October 2011
After 35 years of traveling I have found myself to be a part of a community. A new home town I guess you could say. Even as a kid....my parents never stayed in one place too long. It had its drawbacks but I grew to like the idea of being somewhat of a nomad. The older I got, the more I yearned for a place that I could call home or at least a place I could come back to that was familiar to me when I needed refueling.
Almost 20 years ago, Jorma was guided (at the direction of the universe) to the hills of southeast Ohio. I thought he'd gone mad...really. I was sure that my marriage would not survive living in such a far away land...but just the opposite occurred. My spirit would come alive here and the unexpected happened when I wasn't looking. I grew roots in the deepest part of me. Finding a place that I belonged to did not come without challenges but it was those challenges that offered the greatest rewards. You would think that the obvious reward was The Fur Peace Ranch. Let there be no doubt...it is one of the significant ones...but I think the one that has affected me in the most profound way are the friends that I have met and the genuine love that I experience from their presence in my life. Some of the most important people in my life came to me from Jorma and it set a course in motion that would change my life forever.
Maybe it's the change of seasons or the Indian Summer that is warming my soul . . . but whatever it is, I am grateful that we found this place and I am grateful that southeast Ohio has made such a difference. I am not the only one that feels this. Our students that come from all over the world, know this too. They have found their homes and their bliss wherever they live but when they come to the Ranch and experience the magic of this place (and I do mean magic) it changes them and they bring it back to their lives and it spreads and the cycle is....well it's contagious.
There is no substitute for your own home town where the friends you made as children will always know who you are no matter how long you live. In the microcosm of the Fur Peace Ranch experience, you will be surrounded by this same eternal magic with friends old and new. Join us on this journey.
Vanessa Lillian
Jack Casady to be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award From Music Player Network's Bass Player LIVE! |
Music Player Network, publisher of Guitar Player, Bass Player, Keyboard and Electronic Musician magazines and related websites, are set to present rock visionary Jack Casady with a Lifetime Achievement award at Bass Player Live! on Oct 22 & 23, 2011! Larry Graham and James Jamerson (posthumously) will also be honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Two days of exhibition, live demos and clinics will take place at SIR Studios in Hollywood, CA.
The event will close with a special Bass Player LIVE! performance at the Key Club in West Hollywood, CA on Saturday night. Jack and Jorma will open the performance. James Jamerson Tribute Band (featuring James Jamerson Jr.), Larry Graham with members of Graham Central Station will also perform. You will also want to stick around for the grand finale Bass Player LIVE! All-Star Jam hosted by Steve Bailey.
To purchase exhibition tickets at SIR Studios click here!
To purchase tickets for the Bass Player LIVE! performance at the Key Club click here.
Way to go Jack!
Thanks for ROCKING our world Jack!
Don't Get Stuck In The Snow!
Go Aloha! |
It's the second half of October. Before long, the temps will be below freezing, snow will be flying, the wind will be howling, everyone will be bundled up dashing from door to door, and wishing we had automatic car starters to warm the interior before we climb in for the commute to work.
You could come to the Ranch and play frisbee with Ranch Manager Hurl in the snow. (Good thing those frisbees are black, makes them a lot easier to find).
Or you could join Hurl on the beaches of Maui, in between your workshop sessions with Jorma, Marjorie Thompson and Chris Smither. Join the FPR crew for a break from winter as we head out on the road "Maui style" and experience the spirit of Aloha and get down to some serious guitar picking!
During the first week Jorma and Marjorie Thompson will dig deep into the Jorma bag, breaking down and building up songs from Jorma's repertoire that will be presented for the first time in this level 2/3 workshop. Topics will include the essentials of fingerstyle guitar: alternating bass and melody lines, chord inversions, and keys - plus a variety of runs, licks and fills that will add character to any song you play whether it is improvisational, cover or original. JK and Marjorie provide one-on-one assessments, solid teaching, a wealth of materials and individualized instruction - a sojourn that will stimulate the soul.
