Dwight Diller Itinerary and Class Dates

2009 Itinerary

These are the dates I am proposing. Nothing is cast in concrete at this time except my trip to Michigan. I will be cutting back on the number of classes to about a total of three banjo classes. I will plan a week in late June or mid-July and very early August plus one including the first of October that I have been running for many years.

NOTE: If you are a new student, it is of utmost importance for you to have ordered my “JUST RHYTHM” dvd from Morningstar Folk Arts at ediller@gmail.com to study deeply before you come. Unlike other outfits, when you come here to Knave Run- Brown's Creek, you will not be charged for linens or towels. And for a small charge they might even be clean. [ha]

APRIL 9-12: Grand Rapids Michigan. This plan just hit the ground the first week of Jan 09. If enough students sign up, we will go forward with the class. I have been traveling to Michigan every year since the late ‘80s except for ‘06. If you are interested, please email and I will give you the email address to contact the person, Pat Harkins, who hosts this class in her home. She can then give the particulars. Since I have to fly up, the sooner there is enough folks signed up, the less expensive my plane ticket will be. The plane ticket last November to England was so expensive that it made the trip touch and go to come out ahead. It’s just the times. So plans have to be made asap.

MAY 22-24: “Vandelia Gathering" at WVa State Capital in Charleston” every Memorial Day weekend. Free and open to the public w/ lots of music on the grounds as well as concerts inside. I am scheduled to play at the Saturday Night concert inside. The music starts Friday afternoon and runs until Sunday evening. There is also food stands, some right good craftsmen there selling their wares. So the cost is the price of a room unless you 1. have a camper 2. someone to stay with. Tiz a good learning experience; many of the best true old time musicians in the world are still left in WVa.

Don’t forget to bring machinery for to make recordings. I have been told they are handy years down the road. Though I have a “tab book” with my name on it and it includes all WVa tunes, many of which are from this region especially the Hammons, I cannot read tab, cannot teach tab, cannot encourage tab except to the person who wants to try to get ahold of a skeleton framework. As far as exact notes in each tune each time, that does not happen with me nor did it happen with the old musicians. They were playing their “heart” and not some dots on a page; thus each time the tune was played, their heart/spirit was in a different “mode”. It just takes a long time to know which is correct groups of notes and which are not part of the tradition. Wilson Douglas said “It takes about 10 years ‘just to start to learn’ about the old music”. And he grew up smack dab in the middle of the tradition.

JUNE 19-20-21: WVa State Folk Festival @ Glenville St College, Glenville, WVa. This festival has been on going since the late 1940s and I am told it is the longest running of it’s kind. I don’t know, but I do know for sure, it has had some of the world’s absolute very best Appalachian old time musicians pass through it’s doors. This was a region where the “old music” and culture was kept alive when the old music was being rejected like a ugly mongrel dog most everywhere else. I highly recommend for people to attend.

The main folks who really attend are the local people who enjoy the yearly Friday and Saturday night square dance by blocking off part of main street and building a dance platform. Also people turn out for the yearly parade. It’s THEIR festival. Aint no big deal except it has never been artificial. There are music contests but only little ribbons are given out. The concerts have real people with real music. And generally the student dormitory rooms are open for a small fee and bring your own bed clothes and fan.

JULY 12-17: Knave Run of Brown’s Creek [my facility which can be seen here]. This week will be geared more for some of the most important "basic" which is rhythm as well as some tunes.

There are some folks who have assisted me over the years. Perhaps they can make it for this one; i dont know. Class size will depend on how many students want to sign up, and whether my friends who have assisted can attend. But a large class will be 4 or 5 students.

BTW, this class could be the week before which includes the 4th of July holiday. It will be set up for people who would be interested in either one of these 2 week time periods. Re: the holiday weekend, students would still arrive late Sunday afternoon.

Tuition, room and board w/ 4 full days of morning and afternoon classes and what ever can be stirred up in the evening. Students arrive late Sunday afternoon and leave just after breakfast Friday morning. The total both weeks is $520 since these two classes will be small so you dont get lost in the rush. And it is not about lots of "technique" or "speed" or "exact proper notes"; it is about "heart/spirit and soul". That is always the goal in my classes. Always has been; always will be for this "old homemade traditional mountain music". It is my heritage which I try to pass along. Not "Round Peak" heritage or "Kentucky" heritage or etc. It is about Central and East Central WVa's Heritage and Culture. It was not born on a sidewalk in the "flatlands". Much to many folks chagrin, this is the heritage i have always tried to share and pass along; this is why i have been so serious about it.

SEPTEMBER 4 MORNING: Stonewall Jackson Jubilee noon Friday through Labor Day Monday The setting is at the WVa State 4-H camp near West, WV (just off I-79). I have been attending this festival since 1977 and been blessed with not having missed a year. There is generally between 100-150 WVa musicians who are in attendance and there are NO CONTESTS AND THE MUSIC RUNS FROM THE AM UNTIL ABOUT 11PM AT NIGHT. There is a large parking area with tractors and covered hay wagons with benches running day and night. Some of the tractors have been “souped up” by the young men driving them, but there is no danger. The large parking area is a great field where a tent can also be pitched or a trailer parked for no extra charge. It is also a brief walk over to the field from the grounds. There is a huge number of “juried craft booths”, glass blowing, quilt contests, photography contests. BBQ chicken or pork meals stands, Civil War reenactments; rendezvous gatherings, etc. I’ll shut up. Its just that I get more out of this than any other music gathering. Clifftop has no old time music compared to this. I dont know of any person/student of mine who attended and did not have a good time. if you plan to go, better get you a motel room right soon; the ones near by fill up right quick.

OCTOBER 4-10: Knave Run on Brown’s Creek. 5 days of class and 6 nights sleeping. Over the years this was a larger class and was attended by some of the students previously here. However, last October I don’t remember any of my older students being able to make the trip. But the lodge was full if I remember correctly. I have tried to time the class when the leaf color is at it’s peak and have almost always been close to correct. Last fall we had no killing frost by that time so the leaves hung on. Once again, this class will be geared for those who want to attend whatever their level. Contrary to old wives legends, students will not be bodily thrown out of class. This week, being one extra day of instruction, will be $70 more = $599 total.

NOVEMBER IN ENGLAND: The trip to England has generally been the first Tuesday after November 1st because of plane ticket rates and that seemed a convenient time for everyone all around. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to make the trip this year. It will mostly depend on expenses and whether folks decide to sign up. The economy of course has made many changes in England as well as the U.S. But as fuel prices have gone down, it will be interesting to see if the airlines reduce their rates. If I do come it will possibly be from the 2nd of November until the 16th of November or Tuesday until Tuesday. This will allow for the usual 2 weekend classes.

When I travel over to England, I have extra good friends over there just as i do here. There is a bunch of them that have a sense of humor to what we have here in the blue collar group. There is a lot of laughing and joking mixed in with the seriousness. My first year was 1998 and last year was 2008. Because of the auto wreck, I had to miss 2005, so that was a total of 10 teaching trips. Going to England is like going to the Jubilee each year - a peaceful and fun family reunion.

DECEMBER 4-6: For quite a few years I have been coming to Pittsburgh to teach a weekend class – Friday evening until Sunday afternoon. Cindy Harris has been hosting the class in her home for many years now. This date is not cast in concrete but has been the first weekend in December. The heavy weather usually has not set in yet. This year there was some, though. You can contact her for more information when you're ready. She is right well organized. I am going to get around to that one of these days, I think. Actually I am doing good to get this out before June.

Anyone with questions, please feel free to email . Sometimes I am available for a phone call but not as regular as email: 304-799-4965