February 2011
 At The Fur Peace Ranch we celebrate music, friendship and life in all its glory. The music is and always has been our backbone. The Ranch could not exist were it not for the friends of Fur Peace and life…well….life is what you make of it. And while the rest of the U.S. has been subjected to the harsh tales of the winter of 2011, right now we are enjoying the signs of an early spring. The rain has been falling these past few days and the grass is starting to green. I even heard a bird that I only hear in the spring. Did Punxsutawney Phil predict this? Well perhaps he did . Punxsutawney Phil may rule the state of Pennsylvania, but here in Ohio, we look to musings of Buckeye Chuck. Buckeye Chuck did not see his shadow this year and as silly as these little rodents or to be correct the Marmota monax, are… we’ll take their word if it’s in our favor.
I am a New England girl and my Assistant Brett and John “Hurl” all hale from the east coast. We celebrate the first snowfall as most do. How could you not… the first snow is always so symbolic and it reassures us that it’s OK to slow the metabolism and enjoy retiring early as the day makes way to night as early as 4:30.
But let’s get real here…we like it when the Ranch is in session. We like the ferns swaying on the porches in the warm air, the new jokes that some of our instructors share (Thanks Tommy E.), the early morning jams in the courtyard, the smell of the day's menu that hangs in the air and when the workload preparing for the upcoming weekend of workshops and performances is plentiful…not the snow in our shovel.
 I don’t tell most people this but I look to the signs that the universe presents as I go thru my day. A red tail hawk flying in my path is always a sign to be alert…pay attention. The occasional double rainbow that appears over The Ranch after our wonderful summer storms is most definitely an auspicious sign of some sort. The dropping of a knife in our kitchen always means a strange man is coming. The amount of black on a wooly caterpillar as an indication of the foreboding winter season . . . Some of these I inherited from my grandmother and others were gifts from our Native Indian brethren who have become friends of The Ranch.
What does it all mean? Sign or no sign…winter is on it’s way out and whether Buckeye Chuck or Punxsutawney Phil agree or don’t agree, nothing changes the fact that spring is on its way and we are ready to begin our 2011 season. We can see your smiling faces, and we can hear your sweet guitar sounds echoing through the trees . . .
So grab your guitars and lets welcome spring at The Fur Peace Ranch!
Special Valentine's Day Offer
 |
Monday, February 14th is Valentine's Day, but you can spread the love around all year.
Let us help you show your love.....Any workshop gift certificate purchased from February 14 through March 14, 2011will come with a “somebody loves you package." We will include a special Jorma-Gram phone call to the gift certificate recipient announcing your great gift. We’ll also throw in a Jorma Smile t-shirt. Same price....just sealed with a special Jorma greeting.
Offer Good February 14 – March 14, 2011
Sign Up Today!
A Special Hot Tuna Workshop in NYC! |
Get A Double Dose of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady with a Special Acoustic Duo Workshop! (Level 3)
A special Fur Peace Ranch class will be held at the Greenwich House in NYC
for serious guitar and bass students. Jorma and Jack will combine their
teaching efforts and give this one time only guitar/bass class. Guitar and Bass classes will be held separately at times, other times the classes will join up for a unique duo workshop that brings together the music the classes have worked on.
If you want to learn the secrets of this dynamic duo's 50+ career....this is your chance. If you live in NY you won't have to go far.....
Open to Guitar and Bass players. An equal number of each will be accepted. Limited to 8 students per class Don't miss this opportunity!
Thursday April 21, 2011 - Saturday April 23, 2011 Tuition: $1275 (incl. Workshops, lunches and snacks. One (1) ticket to a performance by Jorma or Jorma/Jack in NYC around the same time. (Date and Venue TBA) Does not include lodging.)
Sign Up Today!
Steady As She Goes Update |
The final tracking and mastering are done and off to Red House Records. We anticipate a release date of Tuesday April 12, 2011! Steady As She Goes will be available on CDs, and on-line downloads. A special 2-platter vinyl addition will be released for all you collectors and audiophiles!
More details and pre-order info will be forthcoming in March's newsletter.
 
The balloting is now open for the 2011 Player’s Choice Awards at acousticguitar.com! Help us earn gold, silver, or bronze. Fur Peace Ranch, Jorma's Martin M-30 and Jack's Signature Epiphone Bass are all up for nomination for the best in their class.
Jorma Kaukonen...
 Jorma Kaukonen is the Flagship Captain here at the Fur Peace Ranch. Jorma does so many things it's hard to keep track of them all. One of the things he's been doing for a long time now is teaching guitar. Indeed, how long Jorma has been teaching comes to light more then once in a while. One of our regulars here at guitar camp took lessons from Jorma back in 1962, when he was known as Jerry, and was teaching at the Benner Music Company in San Jose. Another one of our students last year told us during orientation that he had taken lessons from Jorma before.....when Jorma was teaching a guitar course at the New School in New York City in the early 80's. Jorma was also one of the early instructors for Homespun Tapes' video lessons that made a big impact on music instruction when they were first introduced. So.....as you can see he's been perfecting the art of teaching for many years.
