The Guitar Workshop will be a 90-minute work session. Small work groups will be organized for personal, specialized sessions. Bring your guitars!

Session #1  Beginner / Intermediate: Small Group & One-on-One Instruction

Some topics for our agenda: Healthy Guitar Playing * Basic Right & Left Hand Technique * Plectrum Control & Picking Direction * Simple Practice Scales * Chord Variations & Positions * Rhythm Methods (playing effective rhythm in a band)

Session #2  Advanced: Group Study, followed by One-on-One Instruction

Focusing on the subtle, more challenging methods of bluegrass guitar playing.

Some topics for the agenda: * Fills & Backup * Guitar "Runs" & Rhythm * 'Lead' Playing * Sensible playing versus over-playing

Dusan Hronek will be showcasing at the festival with the Slovak band Candy Floss, and Wayne Taylor brings his group Appaloosa from the USA. E-mail any questions to Kevin Lynch.

In this workshop Bruno and Jan, both experienced sound engineers and two of Holland's finest bluegrass instrumentalists, will help the less technically-inclined musician to understand and work with a sound system. After a short introduction, some difficulties that musicians may encounter while performing with a sound system will be demonstrated, followed by their respective cures. Participants are requested to bring their instruments, and will be offered the opportunity to work on their microphone technique. Close mic as well as single mic technique and its many pitfalls will be covered. Here's your chance to dramatically improve your stage performance! 

The Mandolin Workshop will be a 90-minute work session. Small work groups will be organized for personal, specialized sessions. Bring your instruments!

Session #1  Beginner / Intermediate: Small Group & One-on-One Instruction

Some topics for our agenda: Healthy Mandolin Playing * Basic Right & Left Hand Technique * Plectrum Control & Picking Direction * Simple Practice Scales * Chord Variations * Rhythm Methods * Song Intro's * Solo Playing (taking "breaks" in a song)

Session #2  Advanced: Group Study, followed by One-on-One Instruction

Focusing on the subtle, more challenging methods of bluegrass mandolin playing.

Some topics for the agenda: * Sensible playing versus Over-playing * Fills & Backup; * 'Lead' Playing
* Effective Tremolo Playing Past the 5^th Fret * Syncopated Rhythms

Emory Lester is well known for both his mandolin and guitar work, with his own groups and backing many other artists. Martino Coppo, from Italy's Red Wine, will play at EWOB with the Kathy Kallick Band. Paul van Vlodrop is best known for his years with the Dutch bluegrass band 4-Wheel Drive. E-mail any questions to Kevin Lynch.

18:00 - SONGWRITING - Sharon Cort

Writing Songs the Nashville Way: Whether you always wanted to learn how to write a song for your own pleasure or are serious about competing in the commercial song market, this workshop will give you a basic understanding of what it takes to write a song. Basic song structure, as well as putting your ideas into song form will be discussed. We will also go over what it takes to write a song for the Nashville commercial market.

Singer-songwriter Sharon Cort, who now makes her home in Nashville, is winning acclaim for her distinctive singing, tinted with traditional country stylings. As Sharon describes her sound: "I try to do what's right for the song and tend not to worry too much about fitting into a certain style or mold. I prefer to sing whatever the mood of the song dictates, rather than sound like what you expect to hear."

12:30 - TALES FROM THE TRAILS - Eddie Winship (especially for children 5-12 years old)

This program will be hosted by Eddie Winship. "Tales from the Trails" contains stories and songs of the West. Children will have the opportunity to learn to spin ropes and sing a song in Native American sign language. A translator will be present, and although the theme is educational, the main emphasis is on fun, fun, fun!

Eddie is a folksinger from Scotland, who hosts a radio show on Thames University's Blast 1386 in Reading, England. He's a fine storyteller who has worked a lot with children. In 1998 he worked all over the USA as a singing cowboy for the Green Meadows company. His show "Tales from the Trails" has been performed at many folk festivals and schools in several countries.

THE CHILDREN WILL PERFORM THE SONG THEY'VE LEARNED ON THE MAIN STAGE AT 13.45!

14:00 - BASS - Kene Hyatt

Bass workshops are rare at EWOB, so we jumped at the opportunity when Kene Hyatt (playing with Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa) offered to teach us some secrets of this wonderful instrument. During the workshop he will focus on technique (right and left hand), scales, (major, minor, dominant 7), the cycle of fourths (how to make a bass line swing), modes, and possibly solos (what notes are appropriate for a solo over a given set of chords). He has a bass book available with scales and arpeggios for those who want to practice more at home. Kene is also available for individual lessons.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Kene Hyatt is one of the foremost bass players in acoustic music today. Kene studied at the York University in Toronto, and excelled in jazz bass. A past winner of the Bass Player of the Year award in the Central Ontario Bluegrass Awards, Kene has performed regularly with Emory Lester and other bluegrass artists, as well as branching out to other genres such as rock, salsa, and country.

16:00 - BANJO - Lee Marcus

Lee Marcus is replacing Chris Warner on the Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa tour, and has been kind enough to offer to replace Chris on the banjo workshop as well. Lee plays guitar and banjo with a high degree of proficiency. He has played for the past 10 years with various groups such as Mercy Tree and Legacy Drive. He has tabbed out over 300 songs for guitar and banjo. His tablature is availabe on his website at http://www.leemarcusmusic.webs.com.

18:00 - BLUEGRASS HARMONY VOCALS - Sue Thompson