Vol 18 Issue 3 - May - June

Volume 18, Issue 3 May—June 2016

The Montana Rockies

Bluegrass Associa on is a non‐profit associa on

dedicated to promo ng, preserving and sharing our love of bluegrass music in

a spirit of family and friendship.

Inside this issue: Page President Message 2 Spring Festival Photos 4 Spring Festival Report 5 Conroy Campout 5 MRBA Campout 8 On the Road with MRBA 8 Banjo Camp 9

Bluegrassin’ Upcoming Bluegrass Events

May 13— Acousticals, Top Hat, Missoula, 6:00 pm May 13—Lil Smokies, The Wilma, Missoula May 14 –Acousticals, Kalispell Brewery, 5:00 pm May 19—New South Fork Trio, Bitterroot Brewery, Hamilton, 6:00 pm May 20—New South Fork Trio, Eagles, Columbia Falls, 7:00 pm May 21—New South Fork Trio, Bitterroot Brewery, Hamilton, MT 5:00 pm May 21—Beargrass Bluegrass,Top Hat, Missoula May 28—30 Conroy’s Memorial Day Campout (see pg. 4) May 29—Pasture Pickin, Libby, MT (Starts last Sunday in May and goes for one week

after.) This is the last year for Pasture Pickin. Be sure not to miss it! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pasture-Pickin/136638576370075?

sk=info&tab=page_info May 29—Beargrass Bluegrass, Philipsburg Brewing Co., Philipsburg June 10, 11, 12 — Broken Arrow Bluegrass Campout, Gibbonsville, ID (Call Dell

Scott for details, 406-381-0822) June 24—27, MRBA Annual Campout, Clinton, MT (See pg. 4) Note: Dates and times are subject to change. If you know of any upcoming events,

please e-mail them to the newsletter editor.

Recurring Shows and Jams

Missoula—Open Jam. Top Hat. Tuesdays. 6:00 pm Missoula—Tangled Tones Pickin class. Wednesdays 6:30 pm. Laurie Criger, [email protected] or call 406-552-9208 Helena—Staggering Ox, Open Jam, Tuesdays, 6:00 pm Livingston - Open Jam. Pine Creek Café. Thursday—8:30—10:30 pm.

www.pinecreeklodgemontana.com (406)222-3628

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May—June, 2016 Volume 18 Issue 3

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Montana Rockies Bluegrass Association PO Box 1306, Missoula, MT 59806

Website: www.mtbluegrass.com email: [email protected] President - Mike Conroy, [email protected] or phone 406-821-3777

Vice President - Dallas Olson

Secretary/Treasurer - Anne Merrifield, [email protected], 406-360-1877

Board Members - Tari Conroy, Kate McMahon, Ben Essary, Verna Molenda

Merchandise Manager - Dallas Olson Newsletter Editor - Kate McMahon, [email protected], 406-863-9255

MRBA Webmaster - Phyllis Erck [email protected]

Bluegrassin’ is a bi-monthly publication of the Montana Rockies Bluegrass Association

Information printed in Bluegrassin’ is at the discretion of the editor.

Montana Rockies Bluegrass Association

President’s Message Well, the 17th Lone Rock fes val was a big success. Thanks to all the folks who stepped in to help make it all work. We grossed approximately $3400 and there was lots of fun and lots of music. If your band from Lone Rock is do-na ng a song selec on to the upcoming MRBA compila on cd, please give me your song selec on and its number on your band cd by May 9th (hey that's my birthday)... This year will be our 20th year for the Conroy's Memorial Weekend Campout. As usual, we will have several wall tents for late night jamming, 6pm potlucks, great scenery, campfires, free camping, and lots of good folks. We thought about having a picture board at the campout featuring pics from past years. If you have some cool old pic-tures from years past, bring them or email them to me at [email protected] and we'll put them on the board. Mike (head mop squeezer)

WANTED MRBA WEB POSTS

We need members to help keep the web site up-to-date!

