“The reason this was such a great learning opportunity is really the skills of the instructors. They are all accomplished musicians, so that’s a given. They are also great teachers in their own right and had the ability to work with…”
I want to share my recent experience at the Extended Weekend Music Retreat. Geoff Hohwald has posted about his plans for the Extended Weekend previously and my wife and I decided to attend the most recent incarnation of the workshop. Here’s why I would recommend it to anyone looking for a high touch opportunity to improve your overall playing.
The Retreat starts on Thursday afternoon in the mountains of north Georgia in Dahlonega. Our class consisted of five students and three teachers. This was great for multiple reasons. First, the low student to teacher ratio ensured lots of one on one instruction time. Second, the three teachers all brought great talent and teaching ability but also, each has a specific gift in one area that made the class so impactful. We started with some jamming to get the teachers up to speed on the various skill sets of the students and then broke into one on one sessions with each teacher taking a rotation of one on one instruction and some two student sessions. We then got back together as a group to work on what we had learned during the one on one sessions and then did one more rotation with the teachers. We broke for a meal and then closed the day with jamming and sore fingers.
Day two started in the morning and we followed a similar pattern with review and jamming followed by rotations with the various instructors. We had a nice break for lunch then back at it again in the afternoon, a break for dinner and another jam on Friday night. The highlight of Friday evening was a jam by the teachers after we students had worn it out. Day three followed a similar pattern and the nighttime jam included guest professional musicians from the surrounding area followed by the instructors and the guests playing some amazing music. We wrapped on Sunday with some questions and tune up ideas before breaking at noon. We were worn out in a good way and left with lots of specific items to work on that we had learned and practiced during the retreat.
The reason this was such a great learning opportunity is really the skills of the instructors. They are all accomplished musicians, so that’s a given. They are also great teachers in their own right and had the ability to work with what they were presented with as far as student skills. Rick Taylor is a master at helping groups get the feel for the music they are making. His touch with helping us listen to each other and make music instead of noise or multiple clashing banjo solos was key to applying what we had learned. David Ellis is a multi-instrumentalist in all aspects. During the retreat he played banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass, dobro and could have played fiddle if necessary. He was also able to work with the dobro player that was part of the class as well as give each of us some new stuff to add to our repertoire expanding on what we already knew. Finally, Geoff Hohwald’s training that’s focused on getting the power out of the music and playing clean and in time rounded out the offering.
John B.
“As if that wasn’t enough, Geoff let us play some of his great banjos including 3 fantastic TB 3’s and an original Flathead.”
I wanted to post about my experience with Geoff Hohwald’s extended banjo weekend. What an incredible experience! I had been taking private lessons from a great teacher for over a year but wasn’t sure if I was ready to play in front of others. Geoff, Rick Taylor and David Ellis made the experience completely relaxed and enjoyable from the very beginning.
What followed was 3 1/2 days of opportunities to play(sometimes slowly when necessary) with other musicians playing the bass, guitar and mandolin. rick and David provided some great singing too. Geoff kept us laughing and relaxed with his great sense of humor the entire time. Each participant also got some valuable one on one time and I left with very specific suggestions to move my playing forward. Some of us even got a lesson in stand up bass-It’s harder than it looks. As if that wasn’t enough, Geoff let us play some of his great banjos including 3 fantastic TB 3’s and an original Flathead. But there’s more- David Peterson happened to be in the neighborhood and stopped by to play a set Saturday Night. Geoff even joined in and played a few songs on the banjo. What a great chance to meet and experience such a rare talent in person. I came into the weekend with no experience improvising or playing with others and left with the confidence to do both.
Chris L.
“By far, the most important thing I took away was believing that I COULD learn to play the banjo.”
I attended one of Geoff’s On on One sessions in Dahlonega in May, and thought it would be good to share my experience. I’m a slow learner on the banjo, and I went in a little skeptical regarding how much info I could absorb in two days. I came away from the camp with three solid achievements:
1. A solid understanding of how to use the metronome to improve my timing and overall picking speed, as well as a well defined daily practice regimen. I now get up most mornings at 5am and spend an hour doing metronome drills, and the improvement in my playing has been dramatic.