For the second week Jorma will teach his first ever Songwriting workshop! Jorma will illustrate in a workshop setting how he charts the path of a song from his heart to his hands and voice. Chris Smither will teach a level 3 Fingerstyle Guitar Workshop during the second week. Smither is a distinguished songwriter, performer and talented teacher, whose experience spans over four decades. The two major influences on Chris Smither's guitar style were Lightnin' Hopkins and Mississippi John Hurt. This workshop will demonstrate how he has combined aspects of their playing to form his own style. The goal is to show students how to make a guitar arrangement that is an integral part of a song, as opposed to mere accompaniment; how to use these techniques as a stimulus to songwriting in which the guitar part becomes the song instead of an after-the-fact embellishment. This workshp with Chris Smither will provide an experience to enhance your musical virtuosity while providing keen insights for your playing and songwriting skills.
Join Jorma Kaukonen, Marjorie Thompson and Chris Smither in Maui at the Royal Lahaina Resort from January 16 - 20 or January 23 - 27, 2012 for a bucket list experience and a winter break that will leave your friends envious and wanting to join you.
Join us in Maui... It's well worth the trip.
Applications now being accepted.
- Tuition*: On Site: $2200 at the Royal Lahaina Resort (Lahaina Kai Tower Guest Rooms)
- Off Site: $1800 (For locals, or make your own lodging accommodations at one of Maui's many fine resorts or inns.)
Tuition includes 12.5 hours of workshop instruction, All Meals (Monday dinner, all day Tues, Wed, Thursday and breakfast on Friday), Lodging (with on-site tuition), concert with instructors!
* Please note that airfares are not included. Participants must arrange their own air/ground travel.
* Extended Stays: You may extend your stay at the Royal Lahaina Resort for up to 3 days on either side of your workshop (for a total of 6 extra days). Fee: $200/night (based upon double occupancy), add $35 for each additional person.
Bring the loved one(s) too (not just the guitar):
* Guest Fee: $325/pp includes lodging (with enrolled student), meals, student performance, instructors performance, all other activities excluding workshops.
Last winter much of the nation was pounded with heavy snows, but not Hawaii!!
Be apart of the FPR On-The-Road Hawaii 2012 workshops and escape the cold, dreary winter and experience the Hawaiian sunshine and Aloha spirit!
Practice Aloha!
Dar Williams
Join Dar Williams for a traditional songwriter's circle workshop where you'll be able to supercharge your songwriting batteries from Dar's 15 year career, as well as from other students' input and experience.
Dar's career began around 1993 when she moved to Northhampton, MA, after living in Boston for several years and finding the Boston folk scene to be a bit intimidating on top of struggling with stage fright. Two years later, in 1995, she released her first album The Honesty Room. The following year she released an EP The Christians and the Pagans, and LP Mortal City. During this period Dar found herself opening a tour for Joan Baez who would eventually go on to record and perform some of Dar's songs. Dar has since released 11 recordings as well as a recording as member of the group Cry, Cry, Cry with Richard Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky.
Throughout her career, Williams has employed a reporter's keen eye and a fiction writer's feel for nuance in the act of confronting what she's described as "the big picture of how people approach life"; doing by examining and illuminating the minute details. Her themes of suburbia, adolescence, religion, anti-commercialism, relationships, loss, alienation, are all written and treated with a compassionate, open, empathetic view towards her characters and narrators. "I'm pleased that my songwriting self was committed to putting aside judgment and respecting the people in the songs. I'm grateful to my younger self for not taking any cheap shots".
Williams is a seasoned songwriter who is also a community-involved wife, mother, "involved neighbor" as she puts it. It's my talent to continue to be interested in a lot of different kinds of people, and it's my job to stay interested in what's going on - which is synonymous with not thinking I have all the answers."
Dar doesn't have all the answers and neither do you, but together, as a group you'll be able to see a lot more words on the blank page of songwriting.
Come and get involved! October 28-31, 2011
Steve Kaufman
The "World's Guitar Instructor", Steve Kaufman, comes to the Ranch at the end of October for a level 2 Flatpicking Bluegrass Unlimited class.
