20 November 2005

First Bluegrass Camp Ireland, 22-4 July 2016: a founder's report

Participants in the first Bluegrass Camp Ireland
(photo: Sean McGrath)

Together, Simon Humphries and T.J. Screene organised the First Bluegrass Camp Ireland, held on the weekend 22-4 July 2016 in Headfort School, Kells, Co. Meath, with the Hamilton County Ramblers of Chattanooga, TN, as the core of the teaching faculty. Thanks to Simon for this very evocative account of the event:

First off, it was kind of special. It was pretty amazing, and something a lot different from all the Irish festivals I've been to. We had twenty-eight paying customers and about another ten, including the band, three other tutors, the two of us (TJ and myself with Jenny doing the donkey work), plus four in the kitchen. Anyway, a brief report:

Friday 22nd: Folks started arriving about 12.00, and to be honest, they were a litttle confused about what they were in for. Headfort School is an imposing pile, and we wanted all to get a sense of the place before the business of the day began. TJ showed all to their rooms. Patrick Simpson had put a collection of his bluegrass themed portraits up for show. I was lucky to bag two of them. Luke Coffey started proceedings with a jam session and some bluegrass tunes to kick it off. 3 o'clock, we herded everyone into the classrooms on the top floor. Jim Pankey took about fourteen for the banjo class, the fiddlers were segregated with John Boulware, mandolin class with James Kee, Roy Curry took about eight guitarists, and Josh Hixon took double bass downstairs (those oversize violins are pretty heavy).

I sat in on the banjo class. Jim Pankey came alive in the classroom. He was wonderful. He started by asking everyone where they were at. He told stories about how he got going. He talked about how the banjo kind of chooses you, rather than the other way around. He talked about how much practice he'd done as a kid (bus on the way to /from school, first bluegrass band with schoolmates with blessing of the teachers, playing when he got home, playing after meals and homework, played till his father sent him to bed, said he'd play a bit more in the wardrobe so his folks wouldn't hear. He talked about studying Flatt and Scruggs records on 17 rpm, going over every lick 1000 times to get it exactly rhe same way. How Scruggs tried to imitate Flatt's melodies note for note on his breaks. He told us if we wanted to grow as bluegrass musicians we had to listen to the best bluegrass, continuously. How he'd put one song on a tape and listened to just that song in his car- for months at a time, till every nuance sunk into his brain. He talked about how to put swing, syncopation into the banjo to breath life into the music. To play in front of the beat. And more: he was inspiring. That was all in his first hour.

Afternoon tea and coffee, everyone seemed to have had similar experiences with their respective tutors, and were keen to get back to the classrooms. Finished at 6.00, and people retired to the bar before Luke and Paddy [Kiernan] kicked off some jam sessions. Everyone played until dinner was called.

We wanted our musicians to have a taster of some of the best food in Ireland. An innovative new food company, Edible Flower, from the north of Ireland, were doing the food for the weekend. I found them through Ballymaloe connections. A three-course dinner, featuring slow-roasted pork belly with fennel, served buffet style, was our first introduction, in one of the dining rooms downstairs. This was a chance for everyone to get to know each other. Guitarists sat with Roy, banjo players with Jim etc.

After dinner the Hamilton County Ramblers played a concert in the ballroom. The irrepressible John Nyhan as MC. They were brilliant. The concert was short, so that everyone could get on with what they were there for, which was to play. Jam sessions everywhere. Great to see beginners form their own session, and led by Paddy Kiernan. Paddy is a marvellous teacher, maybe the best in the country. He has great time and patience, is incredibly encouraging, and gets his students playing to their potential as quickly as possible. This is what his guys were telling us. Meanwhile Luke led a big session. He quit playing at 6.00 in the morning. He's a master at jamming, and got everyone involved and on the edge of thier seats.

Next morning, after a full breakfast, more classes until lunch. I took some time out, and it was wonderful to hear the sound of a distant violin, a banjo break, the resonance of a double bass resonating through the corridors and staircases of the gorgeous house. After lunch, Hamilton were back on stage to do a Q and A, with Niall Toner acting as MC. They played several songs, and talked about how they worked together on stage as a band: their respective roles, how they worked out what was going on, and how they had to adapt when things went off plan, as they did all the time. It was great.

Later in the afternoon, we had three luthiers: a violin maker, a guitar and mandolin luthier, and a bow maker. Again Niall Toner did a great job of bringing their stories to life and how they went about developing their respective expertises and what went in to building their instruments. Niall Hughes, Paddy Kiernan, and Grainne Quinlan gave a brief impromptu performance to highlight the instruments.

More jamming until another great dinner. That evening, another concert. First on stage, Luke Coffey with Lily [Sheehan], TJ, Grainne, and Niall Hughes [photo above]. Followed by Niall Toner backed up by Paddy on banjo and Niall Hughes on guitar. A different take on bluegrass, with Niall's original songs with great storytelling and great voice.

More jamming for everyone after. The space in the buildings was immense with big glorious rooms used for three or four different jams. People played through the evening till 5.00 in the morning.

Sunday, after breakfast, Niall Toner gave a great two-hour songwriting class (what a great storyteller), while Paddy Kiernan took all beginners and improvers for a five-hour class in the mechanics of music theory, band etiquette, and what's expected of you as a bluegrass musician. Great feedback here. All attendees seemed to want more time with Paddy - he was a real asset to the weekend. After lunch Luke, though tiring, led another inclusive jam. He kept everyone going until we said our goodbyes, thanked everyone, and people started to drift off. 6 o'clock, all our customers were gone, leaving us the evening to reflect on how to do it all better next year.

Highlights for me: first and foremost, that people enjoyed it. Some lovely comments - Jim Curry: 'this is the most beautiful room I've played in - ever'; Karina: 'I fell in love with my fiddle again' (one wag's reply: 'I fell in love with drinking again'); Yvette: 'this was a life changer for me'. To see Jim Pankey sit with beginner banjos at 2.00 in the morning and spend an hour showing them stuff. The guys from Hamilton were great fun as well as outstanding musicians. The food, the concerts, the classes, standing on the balcony overlooking the stunning gardens with a pint of Guinness listening to beginners and pros playing great bluegrass.

We've asked everyone to give us feedback so that next year it'll be even better. Date to be announced shortly. We can't wait. This will be an annual fixture.

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