2. An appreciation of the benefit from recording myself play. I picked up a simple 4 track recorder on Amazon, and although it’s still painful to hear myself, it is steadily less so. Geoff spends a good deal of time making sure you understand the basics of using a multi-track recorder.
3. By far, the most important thing I took away was believing that I COULD learn to play the banjo. Prior to the camp, I had become quite discouraged that I would ever be able to play.
Wayne S.
“…before the camp, the participants were able to discuss with Geoff what their goals and intentions for the camp were.”
Banjo camps and jam camps are a lot of fun and are very popular. I’ve been to several, some multiple times that would attend again, and have been to a couple just once and will not go back. I attended Geoff’s banjo camp last January and it is definitely one to which I will return.
While most of the camps have a similar format, I found Geoff’s to be significantly different in several ways. The first is the small size limit and intense one on one instruction that each participant receives. You are not going to get lost in the crowd which is easy to happen at the larger camps. Also before the camp, the participants were able to discuss with Geoff what their goals and intentions for the camp were. Based on this, when we got there, he had a list of objectives and skills prepared to be covered. We discussed these as a group and were able to modify our goals then or later during the camp.
Another significant difference with this camp is that, as we followed our objectives, we were able to put them into practice right away under Geoff’s direct supervision or that of another instructor, with plenty of playing to help cement the concepts. No one was left alone to figure something out and told to “…Just practice it when you get home.” A big advantage to such a small, one on one situation is the ability to talk about and discuss various aspects about playing, theory, or just what concerns you – your future goals and aspirations as a banjo player. No question or subject was too small or insignificant. I’ve not had this experience at any other camp. Discussion and verbal instruction, while intense, did not interfere with the playing we did…and we did a lot, with Geoff on the banjo or bass and the other instructor on mandolin or guitar. We had plenty of time to jam using what we had learned, playing the old standards or trying something new we had been practicing at home and wanted to try out. Most camps, I’ve noticed, advertise lots of jamming but usually leave it up to the individual to find or fit into a jam. Not here, the instructors played and participated with us and when the day ended at 5:30 PM, were willing to come back after dinner for more playing….!
In reflecting about my experience, it was outstanding – a total immersion in the banjo and banjo playing with little to no distraction – which was one of my goals. Almost more of a retreat rather than the traditional camp because of the level of intensity,focus, on my playing, and the enthusiasm I felt when it was over. This feeling was also emphasized by the location being in the hills of Dahlonega, Ga., north of Atlanta. A very delightful small college town with a rich history going back to the first major gold rush in the United States. By the way,Dahlonega has a good variety of outstanding restaurants- none of them “chain”.
I certainly look forward to returning in the future.
Gerald C.
“Geoff’s explanations and demonstrations were a light bulb experience.”
I just got home from spending two days studying with Geoff Hohwald in Dahlonega Ga. First, Geoff is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. I know this two day format is not for everyone but it sure appealed to me. It is almost impossible for me to get away for a week long banjo camp or even a weekend camp. At first I was concerned that 10 hours would leave me mind numb but Geoff broke it up and kept things moving and enjoyable.He evaluated my ability level and wanted to know the areas I was specifically interested in. Then he got down to work. I wanted him to see if I had any bad habits and show me how to correct. I specifically wanted him to explain his thoughts on playing backup. We have many fine banjo players on the HO and backup seems to be no problem for them. Obviously they have put in many hundreds and even thousands of hours honing that skill. But to me it has remained somewhat of a mystery. Geoff’s explanations and demonstrations were a light bulb experience. I asked him to spend most of the time on it. I tried to record everything. He made sure I understood something before moving on. It was really a great experience. I hope to be able to do it again later. As a side note, I did not realize he now sells and trades banjos. I was able to trade him out of a new Huber VRB 3 true tone with the flying eagle inlay (Sweet) He is a great resource.