Mandolin Day - Chester, UK

[giverin]

Hi! I'm running a one day mandolin workshop in the UK, just outside of Chester. It’s £25 for the day, 10:30 till 4:30 with lunch included. Morning will be techniques, afternoon will be more around group playing that implements techniques from the morning session. Full details can be found on this site:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mando...058552?aff=es2
Or the facebook event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1353034891398109/

If you're thinking "who the h*ll is this guy?" ... I wouldn't blame you ... but you can see videos of my bands at these websites:
http://www.jaywalkers.co.uk/copy-of-about
http://www.4squaremusic.co.uk

Any questions .. give us a shout

[Uncle Choppy]

I'd love to go as it's fairly local. I'd be pretty intimidated by the thought of skronking away in front of others but I guess this is exactly the reason why I should do this sort of thing when the opportunity arises.

Needless to say, I'm working that day so it's down to whether I can get the leave (and permission from the wife - so it might not end up being that cheap after all!).

PS: I wasn't thinking "who the h*ll is this guy?" but I checked out the Jaywalkers site and your (very good) video for Big Sciota was partly filmed at the Fiddle-I'th-Bag pub less than a mile from where I live!

Cheers, Brendan

[Johnny60]

No financial interest at all here, but I saw the Jaywalkers play at Silsden Bluegrass festival last year and he is a seriously good player. If it wasn't about 80 miles away I'd be very tempted.

[Jes Woodland]

I'd be there like a shot if it was a bit closer to home.Would love to see something like that in the East Midlands.

[almeriastrings]

Hmm... well, you could come to one over here... but that would involve a 2 hour flight on Ryanair (if that does not put you off, nothing will) then a 120Km drive up the main road, then another hour and a half up precipitous mountain tracks in the dark trying to avoid the goats crossing the road. In short, I think Mike's venue is definitely your best bet and sounds like terrific value. Hope it goes well

[Jes Woodland]

Hmm... well, you could come to one over here... but that would involve a 2 hour flight on Ryanair (if that does not put you off, nothing will) then a 120Km drive up the main road, then another hour and a half up precipitous mountain tracks in the dark trying to avoid the goats crossing the road. In short, I think Mike's venue is definitely your best bet and sounds like terrific value. Hope it goes well

You absolutely right....but you have no idea about my circumstances and the fact that your suggestion is no less impractical for me than the first....just saying!

[Shelagh Moore]

Mike's event does indeed sound interesting and I am quite tempted but must look at my commitments first.

Would love to see something like that in the East Midlands.

I'm East Midlands too and know several other mandoliners in the area so maybe it could be feasible to set something up sometime?

[almeriastrings]

You absolutely right....but you have no idea about my circumstances and the fact that your suggestion is no less impractical for me than the first....just saying!

It was a joke. Hence the 'smiley face'

Having much experience of what Ryanair can do to musical instruments, it would not be fate I'd wish on anyone.

[Jes Woodland]

I'm East Midlands too and know several other mandoliners in the area so maybe it could be feasible to set something up sometime?

That would be brilliant!

[Anglocelt]

I have booked a place for Mike's course. It is an hour and a half drive from where I live which I consider pretty handy given the dearth of mando workshops in the UK. I do hope other folks are prepared to travel otherwise no such workshops will be viable.

[MonaLisa]

Really excited for this as it's close to me!
Although I'm pretty new to Mandolin so hopefully I'll be able to follow along

[giverin]

Well I've been a little surprised with how popular this event has proved to be .. we have about a week and a half to go and there are only 3 spaces left as I write this! Who knew there were so many mandolin players in the North West of the UK?
If any of you good folks are still thinking of coming, please do buy a ticket in advance via the eventbrite website as we will not be able to cater for people turning up 'on the door': https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mando...058552?aff=es2
Thanks everyone... Gonna be a great day
Mike

[Martin Jonas]

Well I've been a little surprised with how popular this event has proved to be .. we have about a week and a half to go and there are only 3 spaces left as I write this! Who knew there were so many mandolin players in the North West of the UK?
If any of you good folks are still thinking of coming, please do buy a ticket in advance via the eventbrite website as we will not be able to cater for people turning up 'on the door': https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mando...058552?aff=es2
Thanks everyone... Gonna be a great day
Mike

I've just booked my place, and Eventbrite told me it was the last available ticket -- looks like it's fully-booked now.

Looking forward to meet Mike and everybody else coming next Saturday!

Martin

[Ray(T)]

Unfortunately not on a board I normally read so only just picked up on this - and its only an hour or so down the road. Suppose I'll have to sit here and watch England beat France instead!

