Following is a complete list of workshops offered by Aubrey Atwater and/or Elwood Donnelly. Aubrey and Elwood are also very open to the workshop ideas that festival presenters may have.

To schedule a performance or educational program,
please contact Atwater-Donnelly at (401) 392-1909,
e-mail Aubrey at aubreyfolk@aol.com
or use the Contact Us form on this web site.

  AUBREY ATWATER WORKSHOPS

MOUNTAIN DULCIMER WORKSHOPS
(Beginner classes can be co-taught with Elwood Donnelly)

• Songs of Jean Ritchie and the Ritchie Family: This is a good repertoire workshop where Aubrey will teach a variety of songs she has learned over the years through her contact with Jean Ritchie and other Ritchie family members. Workshop focuses on the traditional style of playing with the noter and playing in different tunings. For the advanced player, other subjects can be incorportated in addition to noter technique and modes and tunings, including using the dulcimer as a harmony voice, arrangment, and crooked rhythm.
  (Beginner/Intermediate OR Intermediate/Advanced)
   
• Chording and Singing Ballads: Participants will learn basic chords for the DAD Mixolydian tuning and how to sing and play at the same time! Aubrey will choose from some of her favorite traditional ballads.
  (Beginner/Intermediate)
   
• Using the Noter: Participants will learn how to play the mountain dulcimer using the noting stick: one of the most ancient and haunting, yet quite simple, methods of playing. Aubrey will teach how to hold the noter most effectively, as well as a few tricks for ornamentation including sliding, hammering down, and pulling off.
  (Beginner/Intermediate)
   
• Using the Noter with Different Tunings: Similar to the workshop described above except that students will learn to play the noting stick with several different tunings.
  (Intermediate/Advanced)
   
• Using the Dulcimer as a Harmony Voice: Aubrey will share what she has learned over the years from Jean Ritchie: creating a second voice with the dulcimer while singing.
  (Intermediate/Advanced)
   
• Playing the Mountain Dulcimer by Ear: Learn to work out melodies, harmonies, and simple chords to familiar songs by ear. This approach is truly a traditional way to play the instrument in the oral, folk tradition. Not using instructional tablature or books helps to train the ear as the player takes on a different relationship to the music.
  (Beginner/Intermediate)
   
• Flatpicking Fiddle Tunes on the Mountain Dulcimer: Aubrey will provide arrangements for several traditional dance tunes and give important tips on alternating the direction of the flatpick, fingering, timing, tempo, and feel.
  (Intermediate/Advanced)
   
• Fingerpicking for the First Time: Aubrey will provide a framework for fingerpicking simple tunes on the mountain dulcimer. Participants will learn several basic patterns for vocal accompaniment as well as a method for fingerpicking a melody as an instrumental.
  (Beginner/Intermediate)
   
• Flowing Fingerstyles - The Next Phase: Students will learn and explore fingerpicking on the mountain dulcimer in greater depth. Aubrey will provide a framework for fingerpicking: participants will learn several patterns for vocal accompaniment as well as a method for fingerpicking a melody as an instrumental.
  (Intermediate/Advanced)
   
• Creating Instrumentals: Learn how to draw out a song's melody while strumming or fingerpicking integral chords. This workshop takes a "by ear" approach but also addresses how to tab or make note of the arrangement being created.
  (Intermediate/Advanced)
   
• Tunings and Modes on the Mountain Dulcimer: What makes the dulcimer sound so lonesome and beautiful? One answer is tunings and modes. Participants will learn the difference between a mode and a tuning and about the different modes and where they come from. We will tune to three commonly used modes: Ionian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian.
  (Beginner/Intermediate)
   
• Tunings and Modes on the Mountain Dulcimer, Part II: A more advanced version of the workshop described above. Students will tune to up to five different tunings as time allows.
  (Intermediate/Advanced)
   
