A Different Experience

Just returned from the Hornby Island Blues Workshop - four days of workshops for guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and harp players along with vocalists - all in the blues genre. This because I no longer had the opportunity to attend David's Masterclass workshop in San Jose (miss it!!) The 'major' workshop (every morning) I chose was written up like this:

"We'll be working on ensemble playing - dynamics, complimentary guitar parts, riffs and solos and making it all fit together. (Acoustic guitars only... we can take one bass player and an advanced harmonica player if one wants to join in. Instruction for the guitars and bass, direction for the harp player)."

What a great experience - RIck FInes (guitar and vocals) is a great musician and excellent teacher. I was welcomed by the 9 guitar players and the bass and certainly learned what to listen for in working with guitar players, how to use the bass lines to develop comp riffs and solos plus more. It was a fun filled learning experience and besides the workshops (I did minor workshops in writing lyrics and harmonica playing) the concerts were incredible (like the Masterclass concerts) every night with the 11 instructors giving it all and the final night student concert which was wild with amazing talent.

It was so different to have the variety of instruments working together with a focus on fitting in with the others and how to make the total greater than the sum of the parts. Just thought some of you would be interested in hearing about this kind of experience when most of our workshops are harp player based. Only one thing will prevent me from going back next year - another Masterclass at the same time (????????) maybe wishful thinking but just saying ..............