[NEH57]

Hi Mike, I came to the Forum just too late to pick up on this. I have just sussed that I could make a train & bus from Chester Station to Manley Village Hall work out in budget, in line with timetables, given enough notice, so will be well up for a future opportunity if you hold more.
Also, if you decide to do a 'Road Show' I have access, at a concessionary price, to a Village Hall venue, with kitchen and can sort out catering 'at cost' within easy M/way & trunk road reach, central to Bristol, Birmingham, Oxford, all an hour or so away by road.

[giverin]

Hi Mike, I came to the Forum just too late to pick up on this. I have just sussed that I could make a train & bus from Chester Station to Manley Village Hall work out in budget, in line with timetables, given enough notice, so will be well up for a future opportunity if you hold more.
Also, if you decide to do a 'Road Show' I have access, at a concessionary price, to a Village Hall venue, with kitchen and can sort out catering 'at cost' within easy M/way & trunk road reach, central to Bristol, Birmingham, Oxford, all an hour or so away by road.

Blimey, that would win the gold star travel award This is my first attempt at organising my own workshop day (have run many in the past but always run by organisations ... http://www.sorefingers.co.uk for example), so I'll see how Saturday goes. Any future workshops will be advertised in the same way, so keep an eye out And thanks for the offer of the other village hall, I'll have a think about it

Cheers all
Mike

[NEH57]

Hi Mike, I'd looked at SoreFingers. It's not too far from where I live - on the south side of the Hill's - but a week long residential 'campaign' would be a bit full on at my stage of learning. I would be lying in a darkened room with my fingers in an ice bucket by about Day 3 A 'day' or weekend W/S would be a better 'taster' option for starters, but as you'll know, they are few and far between in the Uk.

Hope ( am sure ) it will go well Saturday and that you get to enjoy the experience. Will look out for future listings.

regards
N

[giverin]

One person has just unfortunately had to cancel for tomorrow.... so, there is one ticket now available! Please send me a private message if intereseted First come first serve, £25 on the door. Cheers, Mike

[giverin]

"Hi Mike, I came to the Forum just too late to pick up on this. I have just sussed that I could make a train & bus from Chester Station to Manley Village Hall work out in budget, in line with timetables, given enough notice, so will be well up for a future opportunity if you hold more.
Also, if you decide to do a 'Road Show' I have access, at a concessionary price, to a Village Hall venue, with kitchen and can sort out catering 'at cost' within easy M/way & trunk road reach, central to Bristol, Birmingham, Oxford, all an hour or so away by road."


One ticket just come available if you want it?

[NEH57]

Mike, very sorry, picked this up too late to react. Have a great day.....hopefully be 'on the Bus' in both senses for next time.
Nigel

[Martin Matthews]

I attended this yesterday and I can only praise Mike (and Jay) for delivering a great day. i would recommend this as a structured approach to some sound core technique when setting out or for anyone who would benefit from revising and needing a push to reconsider/challenge some less helpful habits. Mike packed a lot into the day with a good number of exercises to take away to work on as far as you wish. Hopefully others who couldn't make it will be able to book on to a future event and I'd have no qualms about attending any further events.

[Uncle Choppy]

I also attended and enjoyed the day very much.

Martin is right in that my habits have been very much challenged. The big shock of the day was that I'd always assumed alternate picking referred to picking the consecutive notes in down-up order. I was wrong and it seems that downstrokes should come on the beat and upstrokes on the off (the "and" in one-and-two-and etc.) beats. As I learn by ear (plus a bit of tab) I'm not always aware what is on the beat and what is the "-and-" so I've no idea what the hell I should be doing now.

It was a surprise to find that there's a gaping flaw at the heart of my (already seriously limited) technique. I guess it's up to me to decide if it's worth the effort to correct it. This will involve going completely back to the drawing board and starting again. The alternative is to accept my indiscipline and enjoy bashing out a tune every now and again but with the awareness that I'll probably never get up to speed with anything.

The day was a wonderful chance to see and hear Mike in action. Just his quick demos of snatches of tunes (especially in 17/16 time - or whatever it was) were a joy to behold.

I also got to play a teens Gibson A for the first time and realise this is what I should have bought all along! Martin Jonas' A-Jr was another amazing looking and sounding mandolin and, even without the tuition, it was worth the trip to be able to see and hear these wonderful instruments up close.

Jay's catering was great and the day was fantastic value. We have very little access to mandolin workshops in the UK and I was lucky in living near enough to this one to be able to attend. Hopefully there will be others and that people in other parts of the country will get the chance to attend something similar.

Thanks to Mike and Jay for a wonderful day.

[Ray(T)]

Good to hear that everything went well - when's the next one? (England beat France but didn't really deserve to")

[Radish]

Dagnabbit, missed this thread completely until now. And it's practically next door! (I'm in Crewe). Need to remember to check this board more often, I really could do with some proper teaching. And meeting other people.