• Slow Jam: Group Sing-Along and Play-Along on the Mountain Dulcimer: Playing music in a group can be a scary experience for the beginner but not in this workshop! Learn how to "jam" along with a group to simple folk songs. The workshop will discuss typical, simple two- and three-chord progressions on the dulcimer, playing along with the melody, making sure you are in the right key or tuning, and playing "lead" dulcimer in an instrumental break.
  (Beginner/Intermediate)
   
• Coping in a Jam Session: Learn to play in different keys on the mountain dulcimer (tuned to D-A-DD) without retuning or capoing. Simple I, IV, and V chord progressions in four or five keys will be covered. Different chord positions, as well as retuning and capoing will be covered as time allows. Bring a capo and diatonic questions that have been stumping you all these years.
  (Intermediate)
   
• Improvising on the Mountain Dulcimer: Related to playing by ear, learn to play along with the group in an informal, loosely structured manner. The workshop will discuss how to improvise with chords, lead and bass note playing and will articulate some of the tricks and structure behind what appears to be pure artistic "happening."
  (All Levels)
   
• Children's Songs on the Mountain Dulcimer: Drawing from her repertoire of children's songs, Aubrey will teach music appropriate for preschool to elementary ages.
  (Beginner/Intermediate or Advanced)
   
• Winter Holiday Songs on the Mountain Dulcimer: Aubrey will teach a variety of seasonal songs drawing from her repertoire of Christmas, Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa music with several possible tunings and modes depending on workshop level.
  (Beginner/Intermediate OR Intermediate/Advanced)
   
• Arranging Songs on the Mountain Dulcimer
  (All Levels)
   
• Using the Capo on the Mountain Dulcimer
  (Intermediate/Advanced)
   
• Playing with Four Equi-Distant Strings: Aubrey plays a number of songs with four equi-distant strings although she considers herself to be a "three-string" player. Explore the idea of separating the two melody strings, adding another drone and creating new chord flavors.
  (Intermediate/Advanced)
   
• Potpourri: Aubrey will bring handouts to the workshops she has developed for festivals over the years and ask the group members what they would like to focus on! Choices will include Chording & Singing Ballads, Tunings & Modes, Fingerpicking, Flatpicking Fiddle Tunes, Playing by Ear, Improvisation, Group Sing- and Play-Along, Using the Capo, Playing with Four Equi-Distant Strings, and Using the Noting Stick.
  (Beginner/Intermediate OR Intermediate/Advanced -- can be in two parts, as well)

• Clogging: This is a nice physical break from the sitting and information-absorbing in a festival! Clogging is a percussive form of dance that precedes tap dancing., with rythmic tapping of the feet, traditionally danced to old-time fiddle tunes. Aubrey will teach simple clogging (also known as flatfooting, jigdancing, or buckdancing) steps learned from the masters in Kentucky and North Carolina.
  (All Levels, All Ages)
   
• Contra Dancing: Elwood teaches the steps necessary to dance circle mixers, reels, squares and contras. The dances are usually performed with old-time music and/or bluegrass and the students learn such dances as the Virginia Reel, the Tennessee Mixer, La Bastringue and the Hazard Hoe-down. All dances taught, singles welcome and no partner necessary; ages 8 to adult.
  (Beginner/Intermediate)
   
• Tap Dancing: Elwood will teach several steps necessary to learn tap dancing routines, including the Time Step, Heel Step, Toe Punch, Swap Wings, Falling Down the Stairs, and much more. More challenging steps may be offered as class develops.
  (Beginner/Ages 11 and up)

MULTI-INSTRUMENT WORKSHOPS
(Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly)

• Creating a Folk Band: Aubrey and Elwood give guidance in how to start up a musical group. Topics such as collaboration, arranging music, performing, rehearsing, and more will be covered as time allows.
   
• Arranging Songs and Tunes in a Group
   
• Music Theory By Ear: Join this multi-instrument jam session and discussion about music and playing with others from an intuitive, "by ear" approach. Aubrey and Elwood will explore and explain their own folk processes and their belief that knowledge of music theory is often most useful in folk music when approached song by song. Topics such as chord progressions, keys, arranging music, modes, and tunings with be covered as time allows. Participants are invited to share their own knowledge as well as bring burning questions. Songs and tunes will be played in a jam session setting to help illustrate major points.
   