Post pictures from MRBA Events

If you play in a band post the dates & where you will be playing.

Share any bluegrass news or links to other bluegrass web sites.

http://www.mtbluegrass.com/

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Got Something to sell?

Advertise in Blugrassin!

Full Page – $25.00, 1/2 Page – $15.00, 1/4 Page – $10.00 Classified – $5.00

Contact:

Anne Merrifield [email protected]

406-360-1877

Get MRBA Newsletter by E-Mail

If you would like to get your newsletter delivered electronically via e-mail send a message to:

[email protected]

Electronic version has color photos &

hyperlinks to websites.

(P.S.—It will help keep down printing & mailing cost for the association)

MONTANA ROCKIES BLUEGRASS ASSOCIATION Membership Application

Date_____________Last Name __________________First Name_______________________ Mailing Address_________________________________________City___________________ State__________Zip Code_______________Phone #_________________________________

E-mail___________________________________Individual ($10.00) ___ Family ($15.00) ___

Do you want the newsletter delivered electronically? ______YES _____NO

Please mail your application to: MRBA, PO Box 1306, Missoula, MT 59806

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Spring Festival Pictures

Let’s have a mopping contest!

Thanks to Susan for taking over kitchen duties!

The Prez gets all of the fun jobs.

Barefoot bands. It’s a bluegrass thing.

Everyone on stage for the grand finale!

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Spring Festival Report The totals are in--- we grossed approximately $3400 at the festival. Thanks to all the folks who donated their musical talent and all the folks who stepped in to help in the kitchen, admission table, cd and merchandise table, speaker setup and school cleanup. It takes a village to get it all done. PS: All band cd's were handed to whichever member I could find at the festival. Please let me know your band song selection and its number on your cd by May 9 Thanks to all- Mike and Tari Editor’s Note—Once again, it was another day of great bands and great music. One of the highlights was the grand finale when everyone got on stage to play “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and “I’ll Fly Away”. Thanks again to Mike and Tari and all of the volunteers! Kate McMahon

Conroy's Memorial Weekend Bluegrass Campout

Conroy's Memorial Weekend Bluegrass Campout will be May 27th-30th, and will be held at the Little West Fork Campground south of Darby MT. It'll be just like past years, three or four heated wall tents for jammin, pot luck suppers at 6 pm in the evenings, and a biscuits and gravy breakfast Monday morning at 10 am, before everyone has to leave. The campground is approximately 23 miles south of Darby MT. Heading south from Darby, turn right on the West Fork Highway about 4 miles from town, continue on the West Fork to just past the 14 mile marker and turn right on the Nez Perce Road. Stay on the road for 4 miles. The pavement will end and the campground will be on the right. Watch for signs. Beautiful scenery and the camping is free. This is a old style campout with campfires, recreational activities, and a heck of a lot of jammin.

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On the Road With MRBA

Instructors and banjo players extraordinaire Janet Beazely and Alan Munde with the

MRBA newsletter at the Suwanee River Banjo Camp.

Tony Trischka and Ned Luberecki at the Suwanee River Banjo Camp.

Listen to Ned’s Bluegrass Radio show on Sirius Radio on Sunday afternoon.

MRBA ANNUAL CAMPOUT June 24-25-26

The annual MRBA camp out will be held at Forrest Flats Highway 10 East between Turah and Clin-

ton, about three miles East of Turah and three miles west of Clinton. There will be signs. There will be dry camping Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (June 24—26). Come a day earlier - there will probably be some pick-ers already there, and you can pick out a good spot. Breakfast pot luck on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night the Association will provide the steak and dessert. We ask members to bring pot luck dishes to finish the meal.

There will be a $10.00 charge for non-members or unpaid members for Saturday night, This should

be a no-brainer when dues are $10.00 for Single memberships or $15.00 for Family. Family = two adults and minor children. You need to sign up in advance for Saturday meal.

