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Appalachian String Band
Professor Phil Jamison
The Class:This class is for musicians who know the basic notes, chords, and a few tunes and are ready for a group playing experience. Students will learn how to play together and sound like a band: playing back-up, rhythm, singing and playing lead and harmony, and playing for dances or other performances. Band issues such as tuning, arranging tunes, performance dynamics, and various possibilities of instrumental combinations will also be explored. We may have the opportunity to perform on campus for a dance or other community event during the semester, and at the end of the semester we will perform at the Student Recital at Sage Café on Wednesday, May 4.
Critical Listening & Writing: Familiarity with the classic Appalachian stringband styles and repertoire is essential to this course. During the semester students will write 4 short critical reviews of stringband recordings (2 each term). The first two will be due on February 15, and the last two on April 12. Many Appalachian Music CD recordings suitable for this assignment are at the Ellison Library. There are also many LPs in the Kittredge Music Library.
Appalachian Music Concert Series and Fiddles and Folklife Festival: There will be a several of Appalachian music concerts held at Sage Café during the semester. Attendance and a written review of any of these live performances may take the place of a CD review. Off-campus traditional Appalachian music events may also be eligible with the instructor�s approval.