I want to thank you for your amazing Fiddle Retreat this weekend!! I have been trying to process my learning experience and reflect on our time together!!
I have never been to any type of fiddle/music camp experience that was as impactful, focused, supportive, and fun as your Fiddle School Mountain Retreat! To have so much individual attention, fabulous teachers and support in a warm, fun and very focused learning experience is a tribute to you and your skills as both an incredible teacher and talented performer!! I had no real idea about the style of bowing and how, when, and where to use it! I really thought is that the genre of music would dictate the style of bowing but at camp, Chad really explained the history and all of your instructors and staff demonstrated how to use the techniques of long bowing, short bowing in a consistent, smooth and thoughtful purposeful manner. When you use the smooth bowing and add the swing pulse, it makes swing music sound danceable, jazz becomes interesting and smooth, old-time fiddle music becomes more interesting and enjoyable! If I understand it correctly, the smooth and longbow method, Texas Swing style, will enhance any piece of music for me, and will clean up my playing, making it more enjoyable and correct! I have already improved so much that my friends have noticed and approved!
Your instructors are all outstanding and are able to reinforce and instruct us in their own individual ways, taking each of us as an individual and sharing their expertise fitted to our own needs and skill levels! We were really blessed to have only 12 students with 3 teachers and 2 staff support that were all amazing!! That is almost a 2 student to 1 teacher ratio!!! That is really a gift!!! All of the staff are on the same page and are able to communicate with each other and all of the fiddle students!
The cabin in Estes Park was terrific, the weather couldn’t be better, and the food cooked an served by Brian and Linnea Kenney was superb!! The atmosphere was warm, friendly, fun and all were so driven to learn and experience as much as we could! I loved the staff performances during Happy Hour! You are all so talented!!
I was very glad to be given the music and videos in advance!!! We were able to learn from it rather than struggle slowly to learn each piece cold. It also showed which students really wanted to learn and were dedicated enough to get something from each other and the staff!
Jeff and I had so much fun and I look forward to growing and learning, expanding my skills and just sound better and better, play with friends and in jams, fiddle away my days!
Thank you, and I am planning on Retreat #2!!
Peggy and Jeff Waller