Itinerary and Notes from the road(Schedule follows the notes - updated 2/15/10)
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February 15, 2010 BOY has it been a while since I got to this. WOW. I am SO sorry to have let this go this long. You would think that having a home base would have made the "paper work" happen way more often, but NOOoooo... SO, at long last, I reappear in time for the winter snows back east and the spring sunshine to bring us back up into the 80's here out west. I'm sure the 100's are not far away, but we are enjoying early spring here in Yuma. The garden is in and we'll see what comes of that this year. 5 tomato plants, chard and cucumber plants along with some seeds in for beans, carrots and beats. Only an 8 by 4 foot bed this year so a small start to get into the swing of growing in the heat and desert. I'm told that almost anything will grow here given proper care (read - water!) so I'll keep you posted on that. Last week we headed over to the Ajo, AZ old time fiddlers' gathering and contest. I must tell you that I really don't like competitions or competing. I have long since stopped feeling any need or desire to compete at contests such as Clifftop or Mt. Airy. I avoided competing at our Yuma contest because I had won several catagories 3 years in a row and convinced everyone that it was someone else's turn and that since I am club president (yeah, I missed the meeting) and co-coordinator of the event it could be seen as a conflict of interest. But, every now and then I enter one of the contests out here in AZ because my club-mates convince me that I "have to". Such was the case at Ajo. Now competing out here is not like back east. No one tune and out. It's three tunes, hoedown, waltz and tune of choice which may NOT be a hoedown or waltz and if there is a tie, another tune (usually a hoedown). More than one catagory? Well, three MORE tunes and if a category plays twice (like our Yuma contest) three more! AND you are not allowed to repeat any of the tunes in any other category. SO, you get the idea. Well, these things just make me plain nervous and I sure was when I played the Adult division round.Boy, I figured I sounded like hell. SO, I went off to jam with some like minded old time musicians including my clawhammer playin wife, The Lovely Miss Jennifer. We played for a couple of hours. As we were playing a couple comes up to the jam and says, "Congratulations" to me. I was puzzled and asked "For what?" The lady says, "you won", me, still confused, "won what?" Her - "First place!" Well, I was still confused but yep, found the organizer who handed me the award! Could have knocked me over with a fiddle! Next day was the "grand champion" category which puts the first three of all age groups against each other. There were 13 or 14 fiddlers including some pretty hot child fiddlers - always hard to beat! Well, I DID! Won Grand Champion also! What a surprise but lots of Fun. That and GREAT jammin too! Woh, I might be hooked (not!). Special thanks to my Accompanist Dennis Russell. Couldn't do it without him! Congrats to him also. Dennis took second in the Accompanist category! Dennis lives here in Yuma and is one of the founders of our Territorial Chapter of the AZ OT Fiddlers' assoc. Another great reason to be in Yuma. Oh, What tunes did I play to I win at an Old Time Fiddlers' contest? GC round: Yellow Barber; Midnight on the Water; and Whistling Rufus. Adult: Martha Campbell; Orvetta Waltz; and Pig Ankle Rag. Yes, folks, Our Old Time can win at contests other than Clifftop. That's right, real old time tunes. So, when you say you don't come to the Old Time Fiddlers' association events because that ain't really old time and is all that "contesty stuff", remember - that's only because you are not here. We plan at least one OTFA event this year each month. March will be in Corneville (up by Cottonwood) and April is Salome! No contests at those, just great jams, good food and good folks. Teaching at San Diego's Old Time Music shop is really keeping me running. I now have about a dozen students over two days each time I go over (still every other week). Spots come and go so drop me an email if you are interested in taking lessons there. I am available to teach Clawhammer Banjo, Old Time Fiddle and Old Timey back up guitar style. "SO, what about Clawcamp?," you ask. Well, Clawcamp West is almost full (2 spots left at this writing) and only two weeks away. It is looking like a nice mix of students from various parts of the country and the usual mix of levels. We already have a good number signed up for Clawcamp East but it is early yet and there is plenty of space still available for that one. Bob Carlin joins us again this year. We have again rented the wonderful facilities of Fur Peace Ranch over in Miegs county AND your tuition includes air conditioned cabin space AND all of your meals. Yes, the instruction space is air conditioned also, so it should be a wonderful and comfortable weekend. Having had camp there last year I can tell you this is the BEST facility for a music teaching event I have ever had the pleasure to work at. The cabins are comfy, the food EXCELLENT and the teaching space more than wonderful. This is a camp that was set up by someone who had taught other places and said "you know what we need" then went and made it happen. New this year at Clawcamp West will be an Saturday evening concert by Bob and myself as part of The Fur Peace Ranch's concert series. That also should mean more local folks to jam with us that evening. Should be a HOOT! This year I will again be teaching a Clawhammer Course in the Dallas area for the Acoustic Music Camp August 5-7.It is early yet for that one but I'd sign up as soon as you can. The "advanced" fiddle recordings of the Old Time Festival Tunes for Fiddle and Mandolin are done and up on line at the Mel Bay site. http://www.melbay.com/festivaltunes_fiddle.asp takes you right there. Currently the Fiddle/Mando book includes the mandolin versions on 2 cd's and the Clawhammer Banjo version includes the banjo versions on 2 cd's. I am looking into including the advanced fiddle versions with the fiddle/mando book instead of the mando (mando versions would go on line) so if you have an opinion either way, I'd love to hear from you. Finally, Bob Carlin and I have completed our new tab book Kyle Creed - Clawhammer Banjo Master and have contracted it to be published by Mel Bay hopefully sometime late this spring. We are both working on the recordings for that book and as soon as they are done we can send the book to the publisher. I'll let you know as soon as we have a publication date. Well, it is time to stretch these ol legs o mine so I'm off to hike up a mountain today. I suspect that is enough info for now anyway, so stay tooned and... Play nice! Dan and Jennifer Levenson Dan and Jennifer Levenson Current address: Site 69; 10650 Avenida Compadres; Yuma, AZ 85365 The best way to reach Dan is through e-mail: |
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