Steve Kaufman hails from a musical family and grew up playing several instruments including piano, electric guitar, cello, and an acoustic guitar. At first he didn't think much of the guitar, but played rhythm for his younger brother who was then learning banjo and having problems with his timing. It was during this time that Steve heard a Flatt & Scruggs album featuring Doc Watson, the pinnacle of flatpickers. This album inspired Steve's "Aha!" moment, and thus his love affair of flatpicking guitar was born. His love has grow into a full-time career of touring, teaching and sharing his love of flatpicking with others.
Steve works hard in the world of music. He began producing books and videos in 1989 after teaching private lessons for close to 20 years. His catalog of instructional materials is close to 82 items. His listening CDs and Videos number over 18. Steve began touring the world conducting seminars, workshops, clinics and concerts in 1990. His teaching then blossomed into what is now known as "Steve Kaufmans Acoustic Kamps."
In this workshop, Steve will first get acquainted with the skills and goals of each student and evaluate strengths and weaknesses with constructive suggestions. He will then tailor his presentation accordingly. He will cover core picking skills and techniques, CAGED System, new tunes, exercises, repertoire and building blocks for growth. This workshop will be invaluable for flatpicking guitarists at all levels of experience.
Join Steve October 28-31, 2011
Sign Up Now!
Jorma Launches Second Chances! |
Jorma lightens his load and launches Second Chances! Pre-loved treats and treasures from Jorma's personal collection! Yes, you read that correctly, Jorma is having a virtual yard sale of instruments and other treats and treasures he finds in the attics of his life that he would like to get into the hands of another who can give it a second life.
Breakdown Way Upgrades Website, iPhone/iPad Apps |
BreakdownWay.com, a great place to gear up for a Fur Peace Ranch Workshop, extending your studies, building repertoire and sampling instructors, underwent a recent upgrade!
Improvements and additions include:
- All lessons available for 30 second preview (this means a ton of free samples)
- Ability to purchase individual songs "a la carte" for 30 days
- Subscribe Monthly and gain access to all of the lessons for one
low fee (the best value)
- Subscribers (only) have the ability to email the instructors for a
personal reply
- Facebook integration so you can discuss lessons and techniques with our online community
- Easier tools to update your account, change information, and
cancelations.
- mproved interface makes finding information easier and more usable.
- New Lesson, "Another Man Done Gone" by Jorma Kaukonen
- Nine New Lessons, with Adam Deitch on drums, Eric Krasno on guitar and Oteil Burbridge on bass!!
We invite you to check out our website at http://breakdownway.com and contact us if you have any questions.
- The Gang at BreakDownWay.com
Rare Steady As She Goes Artwork Print Raffle for Good Works Inc. of Athens, OH |
Up for raffle is this rare print of the cover artwork for the new Hot Tuna recording Steady As She Goes!
Artwork: The cover artwork was designed by Kevin Morgan, of Kevin Morgan Studios, who has been creating artwork for Hot Tuna and The Fur Peace Ranch for over a decade.
Paper: The print is full color, printed on Strathmore 400 series drawing paper described as acid free, heavy weight, durable, medium surface.
Printer: The print was printed by a Hewlett Packard Design Jet 1050C Inkjet Printer/Plotter which will have you believing it was printed on a large commercial printing press.
Frame: Black border frame with conservation glass.
Measurements: 19.75" x 25".
Signatures: Kevin Morgan (artist), Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady.
Rare: Only 13 prints were made! Most are in the hands of band members, album producers, recording industry executives and promoters, but this one could be yours for a $10 raffle ticket!
All proceeds from this raffle will be donated to Good Works Inc., of Athens Ohio. Good Works, Inc. is a COMMUNITY OF HOPE for those struggling with poverty in rural Appalachia. Good Works helps those in need by providing housing, meals, and skills-training among many other activities. Find out more about Good Works, Inc. and how you can become involved by visiting: http://www.good-works.net
Raffle entries can be purchased through October 31, 2011. The winner will be picked/announced during the Hot Tuna Allstars performance at the Fur Peace Station Concert Hall on November 12, 2011. (You do not need to be in attendance to win.)
Purchase tickets here!
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 excited to have reached the 200,000 viewers mark! We hope to keep you coming back for more videos of from the Fur Peace Station.
Thanks to all of you who subscrbed to the FPR channel. We appreciate all your support.
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