Schooled

Banjos and fiddles and bass, oh my!

Students are back in class at the old school in Milford. But this time, instead of ABCs they are learning the Do-Re-Mi of bluegrass music. The camp is the brainchild of Juno-winner Jenny Whiteley and Alysa Hawkins, who with her husband, Jesse Parker, bought and re-purposed the Milford School.

“For years, I had this idea we could do a bluegrass camp in Ontario,” said Whiteley. “I had so many musician friends who were travelling out west or to the States to teach at these camps, and I have all these other friends who were going there to learn. All travelling from Ontario. And I thought surely there’s a little niche for us to fill here.”

Whitely explored a couple of spots, but to no avail. “And then Alysa and Jesse, who I know from a long way back, bought the old school and I suddenly had a place to do it,” she said. “I told them I had an idea and they embraced it. The three of us have been working together ever since.”

Frank Evans of the Slocan Ramblers shares a laugh while instructing banjo students at the Old School Bluegrass Camp running from July 3 to 8.

This is the camp’s second year. In 2015, they had about 30 students for the 5-day camp. This year they have just over 40, with twelve former participants returning. There are a number of local students, and visitors can camp on the old school playground or stay at local rentals if they have an aversion to camping. Meals and snacks are provided and there’s a full schedule of instruction and workshops as well as evening concerts followed by informal jam sessions.

“We have seven instructors. That’s an unheard of ratio of students to instructors. Everyone who comes to this camp not only gets to study in a group, but they also get a private lesson—which is something you won’t find at other camps,” said Whiteley. “This is our idea. We’ll never be bigger than 50 students. We don’t want to go higher than that for the experience of the campers and the size of the venue. We’re keeping it small and people are really responding to that.”

The instructors at the camp are accomplished musicians in their own right, and teach at other venues throughout North America. The fiddle instructor, Toronto based Ben Plotnick, now teaches at Nashville.

Members of the Slocan Ramblers, winners of the 2015 Edmonton Folk Fest Emerging Artist Award, teach banjo, mandolin, upright bass and guitar. Internationally renowned dobro player Ivan Rosenberg is on hand for private lessons.

The students appreciate the small size and intimacy of the camp. Simon Lever from Perth, Ontario is one of the returning campers. Last year, he arrived with a bass ukulele and left with a desire to play the upright bass. He’s spent the past 12 months learning his new instrument. “This is a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s a summer camp for adults and it’s great to play with other people. I love the school. It takes me back to being a kid.”