Northampton, Mass. — Organizers of the popular Django in June have announced the inaugural edition of Choro Camp New England, to be held June 24–30, 2019 on the campus of Smith College. Registration is now open.
Mandolin instructors include Elisa Meyer of the band Choro das 3 and Tim Connell of Rio con Brio.
The camp offers instructional tracks for 6- and 7-string guitar, winds and fretless strings, cavaquinho, accordion and pandeiro in addition to mandolin/bandolim.
Musical coordinator of Choro Camp New England is 7-string guitarist Henrique Neto, who performs a similar role at one of the oldest schools of choro in Brazil, the Escola Brasiliera de Choro Raphael Rabello. Henrique is also the co-author, with Dudu Maia, of Choro Handbook.
Camp classes and rodas are organized by level of ability, so both experienced chorões and newcomers to the genre can move at an appropriate pace. A typical day will consist of three 90-minute sessions devoted to:
- Repertoire study, organized by the tune's underlying rhythmic style
- Facilitated rodas de choro, (choro jams for mixed instrumentation)
- Special topics (idiomatic improvisation, intros to other Brazilian music, etc.)
Unorganized activities will consist of incessant jamming, sharing, and mutual encouragement.
Housing and food is available on campus. At week's end, enjoy a concert by the artists on our staff at Northampton’s exquisite Academy of Music Theater.
Additional Information
- Choro Camp New England
- Elisa Meyer and Choro das 3
- Tim Connell and Rio con Brio
- Elisa Meyer interviewed on the Mandolin Cafe
- Tim Connell interviewed on the Mandolin Cafe
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