3:00-5:00   Check-in
5:00-7:00   Supper off-site
7:00-9:00   Welcome/Staff performances in-the-round
9:00-10:00   Beginner Jam with Anne & Elaine /informal jamming in other locations

Friday, Jan. 8

7-7:30   Tai Chi with Don Pedi (optional; no experience required)
7-8:30   Breakfast in Terrace Dining Hall

8:30-10   Skills classes -- these classes continue on Sat morning; choose one of the following levels when you pre-register:

1. Beginners (Anne Lough) – A good place to start - no experience necessary.  You will find Anne to be an extremely patient and thorough instructor. She'll cover the “basics” like how to tune your dulcimer, scales, basic strumming patterns, some simple melodies, basic chords, and reading dulcimer tablature.  Loaner dulcimers available upon request.
2. Advanced Beginners (Don Pedi) – If you feel that you have progressed past the new player or beginner level, then this is the class for you. Don will take the basic skills you learned as a beginner and challenge you by adding new twists and ideas to the basic concepts. Be sure that you can easily tune your instrument and have a basic knowledge of how to read tablature.
3. Intermediate (Larry Conger) – Right hand and left hand skills will be addressed in this class. If you are comfortable tuning, can read tablature, know your basic chords and can play several songs with some confidence, this class is the place for you. Skills such as flat-picking, hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides will be addressed, while learning some great new tunes.
4. Advanced (Joe Collins) – This class is for those competent players who are looking for a challenge. Former National Mountain Dulcimer Champion, Joe Collins will address the skills and techniques that helped him to win the championship and will certainly help you to sharpen and advance your skills as a player.
5. Bowed (Jim Miller) -- Covers bowing technique and fingerings. Several intermediate songs will be taught along with harmonies and chords. A bowed instrument is not required, but you do need a bow.

10-10:30   Break

10:30-Noon   Special Sessions (different titles on Saturday)

·  Beginners will continue with Anne today 
·  “Traditional American Folk Hymns” with Joe Collins – an intermediate repertoire workshop of traditional pentatonic melodies used in The Sacred Harp and other early collections.  These are wonderful hymns especially suited for the mountain dulcimer!
· “Applications for the One and a Half Fret” with Larry Conger – Explore the assets of having a 1+ fret on your dulcimer while learning some fun and useful tunes that make use of the 1+ fret space on all three strings. Intermediate into advanced repertoire; however, everyone is welcome.
· “Introduction to the Bowed Dulcimer” with Jim Miller – Covers bowing technique and fingering. Several simple tunes are taught. You don't need a bowed instrument, but do bring a bow if you have one.
·  “Novice-Intermediate Bowed Dulcimer Techniques” with Marsha Harris – Reinforce and strengthen your skill level on the bowed dulcimer with bowing techniques and hand positions.  Learn how the bowed dulcimer can add dimension and mimic a fiddle in your group. Time for individual coaching will be offered by Marsha as well.
·  “Hear-a-Chord, There-a-Chord: Ear Training for Dulcimer” with Elaine Conger – learn how to distinguish chord changes when you’re in a jam..…or jelly!

12:00-1:30 – Lunch

1:30-3:00 – “Dulcimer Ensemble” with Elaine & Larry (*or request private coaching with Anne Lough during this time period)
3:15-4:45 – “History of the Mountain Dulcimer” with Don Pedi -- an audio-visual exploration and demonstration of the dulcimer’s history from the Sheithlot to the Folk Revival. (*or request private coaching with Jim Miller during this time period)
4:45-7:00 – rest time and supper break off-site
7:00-8:00 – “World Music Exploration” with Will Peebles, Music Dept. Chair at WCU
8:00-9:00 – Participants-in-the-round – prepare a tune to play for your peers!
9:00-until? – “Old-Time Jammin’ Fun” with Jim & Don

Saturday, Jan. 9

7-7:30   Tai Chi with Don Pedi (optional; no experience required)
7-8:30   Breakfast in Terrace Dining Hall
8:30-10:00   Skills classes – continue with same instructor as Friday morning

10-10:30    Break

10:30-Noon   Special Sessions (different titles from Friday)
·  “Twists and Turns” with Anne Lough – tunes to strengthen the intermediate players’ left hand technique and musicality.
·  “Slow Celtic Tunes” with Joe Collins – a repertoire session for the advanced beginner featuring easy-to-play hymns and other tunes from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales
·  “Advanced Fiddle Tunes” with Larry Conger – Fun, fast fiddle tunes that make use of lots of hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides. A great skill building class and a perfect addition to your performance/contest repertoire.
·  “Bowing Master Class” with Jim Miller – bring a tune you’ve been working on or want to learn and let Jim critique you on your technique and suggest ways for you to improve.
·  “Civil War Tunes” with Marsha Harris – a repertoire session for the advanced beginner featuring easy tunes played during the 1860’s.
·  “Having Fun with Music Theory” with Elaine Conger – get answers to all your musical questions including, “What are all those black thingies?”
·  “Same Thing, Only Different” with Don Pedi -- Explore the individual, regional, and cultural similarities and differences of well known titles, such as “Old Joe Clark,” “Shady Grove,” “Walking In The Parlor,” etc.  Tablature of the different versions will be provided.

12:00-1:30 – Lunch

1:30-3:00 – Dulcimer Ensemble with Elaine & Larry (*or request private coaching with Joe Collins during this time period)
3:15-4:45 – Exploration of Shaped Note Singing with Will Peebles – a singing session which will demonstrate the difference between the 4-shape system found in The Sacred Harp hymnal as opposed to the 7-shape system found in Christian Harmony.  (*or request private coaching with Larry Conger during this time period)
4:45-7:00 – rest time and supper break off-site
7:00-8:00 – Dulcimer Ensemble and Shaped Note Sharing with Larry & Will
8:00-9:00 – Staff & Participant Jam & Dance!
9:00-until? – Hymn Sing/Jam with Joe & Larry

Sunday, Jan 10

7-8:30   Breakfast in Terrace Dining Hall
8:30-9:00  Devotional and hymn singing
9:30   optional hike led by Will Peebles – see you next year!

 *Contact the instructor upon your arrival at the conference to obtain a coaching time slot.