Jorma's career spans nearly a half century. He is one of the top 100 guitarist in many polls and Rolling Stone had him in the Top 100 in both the electric and acoustic guitar categories. He is a respected interpreter of American Roots music, Blues, Americana and a cornerstone of Rock and Roll music. He was a founding member of the seminal San Francisco band, Jefferson Airplane, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 for his participation in the revolutionary sound of the Airplane. Jorma has more then 14 solo recordings and he was nominated for a Grammy for his 2002 release, Blue Country Heart.
His most recent solo release, River of Time, earned him the honor of best Folk Song of the Year for the
title song. Jorma was inspired by the music of Reverend Gary Davis while in college and that inspiration and the songs of the Rev.'s have been a part of Jorma's repertoire throughout his career. Before the Jefferson Airplane, back before the day, Jorma used to accompany Janis Joplin in her early performances in California. Jorma's first original song, "Embryonic Journey", was included on the Airplane's most popular record, Surrealistic Pillow, as well as during the final episode of the TV favorite, "Friends". Hot Tuna was a spinoff of the Jefferson Airplane when they began to perform in 1969....40 plus years later, the band is still on the road and just out of the studio with their first new studio recording in 20 years, Steady As She Goes (due out April 12, 2011). Burgers was their first studio album and it contained the FM hit "Keep on Truckin".
Now.....if you are receiving this newsletter, you are probably quite aware of all of this Jorma bio information. You are also most likely aware of what a great teacher Jorma has become over the years. Teaching here at the Ranch as our Dean of Guitar for the past 13 years has only helped the Captain refine and perfect his teaching approach. We are constantly showered with praise by Jorma's students for how approachable he is and for what a patient teacher he is. If you've been following the Ranch through the years you are also aware of the fact that Jorma's classes are usually sold out and are hard to get into because of the demand. What you might not be aware of is that Jorma's first level 3 class of 2011 on the weekend of March 25 – 28 has open spaces for students. If you have ever thought about taking a guitar class from a master and love the music of Jorma's legacy, this is the class to sign up for. For this first workshop weekend of the Ranch's 14th season, Jorma will be also touching on his SONGWRITING as part of the class......and
that my friends is the icing on the cake.
Sign Up Today!
Barry Mitterhoff...
 Barry Mitterhoff came to the Ranch in 2002 to audition for Jorma's "Blue Country Heart" touring band. He came highly recommended. By the time the first song had been played he was asked to join the tour with Jorma in support of the Grammy Nominated, Blue Country Heart CD. As it has been said.....many times before....the rest is history. Barry did such a great job playing with Jorma, not only because of his great mandolin playing chops, but also for his ability to blend in perfectly with the music. After a short time touring with Jorma, it was evident what a master mandolinist Barry is and he was asked to teach at Fur Peace; he was also asked to become a regular member of Hot Tuna. Although Barry came into our world at this point, his history
extends far beyond his history with Hot Tuna and the Fur Peace Ranch.
Barry first rose to notoriety with the master banjoist, Tony Trischka, and their group, Skyline. Skyline's first recording came out in 1977. Because of his association with Trischka and Skyline's music, Barry fell into the "Progressive Bluegrass" camp. However, Barry is such a fluent mandolinist that he is involved in many other projects covering a spectrum of styles: Traditional Bluegrass, Klezmer, Folk, Blues, Rock, Americana, Jazz, Swing, Classical, Italian and Musicals....think the "Oh, Brother" soundtrack which he graces with his mandolin playing.
Ever since joining up with Jorma, Barry has become a regular teacher at the Fur Peace Ranch. Barry has earned a reputation and high remarks from his students. You see, teaching is a vocation that Barry is happy to be involved with and it shows in how well he connects with his students. For years Barry has taught close to his home in New Jersey building the confidence, knowledge, tools, and communication skills needed to bring the lessons home. Our "student performance" on Sunday is always one of our favorite spots during a camp weekend. Each year Barry and his students perform a group arrangement that leaves us all breathless.....and when we are able to talk again.....we always comment about what a great class Barry has and what a great job of teaching he has done.
Barry's class this April still has some open spots and if you were thinking about refining your mandolin skills this just might be the opportunity you've been waiting for.
Sign Up Today!
We will no longer offer a free workshop after 15 visits. We will offer new incentives beginning August 2011 for the 2012 season. If you are entitled to a free workshop after your 15th, it must be redeemed in 2011.
Read more about what's happening at FPR and On-The-Road
Check Out the Fur Peace Ranch Youtube Channel |
If you haven't already seen the FPR Youtube Channel, be sure to stop by and rate our videos, or become a subscriber.
We are building an audience for all the video material we are filming. We would appreciate your support and opinion. Look for new videos in the future!
Thanks to all of you who subscrbed to the FPR channel. We appreciate all your support.
back to top ^
 "
|