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TICKETS Weekend pass before Aug. 1st $30.00 Weekend pass after Aug, 1st $35.00 Friday Night $10.00 Saturday $15.00 Sunday $10.00 CAMPING RV with hookups per night $25.00 Tents no hookups per night $15.00

DRYMILL ROAD

New South Fork

Wild Coyotes

Portneuf Gap

Red Desert Ramblers

Teton Shadow Boys

Lochwood Bluegrass Band

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

DAILY CONCERTS, MUSIC WORKSHOPS,

BANDS, BAND SCRAMBLE, FOOD AND

CRAFT VENDORS

No dogs, bike, alcohol, drugs or weapons

allowed in concert area. Dogs must stay in the

campground and must be on a leash.

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What I learned at Banjo Camp By Kate McMahon

In March, I went to the Suwanee River Banjo Camp in Live Oak, FL. It was a great experience. It was the first music camp I have ever a ended and there were four days of banjo workshops, jams, concerts and making new friends. The instructors were incredible musicians and incredible teachers. One of my favorite events was the band scramble on the first night of camp. One band in the scrambled played “Rolling in My Sweet Baby’s Arms” with a verse in German from a camper who traveled all the way from Germany to a end the camp. The bluegrass banjo instructors were all renowned banjo players including Tony Trishka, Alan Munde, Janet Beazley, James McKinney, Sco Anderson and Ned Luberecki. Campers got to choose from an array of workshops such as, “All Earl/All the Time”, “Tips on Cra ing Solos & Breaks”, “Roll Logic – How to Place Melody Notes Within Them”, “Singing Along with the Banjo” and more. The camp is adver sed as banjo paradise and it lived up to its name. There was so much to learn, it was hard to remember it all but below are some key ps that are good advice for any picker.

1. Know the lyrics of the song. Even if you don’t sing at jams, sing along when you are prac cing. It will help with finding the melody notes and help with the phrasing of the song.

1. Emphasize the melody notes. It is not just about the notes you play, but the notes you don’t play. 2. Tony Trishka general prac ce guidelines for a one-hour prac ce session

15 minutes – Prac ce fundamentals. Rolls, scales, hammer-ons, pull-offs…. 15 minutes – Work on the new song you are learning 15 minutes - Play the old songs you already know to keep them fresh 15 minutes – Noodle. Play around incorpora ng new licks in your songs. Find out what works and what

doesn’t. 3. Alan Munde – Rule of Thumb. When you can pick a melody note with your thumb, do it. 4. Alan Munde - Roll Logic – Know the fretboard so you move up and down the neck to find melody notes and add

variety to your songs. 5. Janet Beazley. Prac ce rolls going up and down the neck to build the muscle memory and learn what works.

Prac ce rolls every prac ce session. 6. James McKinney – Know your scales. These will

help you find the “righteous” notes that sound good.

The banjo camp is an annual event. The organizers of this camp also organize a camp near Sea le, Washing-ton in the fall. More informa on on the camps can be found at the web sites: h p://www.suwanneebanjocamp.com/ h p://www.americanbanjocamp.com/

4825 N. Reserve Street Missoula, MT 59808

406-721-0990 800-221-2057

During your next stay in Missoula or

When planning your next event

THE MOST BLUEGRASS FRIENDLY HOTEL IN MONTANA

Free hot breakfast buffet daily 6 – 10am Free soup/dessert 5:30 – 8:30pm

Free airport shuttle Close to major shopping district Quiet picnic area on Grant Creek

Outdoor pool/hot tub Guest laundry

Full-service catering 6 meeting rooms Free local calls

Located off I-90 exit 96, 1/4 mile on right

PO Box 1306 Missoula, MT 59806

MRBA membership good through:

ATTENTION: We have set up the address label on your newsletter to be your membership card, please clip it out and use if for proof of your membership to the MRBA.

Vol 18 Issue 3 - May - June

Documents

Transcript of Vol 18 Issue 3 - May - June