5th anniversary of the 1st American Fujara Workshop, and the current overtone flute class

[Rychlik, Bob (DS-1)]

Designation: Non-SSA/Finmeccanica

I have realized today, that it is going to be already 5 years, since the 1^st American Fujara Workshop, which was running  whole Saturday and  half of Sunday (6/10 – 6/11/2006) in Mount Airy, Maryland.

http://picasaweb.google.com/fujara/2006MarylandFujaraWorkshop

The event has been unforgettable for me, and I believe it was a great experience for all participants as well. I’ve always hoped, that there will be other, and even better fujara workshops in the future, concentrated more on playing skills.  I have tested the waters several times by asking members of this group, and there was some interest, but we have not developed a good plan to make this happen. As I see it, it is practically impossible to make significant progress in mastering any music instrument in a couple of hours, and I was looking for a better idea. The week long course at the Mc Daniel College in Westminster, Maryland, seems to me as a perfect vehicle for a true teaching fujara seminar. This year we start with fujara’s “significant other”, Slovak koncovka, which also uses overtone scale, and is considered to be an excellent choice instrument for both fujara players, and for anybody else, who would like to play a very simple overtone flute. It was easier to have an “Overtone flute” class first, because the shorter koncovka instruments are easier to ship and cheaper to buy, we have 20 beginner koncovka instruments ready for the class. If, and that is a big IF, this class would be well attended, I believe, we can have a fujara class at the next year same time, same place.

The class is the 1^st week in July, Monday to Friday, from 4 P.M. to 5:45 P.M., (total of 4.5 hours), and I believe, that everybody will be playing several songs, and improvise blues, at the end of the course. I have chosen the 5^th period (4-5:45 P.M.), so local attendees could even be at work in the morning, if needed. But if you play other music instruments, there is a great choice of lessons for guitar, banjo, and many other instruments in all earlier periods, starting at 9 A.M.  It is the short week (Monday is 4^th of July holiday), so if you are out of town, only 4 days of vacation would be needed. Accommodation is right there on the campus, and there is plenty of official and unofficial evening activities every day as well.

To check the classes, and /or register, click at:   http://www.commongroundonthehill.org/index.html

And click: Traditions Week 1.

Fujara will be also presented in the class, but the main subject this year is the koncovka. I would be staying longer after the class for anybody who would need help with fujara playing.

At the end of Traditions Week 1, there is a weekend festival (7/9-7/10), I will be performing there with fujara and koncovka as well, on Saturday 7/9. (The Traditions Week 2 is bluegrass oriented, you wouldn’t find overtone flutes there).

Find out how much more you can play on koncovka with my little invention (almost anything), learn to jam blues, and learn to use several major, minor and pentatonic scales, and enjoy koncovka as much, as I enjoy playing it.

I am looking forward to see you in class,

Bob

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