Legendary mandolinist Roland White (rolandwhite.com) will be conducting a mandolin camp in Bloomington Indiana Friday December 7th and 8th, 2007.

The camp is broken into a meet and greet/picking party led by Roland the evening of Friday, December 7th and a 4 hour mandolin workshop the afternoon of Saturday, December 8th. There will be additional picking that Saturday evening.

All activities of the mandolin camp are being held at the lovely Grant Street Inn Bed and Breakfast in Bloomington.

Cost of the camp is $75, prepaid registration required. Payment will be made to Jim Richter who is organizing the event.

The Grant Street Inn is offering attendees a special rate of $69 plus tax per night for those who wish to lodge there.

No attendee is required to stay at the Inn (though it is highly encouraged to get the "full" experience), so it is possible to come just for Saturday's workshop. The cost of instruction is still $75, prepaid registration required. Those attending the camp but not staying at the Inn are still encouraged to come to Friday's meet and greet.

WHEN:

Friday, December 7th, 2007: Meet and Greet/Picking Party with Roland

Saturday, December 8th, 2007: 4 hour workshop with Roland 12:30PM to 5PM (Note: please eat lunch prior to workshop)

WHERE:

Grant Street Inn, 310 North Grant, Bloomington, Indiana. (800) 328-4350. http://www.grantstreetinn.com

COST:

$75 preregistration required, paid to Jim Richter. Optional lodging at the Grant Street Inn is $69 plus tax per night. When registering with the Inn, please tell them you are there for the mandolin camp to receive the discounted rate (1/2 off the normal rate)

CONTACT INFO:

Please contact Jim Richter for all questions regarding the camp. Jim can be reached at (812) 825-5514 or by email at: jim@richterdigitalarts.net Please contact the Grant Street Inn only for issues regarding lodging.

ABOUT ROLAND AND WHAT TO EXPECT FROM HIS WORKSHOP:

Topics will include right- and left-hand technique, chord shapes and how they work together, playing breaks to a songs, double stops, back-up, mandolin set-up, tremolo, acquiring speed, ensemble playing, and more, depending on the students' preferences and needs. Roland will spend some time with each student individually and provide chord diagrams and tablature handouts. The workshop should be equally beneficial to players of all skill levels.

Roland White is known as one of the few unique stylists on the mandolin, with his own unmistakable sound and touch. In his distinguished career in bluegrass music, Roland has played in some of the most influential and popular groups in the music’s history. Roland's soul and infectious rhythm enable him to seem to dance through his instrument. Roland began playing professionally at the age of 14 after his family moved from their native Maine to Burbank, California. He led his brothers in their first band, The Country Boys, later known as The Kentucky Colonels, was a member of Lester Flatt's Nashville Grass, Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, the progressive bluegrass band Country Gazette, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, which won two Grammies, and The Roland White Band, which earned a 2003 Grammy nomination for the CD "Jelly on my Tofu".

Roland is widely praised as a teacher, having taught mandolin and guitar privately and in workshops for many years. He loves to teach beginners and has boundless enthusiasm for the music, which rubs off those around him. He has published a critically and popularly acclaimed mandolin methods, Roland Whites Approach to Bluegrass Mandolin and Roland White's Mandolin Christmas and is in demand at music camps and seminars.

Workshop topics are listed in detail at: rolandwhite.com/workshoptopics.htm.

You can learn more about Roland at rolandwhite.com.