now is recreating that effectiveness on paper and in video, but hey, I like a good challenge. Hammer On. |
| Last Updated on Saturday, 21 March 2009 03:49 |