• Jam Sessions: Aubrey and Elwood lead jam sessions for any level, including slow and fast jams.
   
• Discussion - Playing in Front of Others: Many workshop participants wish to play in front of friends or an audience or both. Aubrey and Elwood will discuss philosophy, tips, and tricks they have developed in twenty years of performing. They will ask participants to share stories and advice.
  (All Levels)

  ELWOOD DONNELLY WORKSHOPS

APPALACHIAN FOLK MUSIC AND DANCE
(with Aubrey Atwater)

• Preliminaries: introductions & discussion of personal goals, desires for class
• Singing/Learning Songs: gospel, Carter Family, Songs of Jean Ritchie, ballads, children's songs and more; i.e., harmony singing, humorous
• Instruments: guitar, dulcimer, harmonica, percussion
• Dancing: clogging, contra
• Special: field trips, videos, CD's on music and culture, songwriting

CONTRADANCE CALLING
(for group functions and weddings)
Elwood can liven up your social event with some circle mixers, squares and contras that will get your attendees off their chairs and onto the dance floor. It's a fun way to meet the other people in your party and make lifelong friends. All dances are taught. Partners are not necessary. Singles welcomed. For more information and rates, call Elwood at 401.392.1322 or e-mail: elwood@notaol.com.

TAP DANCING
Elwood will teach several steps necessary to learn tap dancing routines, including the Time Step, Heel Step, Toe Punch, Swap Wings, Falling Down the Stairs, and much more.  More challenging steps may be offered as class develops.
(Beginner/Ages 11 and up)

DIATONIC HARMONICA
(Beginner/Intermediate)

• 1st Position - Melodies and Improvisation
• 2nd Position - Cross Harp For Blues
• 3rd Position - For Unusual Notes

  ATWATER-DONNELLY WORKSHOPS

THEME CONCERTS AND WORKSHOPS

• General Program: Introduction to American and Celtic traditional folk music and instruments. Participation and questions are a strong part of the program.
   
• Images of Women in Folk Music: Hear about the "ordinary" as well as extraordinary women in history through old and contemporary folk songs.
   
• Ballads - Early Newspapers: Ballads are short stories in the form of song used to convey important events and to entertain. For people who did not read or write, these songs were often important means of relaying and receiving major news of wrongdoing, crime, love, war, or disaster. The ballads often tell us that, despite technology, people are still very much the same. Ballads from the British Isles and the United States are sung.
   
• Emigration/Immigration: This program focuses on the Irish people and their story of emigration. Immigration songs are sung and explained and the influence of Irish music and culture around the world is illustrated.
   
• Songs of the Sea: Explore how music was used historically to aid in the work of sailors as well as to tell vivid stories of life on and off shore.
   
• Preschool Program: Children ages 3-6 years can see, hear, and try unusual instruments as well as clap, sing, and dance to captivating folk songs for the very young.
   
• Hymns in a Variety of American Traditions: This hymn sing includes songs from Shaker, Shape Note, Baptist, and African American camp meeting traditions.
   
• Heritage: American folk music, like American people, is a fusion of many influences and cultures. Participants explore their heritages as we travel in time and geography to many lands and learn about what makes up American folk music.
   
• Murder: Experience the dark side of traditional folk music where astonishing stories of murder and betrayal are preserved in ballads--a lesson that aspects of human nature have not changed over time.
   
• Songs of Rural Life: Hear traditional folk songs depicting rural life on both sides of the Atlantic.
   
• St. Patrick's Day - Irish Music Around the World: During the last few centuries, millions of people have left Ireland. This program explores how Irish music has been the basis or partial basis for American folk music, rock n roll, bluegrass, and blues. The focus is Irish and American folk music.