The Midwest Banjo Camp offers banjoists the opportunity to study old-time or bluegrass banjo with some of today’s best players and teachers in both styles. Their program features hands-on classes, demonstrations and two faculty concerts, and still leaves lots of time for jamming with your fellow banjo enthusiasts. With four levels in both bluegrass and old-time — Novice, lower intermediate, upper intermediate, and advanced — it should be relatively easy to find the level that’s right for you.

There are now six class options per session for bluegrass and six more for old-time, one each in the novice and lower intermediate tracks, and two each in the upper intermediate and advanced tracks. In addition there is a special events track (fiddle lessons, guitar lessons, etc.) and a jamming track (see below). With a total of 14 classes per period, this represents more choice at MBC than ever before.

The Jamming Track. On Saturday and Sunday, will offer a jamming option during some class-sessions. These jams will be run by the accompanists. Jams led by the banjo faculty take place after the concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Instructors this year are as follows:
Old-time: Bob Carlin, Cathy Fink, Adam Hurt, Brad Leftwich, Reed Martin, Joe Newberry, Michael Miles and Ken Perlman. Chris Coole heads up our old-time Novice program.

Bluegrass: Janet Beazley, Greg Cahill, Pat Cloud, Bill Evans, Bill Keith, Jens Kruger, James McKinney, and Alan Munde. Mike Sumner heads up our old-time Novice program.

Accompanists: Peter Knupfer (bluegrass fiddle), Ron McKeever (bluegrass guitar) Chirps” Smith (old-time fiddle) and Mark Sahlgren (old-time guitar).

Another Item of Note: This year we have a Pre-Camp Program on Thursday Evening and Friday Morning (at no Extra Charge for Registrants). We’re planning to run a few events on Thursday evening and Friday morning prior to the official start of camp for the benefit of students who want to jump start their weekend of banjo immersion. On Thursday evening, we figure to have a social “mixer” followed by a few faculty-led jam sessions. Among the ideas we’re tossing around for Friday morning are round-robin demonstrations, clinics on banjo technique and set-up, teachers offering advice on class-choices, and an Introduction to the Banjo sessions for total beginners.

• Dates: June 6-8, 2008
• Place: Olivet College, Olivet, Michigan (about 30 miles southwest of Lansing)
• Times: Registration opens 12 noon on Friday; Camp ends 3:30PM on Sunday

Email the camp or see www.midwestbanjocamp.com for more information.