# General Mandolin Topics > Jams, Workshops, Camps, Places To Meet Others >  Mandolin Symposium

## Pete Braccio

Hey all,

We're winding up the week at the Symposium and I waned to share some photos with you all that Maria Camillo took during the week. The photos are on the Mandolin Symposium site.

We've got 75 up there right now and will be adding more after tonight's concert.

Wish you could have been here. It was a blast.

Pete

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## Lynn Dudenbostel

It was a great week Pete.  My third Symposium and I believe the best yet.  Seemed like more jamming in the evenings this year too.  It's the best mandolin event anywhere!
Lynn

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## Ed Goist

Love that photo page! What a fantastic event this must have been!
Congratulations to all of the organizers, presenters/instructors/performers and attendees.
I think I need to set a goal now of attending next year's Symposium.
Is it always at UC Santa Cruz? Have the dates for the 2012 Symposium been set yet?

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## SternART

Ed, the Mandolin Symposium has been at UC Santa Cruz in late June for the last 8 years.

Except for one day of rain, it was a FABULOUS week.  An incredibly intelligent & eclectic group of people play the mandolin. It really is a coming together of a Community.......and it really is a world wide community, I met folks from Australia, Canada, England, Italy, Finland, Norway, Israel, ex pats living in China, Brazil, Venezuela, and Kentucky......it seemed there was a higher level of playing among the students this year, sprinkled with folks who have picked up the mandolin as a middle aged hobby, and numerous youngsters of varying skill levels. And it is great to see how much folks you met previous years have improved.  You take home a lot of stuff to work on and a ton of inspiration.

We had everything from phenom youngsters, to a brain surgeon who wasn't sure how to play Dmin the first day in Grisman's performance group.  He whipped us into shape and by the end of the week we played a complex arrangement of his "Opus 38".  Mike Marshall's performance group actually wrote the piece they performed.  In fact all the performance groups played at a high level this year, Classical, Old-Time, Bluegrass, Irish & Jazz included.  

I took a varied number of Electives this year with memorable classes from Statman on improvisation, Stiernberg on theory, Compton on Monroe style starting at the 5th fret, as well as great classes by Marshall & Grisman.  Music Appreciation every morning was cool, hearing what inspired each of the instructors on their musical journey. I just bought a CD by that African guitar player, Ali Farka Toure that Compton mentioned he listens to.   

My VERY favorite class this year was on Bill Monroe, he was honored this Symposium as he would be 100 this year........the triple threat instructors for this special class were Grisman, Statman & Compton & they told stories & played Monroe.  The sparks were flying off their mandolins as they played double stops in tremelo harmony........about 20-25 of us.....who witnessed it were stunned, almost in a trance, with jaws on the floor or grins of amazement, it was pretty close to mandolin heaven. On some tunes it was like watching mandolin gunslingers raising the bar, solo after solo, on others more a sensitive backup & harmony playing. The instructors enjoyed it as much or more than we did, seeing Andy Statman smile like that was worth the price of admission.......it was the kind of magic experience the Symposium has every year. There were surprise guests, new instructors, etc.  Hey if you are into the mandolin, EVERYONE should go at least once in their lifetime.

I had a great week & thank all involved in putting it together, Marshall, Grisman, Ruffo, Dan Large etc.  And how about Lynn Dudenbostel who repairs & sets up instruments all week with the money going to the Symposium scholarship fund.   It really is like a community.......like the old MWN said: "Mandolin Players Unite" ...........we came together for a common purpose, the love of the mandolin, it all its forms, from all cultures, playing any kind of music!

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## Ed Goist

SternART; Thank you for the marvelous synopsis! 
Now I REALLY want to go next year. I'll watch the site for the exact dates.

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## Lynn Dudenbostel

Another great part of the Symposium is trying out other instruments.  Mike Marshall and David Grisman send a couple dozen instruments (most are for sale) and to loan to students for use in the ensembles.  They bring as many lower voiced mandolin family instruments as possible.  I had my workshop set up in a suite of dorm rooms.  I had the workbench in the living room.  One of the 4 dorm rooms (the largest) was a "display" room for the instruments.  The room next to it had a couple of chairs where folks could go to try them out.  The other two rooms were for me and one of the other staff members.  There were vintage Gibsons, several Giacomels, Eastmans, and an Altman (there were others I'm forgetting now).  I kept the front door open from about 8:30 in the morning until around midnight, except when I went to the cafeteria.  John O'Brien kept the key to the instrument room and had it open a good portion of that time.  Folks would come and go, some would stay and jam.  We had two or three separate jams going at one time in our suite.  At one point, Grisman, Compton, Statman, and Stiernberg were in there picking with some other folks.  One of the highlights of the week was when Grisman was showing Mike and Andy a tune that came to him in a dream.  He called it "Hornpipe Dream" or "Horn Pipedream".   They played it at the concert on Friday night.  Great tune.  I hope he records it some day.  I didn't get a chance to attend any classes except the one I taught on mandolin set-up.  But, I heard nothing but rave reviews from others.  Other folks from the area come to visit as well.  Paul Hostetter and Ed Neff also came to visit.  Ed brought Nugget #1 with him.  That was a real treat.  A fine sounding instrument and a great mandolin player too!
Dude

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## SternART

Lynn's Symposium workshp suite was a hip & happnin' place.......I ran into Roger Siminoff there, as well as bass player Markie Sanders........and played a stellar Loar too! Last time I crossed paths with this one was 8 years ago at the first Symposium..... And another one they were passing around saying to check out this "Fern".  I was thinking it sounded darn good, looked in the f hole & it was a Fern Loar with virzi!  

Lynn also had 2 of his A models there, one on consignment and the other a blond no frills A model.  Both were great, but IMO that 1/2 price blond is a great deal......a steal in fact......if only I was in the chips.

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## Glassweb

yes... i concur with Art that Lynn's "blondie" was stellar! yep... "Chez Dude" was soul central for many at the Symp... the "place to be" mos' def!

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## Nick Royal

This was the 6th year for me to attend, and possibly one of the best Symposiums I have been too. (though each one has always had some unusual things taking place: concerts; workshops, etc.)  I thought that the 9 ensembles (or was it more than 9?) that played in the final concert this year were some of the best I've heard over the years!
Nick Royal

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## Marcus CA

> This was the 6th year for me to attend, and possibly one of the best Symposiums I have been too.


I'm really glad to hear that!  I missed this year for a variety of reasons, but sure hope to go again next year.

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