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Blues Week, in
its 25th year at Augusta, is an annual celebration of a
classic
form of traditional American roots music. This year’s
program
will reach back to the music’s African origins while also
showcasing a roster of some of
the finest blues talent on the
contemporary scene.
Blues Week
coordinator Rich DelGrosso
has brought together a stellar
roster of master musicians/teachers this year.
Joining us for the first time this year will be
Louisiana Red
[top right photo], teaching Chicago Blues. Blues vocals will be taught by
Gaye Adegbalola
[top left photo]; Andra Faye
[middle right photo]
will be teaching blues
repertoire for voice, fiddle, and mandolin; and
Shirley Smith will be
teaching Gospel.
Ann Rabson is back
this year, along with
Daryl Davis [top left
photo],
Erwin
Helfer
[bottom right photo],
Judy LaPrade and
Ian Walters to
teach blues piano.
Blues harmonica will be taught by
Grant
Dermody,
Joe Filisko [top left
photo],
and
Phil
Wiggins [middle
left photo].
Stan Hirsch, Eleanor
Ellis, Fiona Boyes,
Jake Heck, Rich DelGrosso, Rick Franklin,
and Joan Fenton
will teach a wide variety of guitar styles
and techniques.
Elijah Wald will
teach History of the Blues as well as the Music of Mississippi
John Hurt.
Fiona Boyes
will teach songwriting.
Mandolin will be taught by Rich DelGrosso,
and blues repertoire
for mandolin, fiddle,
and voice will be taught
by Andra Faye
[photo lower right].
The highly talented
Roddy Barnes
[top left photo],
in addition to supporting the
blues vocal classes, will be on hand for
piano accompaniment and assistance.
Richard Smith,
“the Spirit of Blues Week,” returns to assist the vocal classes,
and he will again organize the bands for the daily Band Labs in
the afternoon.
Jake Heck gives the Blues
Week teens a
workout as they
organize and
support the Teen Bands in their own band lab in the a fternoons.
The nighttime is
Ralph
Fortune’s domain as he presides
over the electric jams in the Boiler
House.
Elijah Wald
will teach
the Music of Mississippi John Hurt
and
will captivate us all as he presents lectures in the
afternoons on
a variety of topics, including the History of the Blues.
Blues Week
coordinator Rich DelGrosso will present daily group sessions, and the Ice House campus pub will
host
its legendary jams nightly. Concerts, informal sessions, a blues
dance, and a
Wednesday night “Blues Week Party” will all give students
many opportunities to interact with the
Blues Week staff.
Optional mini-courses
will also be available in the evenings on a variety of instruments
and styles.
It will be an exciting
week!
To register, specify “Blues Week”
and your main instrument or vocals.
Students will sign up for morning workshops at the orientation on
Sunday evening
and may choose
from a variety of afternoon
offerings each day.
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Classes and Staff
Rich Del Grosso
- Coordinator
Blues Week Class Schedule
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What level should I take? |
Fiddle/Mandolin,
&
Vocal Repertoire |
Andra Faye
 |
|
|
Guitar |
Louisiana Red
(Iverson Minter)
 |
Chicago Blues |
|
Eleanor Ellis
 |
Beginning Blues Guitar and Intro to Piedmont Blues
Guitar
 |
|
Jake Heck
 |
Beginning
 |
|
Rich DelGrosso
 |
Intermediate/Advanced Bottleneck
Slide
|
|
Fiona Boyes
 |
Blues Guitar
|
|
Joan Fenton
 |
Intermediate Blues Guitar (AM) |
|
Rick Franklin |
Fingerstyle Blues |
|
Stan
Hirsch
 |
Blues Bottleneck Slide Guitar,
Texas Acoustic Blues Guitar
 |
|
Elijah Wald
 |
Music of Mississippi John Hurt
 |
|
Harmonica |
Phil Wiggins
 |
|
|
Grant Dermody
 |
|
|
Joe Filisko
 |
Intermediate/Advanced
 |
|
History of the Blues |
Elijah Wald
 |
 |
|
Mandolin |
Rich DelGrosso
|
Intermediate/Advanced
 |
|
Andra Faye
(see
above class) |
Fiddle/Mandolin,
&
Vocal Repertoire |
|
Piano |
Judy LaPrade
|
Beginning |
|
Ian Walters |
Beginning |
|
Daryl Davis
|
Intermediate/Advanced |
|
Erwin Helfer
 |
Intermediate/Advanced |
|
Ann Rabson
 |
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|
Songwriting |
Fiona Boyes
 |
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Teen Band |
Jake Heck
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Vocals |
Gaye Adegbalola

with Roddy
Barnes
 |
Blues Vocals
 |
|
Shirley Smith
 |
Gospel, Vocal Prep |
|
Richard Smith |
Vocal Prep, Band Lab |
|
Andra Faye (see
class above) |
Fiddle/Mandolin,
&
Vocal Repertoire |
|
Mini-courses (Optional)
6:30pm to
7:45pm Monday through Thursday, unless otherwise noted.
Mini-courses cost an additional $45, and some classes may
require a small materials fee.
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Blues Harmonica Performance |
Joe
Filisko
 |
 |
|
Continental Knitting, Beginning |
Marlies
Barton |
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Dancing to the Blues |
Mike Legett
 |
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Gospel Singing |
Shirley
Smith
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Mexican Cooking
(4:30-6:30pm) |
R. P.
Hale  |
Minimum age: 16
Materials fee: $25-30 |
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