Zoukfest 2009 is over, and it was both great fun and informative. Zoukfest was held in Albuquerque for the first time, over three days, at UNM, June 12-14. This is a shorter Zoukfest than in the past, but my understanding was that attendance was up, probably due to the easily accessible Albuquerque location. Attendees came from the Denver area, Albuquerque, and southern New Mexico, and Arizona for the most part. Many are repeat offenders. This was the first time Zoukfest was held in Albuquerque, but hopefully not the last.
The 2009 event started with a welcome and pizza dinner followed by a crowded but rousing session at Brickyard Pizza. The session, led by Roger Landes, went until 2AM with the music getting better and better as the wee hours of Saturday morning progressed. The session police were on patrol, ticketing whackers, clackers and clankers as needed. I hear that Bernie was doing a bit of board member baiting with her spoons!
Classes began Saturday morning, at the comfortable but chilly UNM Student Union Building, on Mañana time, promptly sometime after 10AM. Sleepy instructors were Roger Landes, bouzouki and tenor banjo, Moira Smiley, voice, Randal Bayes, Celtic fiddle, Elliot Grasso, flute, and Dain Forsythe, Bouzouki. Classes were given progressively at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. One thing I noticed is that few beginners were in attendance, and next year perhaps classes can be adjusted accordingly.
I was lucky to attend classes with Moira, Elliot, and Randal. All are outstanding teachers.
I particularly enjoyed Moira’s freeform voice seminar, where we explored vocal timbre, and discussed many topics including Hambone / Step style, and diverse topics like how vocalists and bands interact, and differences between Irish and Scottish song styles. Moira is a natural teacher, and I highly recommend taking her class, weather you sing or not.
Randal presented three Celtic fiddle classes and I was able to attend the third, which was really more of a seminar. Randal started by giving tips on violin amplification, always an interesting topic. Next, Randall presented the cooks choice on getting an education in Irish traditional fiddle, talking about classic recordings, music sources, and complex bowings. At the same time he threw example tidbits of tasty tunes to be explored later. He wrapped up with a masters class critique for student volunteers. Amazingly, he is self-taught, but with what I consider near perfect violin technique. His tune ornamentation is the most precise I have seen. Obviously he has worked hard at both his playing and teaching. His Friday Harbor camp is to be recommended.
Elliot Grasso presented tunes and concentrated on their form, ornamentation, and harmonization. Elliot is a great flute player, but is an Uilleann Pipe master, and we were lucky enough to get to hear him prepare for the nights concert on a Seth Gallagher full set lent by attendee and pipe maker Dirk Mewes. I missed his ‘Variation in Irish Music’ class, and would have liked to attend.
Dain Forsythe, Bodhran, and native to the Duke City, gave beginning and intermediate instruction in the Irish skin drum. I did not attend his classes, but know Dane well, and can recommend his instruction. He teaches beginning and intermediate Bodhran classes at UNM continuing education at Apple Mountain Music, and is a promintent local session player.
Private lessons were available with all the instructors.
Saturday’s classes were followed by a wonderful instructor performance at ‘The Outpost’, an intimate concert hall with an excellent sound system, Neil Copperman presiding. Moira Smiley began the set with an A cappella rendition of some Irish traveling ballads. Dane Forsythe soon picked up his Bodhran for some tasty accompaniment to a more upbeat song in Jig time. Moira is a joy to watch onstage, and is an inveterate performer. She truly seems to enjoy her work. Soon after, Elliot played some harmonically and rythmically complex tunes on his borrowed pipes (which performed amazingly well given potential unfamiliarity and the dry climate). Of particular note was a set dance with complex changing meters and intricate regulator work accompaniment, the name of which escapes me. Soon after Randal and Roger joined for some traditional sets, all wonderfully played. I had to leave after the first half of the concert ,so cannot comment on what followed. I believe a session ensued afterwards.
Sunday started again immediatly on Mañana time. I attended an excellent violin seminar by Randal, described above.
Zoukfest concluded with another session, held at Two Fools Irish Pub. The playing was excellent, but Two Fools suffers from being small, noisy, and crowded. The session would perhaps have been better held elsewhere. Local Uilleann pipe virtuoso Andrew Post made a rare appearance, pipe-less, playing on his Sindt whistle.
All in all, a mighty weekend, full of learning, sleep deprivation, and the meeting of friends, both old and new. I can’t wait until next year!
The Zoukfest website is at: http://www.zoukfest.com/
Moira Smiley’s website is at: http://www.moirasmiley.com/
Randal Bayes website (which is very interesting) is at: http://www.randalbays.com/
Roger Landes’ website is at: http://www.rogerlandes.com/
Dain Forsythe’s website is at: http://www.myspace.com/dainforsyth