West Marin Fiddle Camp Dinner & Concert

480 Mesa Road,Bolinas CA 94924

28 July, 2022

Description

Join us for dinner, concert and jams or just the concert and get a glimpse of the magical West Marin Fiddle Camp located at Commonweal Gardens in Bolinas, CA on Thursday 7/28 starting with dinner at 6:30pm. The talented teacher staff will perform on campus on hidden stages throughout the gardens. Participants will walk through the grounds and find music on little mini-stages around the garden. As the sun sets we will hand out lights and end with a musical procession back to the fire circle, and a joint concert with the teachers followed by student and teacher jams. Read more about the world-class performers below: 2022 Teachers Eli West - guitar, banjo It’s always illuminating to ask an artist how they understand music, but Eli West’s perspective is nothing short of ground-breaking. A trained designer, he sees music architecturally, visualizing his compositions spatially. It’s a highly unusual way to think about music, tied to his verdant natural world of the Pacific Northwest. On his new album, Tapered Point of Stone, West lays out original songs and tunes like houses built by hand, weaving their melodies into the setting of acoustic roots music that first inspired him. Recorded in 2020, just before everything shut down, the album brings together West’s favored quartet of musicians: Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse) on mandolin and guitar, Christian Sedelmeyer (Jerry Douglas) on fiddle, himself on mandolin, guitar, and banjo, and Clint Mullican (Watchhouse) on bass. This is the third album this quartet has built, including solo albums for Marlin and Sedelmeyer, and at this point they operate on a near-magical wavelength. As both a noted arranger, songwriter, performer, and composer, West has been crafting a Northwest-centric roots music aesthetic through earlier collaborations with Cahalen Morrison and John Reischman, and recordings with Bill Frisell and Dori Freeman. Tapered Point of Stone showcases West’s collaborative nature. https://youtu.be/I4veyD8m0XA Nokosee Fields - fiddle, bass Over the last few years, musician, artist, and collaborator Nokosee Fields has proven himself to be one of the most provocative, significant, and capable voices in the North American traditional music scene. A quest for balance shapes his work, whether he’s reconciling the weight of tradition with his creative impulses; challenging the demands and vacuity of colonialist, capitalist structures and systems with the richness of his experience and upbringing as a member of the Osage, Creek and Cherokee Nations; or simply anchoring the beat in the rhythmic push and pull of the multiple bands in which he works. The great nephew of celebrated Cherokee fiddler Sam O’Fields, Nokosee carries a longstanding Cherokee fiddling tradition into the present. Through powerful live and recorded performances, he lovingly and playfully reimagines his tradition with immense skills and sensitivity as a performer of traditional fiddle music. https://youtu.be/S3ufX3m2Sk8 Cahalen Morrison - guitar, banjo, mandolin Originally hailing from the high desert of Northern New Mexico, Cahalen has made a name for himself. Over the past decade touring solo, as a duo with Eli West, or with his band Western Centuries, Cahalen has played shows and festivals all over the world and performed on stage with the likes of Tim O’Brien, Kelly Joe Phelps, Hot Rize, Crooked Still and Kris Drever. Equally at home on guitar, banjo, mandolin, singing three part harmony or unaccompanied, he has carved out a place for himself as a unique voice in American music. https://youtu.be/4OU7PkXorGo Rachael Price - vocals, harmony, songwriting Rachael Price grew up in a musical environment in Portland, OR. At an early age Rachael began taking voice lessons and singing in local choirs and discovered that she wanted to sing professionally. She attended Berklee College of Music on scholarship as a vocalist. Rachael graduated with a degree in Professional Music with an emphasis in Songwriting from Berklee. She and her husband, Luke Price, just released their second studio album of indie soul under the name Love, DEAN. Rachael frequently performs her own music as well as being a background vocalist for other bands.She enjoys teaching all levels of students how to sing with intention; helping others to build confidence with their voice and learn techniques to sing their best! https://youtu.be/aYn5mk_jELA Luke Price - fiddle, guitar Luke Price is a multi-instrumentalist performer, composer, and studio musician based in Portland, OR. He has his roots in American fiddling and swing traditions, which have influenced his rhythm, taste, and style as they have spread into Soul, Jazz, Pop, and Americana. Luke brings a unique voice to any music he plays whether he's on the fiddle, electric guitar, or singing. Growing up in Boise, Idaho, Luke began competing in fiddle contests and playing around the country. He's won a plethora of contests, awards, and scholarships. He is a 3-time, National Fiddle Champion. His love for rhythm and improvisation born out of these traditional music styles led him to Boston, MA to attend The Berklee College of Music where he met his now wife and musical partner, Rachael Price, to form their indie soul band, Love, DEAN. https://youtu.be/d1Dqc2iEMZg Riley Baugus — banjo, guitar, fiddle Riley’s deep roots in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina come through in all he does, from his driving clawhammer banjo style to his slippery, soulful fiddling and powerful ballad singing. He’s known as a leading banjo player and maker, and teller of powerful stories, around the world. He’s performed and recorded with the likes of Willie Nelson and Allison Krauss. https://youtu.be/YagpXvSn2iQ Dirk Powell - fiddle, banjo, guitar, Cajun accordion Dirk is known as a master of Appalachian and Cajun traditions, as well as a “musician’s musician.” He learned from his grandfather, J.C. Hay, of Ashland, Kentucky and will focus primarily on fiddle and banjo technique, while throwing in a few Cajun spices here and there. He is a renowned producer and owns a studio on the banks of Bayou Teche near Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. https://youtu.be/1MAMu3LHIYA Amelia Powell - guitar, voice, children’s program Amelia hails from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, where she grew up immersed in the culture championed by her grandfather, Cajun fiddler Dewey Balfa. She has a lifelong love of harmony and a very diverse set of musical skills. She has performed since the age of 12, around the world, and been featured many times on radio and TV. Having grown up in the hands-on Montessori tradition, she is a committed teacher to younger students. https://youtu.be/-Vj7r4Vbl4g Irena Eide - guitar, voice, songwriting Irena, aka Rainy Eyes, has had her original sound described as “swampy folk Americana,” but her passion for old-time traditional music runs deep. Originally from Bergen, Norway, she made her home in the bay area for many years before resettling in Louisiana. Irena plays and sings with honesty, openness, and soul. Known to some audiences for creating the award-winning Little Folkies children’s music program, she is a charismatic and inspiring teacher to students of all ages. https://youtu.be/6kQ3AiUFkqk Simon Leone - fiddle, voice, children’s program Simon Leone is a fiddler and vocalist from Portland, Oregon. He is currently studying vocal performance and music industry studies at Loyola University in New Orleans. He grew up immersed in the burgeoning Oregon music scene, in which his parents were actively and foundationally involved. As an attendee of music camps since his birth, and the eldest in a family of brothers, he is adept at helping younger kids learn music.