The Cowan Community Center proudly presents our first Mountain Music Teachers’ Retreat, Friday, May 10th and Saturday, May 11th 2024. The Retreat will include workshops on how to get your students off to a good start in old time fiddle, banjo, guitar, mountain dulcimer and singing. Experienced dancers can also learn square dance calling. The workshops will be led by some of the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School’s most experienced and inspiring teachers, including John Harrod, Randy Wilson and Sarah Kate Morgan. Anyone who teaches or aspires to teach Kentucky’s traditional music in their own community will gain practical skills and confidence. Teaching assistants, private teachers, public school music teachers and musicians serving nonprofits such as afterschool programs, libraries and museums are all encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen your instructional methods and repertoire.
The Cowan Community Center, which features a beautiful wood dance floor and shady grounds for jamming, is located 6 miles outside Whitesburg, Kentucky in the shadow of Pine Mountain, map here. Tuition is $100 and includes workshops, meals and a square dance each night where dance calling students can practice their new skills. Scholarships are available thanks to a generous bequest from Nancy and Harvey McClellan and South Arts. Scroll down for the full schedule. Registration is open! Click here to register
The Mountain Music Teachers’ Retreat is made possible by a generous In These Mountains grant from South Arts.
Mountain Music Teachers Retreat 2024 – Workshop Schedule
Friday, May 10 Cowan Community Center
1:30 Refreshments and welcome.
| 2:00pm – 2:50pm Workshops | The First Fiddle Lesson Art Mize |
The First Banjo Lesson Randy Wilson |
| 3:00pm – 3:50pm Workshops | Teaching Mtn Harmony Singing Diane Timmons & Art Mize |
Beginning Square Dance Calling 1 Randy Wilson |
| 4:00pm – 4:50pm Panel | Teaching via the Internet – Big Room John Harrod, Carla Gover |
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5:00pm Break
6:00pm Supper at Cowan Community Center
7:00pm Community Square Dance led by Randy Wilson and the dance calling students, music by faculty and student band. ($5 suggested donation if not MMTR participant)
9:30 pm Jamming at the Parkway
Saturday, May 11
8:30am Continental Breakfast at Cowan Community Center
| 9:00pm – 9:50 Workshops | Teaching Dulcimer to Adults | Teaching Bowing for Ky Tunes |
| Sarah Kate Morgan | John Harrod | |
| 10:00pm – 10:50 Workshops | Teaching Dulcimer to Kids | Introducing Alternate Picking Styles |
| Sarah Kate Morgan | John Haywood | |
| 11:00pm -11:50 Workshop | Leading Play Party Games for Kids – Big Room | |
| Randy Wilson | ||
12:00 noon Lunch at Cowan Community Center
| 1:00pm – 1:50 Workshop | Teaching Vocal Technique for Traditional Music- Big Room Diane Timmons |
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| 2:00pm – 2:50 Workshops | The First Guitar Lesson Art Mize |
Beginning Square Dance Calling 2 Randy Wilson & Will Bowling |
| 3:00pm -3:50 Panel | Selecting and Preparing Ky Tunes for Beginning & Early Intermediate Students – Big Room John Harrod, John Haywood |
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4:00pm – 5:30 pm Break and Supper on your own or at Carcassonne.
5:30 – Meet in Parkway Inn parking lot to share rides and caravan to Carcassonne.
6:30pm – Carcassonne square dance, Kentucky’s oldest continuous community square dance, led by Will Bowling and the dance calling students. Meals and dessert available for purchase at the community center (vegetarian not usually available).
9:30pm – Jamming at the Parkway.
What to Bring:
* Please bring a laptop, thumb drive or other large-capacity storage device to upload a wealth of resources. John Harrod has much to share!
* Hard soled shoes for dancers and dance calling students.
* Any instrument you plan to teach.
* Extra strings, capo for guitar or banjo.
Accomodations:
Parkway Inn 3749 Hwy 15, Whitesburg, Ky (606) 633-4441 (15 minutes away from Cowan Community Center)
Carr Creek State Park, Sassafras, Ky (606) 642-4050
https://parks.ky.gov/sassafras/parks/recreation/carr-creek-state-park
Wiley’s Last Resort – Tent camping and cabins on Pine Mountain. CCMMS and MMTR Students can receive a 15% discount using this code: PBTFCMNV https://www.wileyslastresort.com/
Letcher County has a number of AirBNB options. Early booking is recommended.
The Cowan Community Center is wheelchair accessible. The Cowan Creek Mountain Music School is a family event; no alcohol, drugs, profanity or frowns are permitted.
Register for the Mountain Music Teachers’ Retreat, May 10 & 11, 2024 HERE