djgretzkypup - Posted - 02/08/2010:  19:52:54

Hello Everyone -

Please come and join us and enjoy what will prove to be a wonderful event.

fretmentor.com is sponsoring the “Southeast Florida Jens & Uwe Kruger’s Banjo and Guitar Workshop” which will be held in Lake Worth, Florida on April 9-10, 2010. This weekend workshop will allow banjoists and guitarists an opportunity to receive hands on instruction from two of the finest performers in their field. Many consider Jens Kruger to be one of the top three banjo players in the world today. See my interview with Jens in the August issue of Banjo Newsletter.

This event is sponsored by: First Quality Musical Supplies, Deering Banjos, Banjo Newsletter, Intellitouch Tuners, Homespun Music Instruction, Epiphany Lutheran Church & School, Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine, and Acoustic Guitar Magazine. If the workshop alone was not enough, attendees will have the opportunity to win one of two banjos. In addition, tuners, instructional DVDs, and other prizes will be raffled.

Apart from the Friday night & all day Saturday workshop, on Sunday April 11th, the Kruger Brothers will be performing with legendary fiddler Bobby Hicks and a guest mandolin player (to be announced) at the Four Arts Library in Palm Beach. We have arranged to have a block of some of the best tickets available to the public for purchase by workshop attendees.

Event: Jens & Uwe Kruger’s Banjo and Guitar Workshop

Date: April 9-10, 2010 (Additional Sunday concert in Palm Beach)

Location: Epiphany Lutheran Church & School, 4460 Lyons Rd. Lake Worth, Florida 33467

Registration Fees & Information: Go to fretmentor.com for details

Contact Person: David (david@fretmentor.com)

Edited by - djgretzkypup on 03/12/2010 05:22:55

djgretzkypup - Posted - 02/23/2010:  08:41:30

Hello Everyone -

Just a quick update to tell all of you who have sent messages and others who may still not know about the Jens & Uwe Kruger Banjo and Guitar Workshop, that it promises to be one of the best of its kind here in southeast florida.

Already over 40 people have signed up and registered. If you are interested in attending, please don't forget that the early registration fee ends soon. As of March 1, 2010, the registration fee will increase $20 to $175.

For those coming from a distance, discount hotels rooms are now available near the event. See fretmentor.com for details.

Are sponsors (including First Quality Music Supplies, Deering Banjos, Intellitouch Tuners, Homespun Tapes, Banjo Newsletter, Bluegrass Unlimited, Acoustic Guitar Magazine) have offered an excellent assortment of prizes to be raffled. Two lucky winners are going to walk away with banjos.

If you are tired of the snow up north, come and join us.

All the best.

Dave
fretmentor.com

fullybakedbear - Posted - 02/24/2010:  08:16:29

Awseome, I move OUT of Lake Worth, take up banjo and you do this? Did you send this to Berry at The Amp Shop in WPB?

Hogpaws - Posted - 02/25/2010:  14:31:31

Having received a banjo as a gift from my wife....I can't wait for this workshop....I hear these brothers are awesome! Should I bring my banjo?

djgretzkypup - Posted - 02/26/2010:  07:09:20

Fullybakedbear -

Well you can always come back here for the event. It will be a great time.

I left a flyer with the amp shop and last time I heard from them, they were planning on attending the event.

We'd love for you to join us.

Dave

djgretzkypup - Posted - 02/26/2010:  07:11:35

Hogpaws -

Definitely bring your banjo and don't forget to go to fretmentor.com and complete the online registration. Remember that the early discount registration ends this week.

Dave
fretmentor.com

briln - Posted - 02/27/2010:  05:37:33

This sounds like a great workshop. Will the participants have a chance to have a give and take or will it be mostly lecture.

djgretzkypup - Posted - 02/28/2010:  14:41:16

To Briln -

It will be an exciting workshop and already over 40 have signed up. The participants will have a chance to participant so if you decide to attend, definitely bring your instrument. In addition to the instruction, I am sure you will have the opportunity to jam during breaks.

Hope to see you there Briln.

Dave

briln - Posted - 03/01/2010:  10:19:03

sounds terrific. The anticipation until April 9th is going to be great!

umfan3981 - Posted - 03/02/2010:  17:46:05

I had the opportunity to meet the Kruger Brothers at IBMA this past fall. They are incredible musicians, and some of the nicest people you will ever meet.

Do not pass up an opportunity to get to meet (and learn from) these gentlemen!

mountiepicker - Posted - 03/03/2010:  03:52:26

Wish I could be there. Sounds like a great experience!

eagleisland - Posted - 03/03/2010:  04:39:34

I've attended maybe half a dozen different Kruger Bros. workshops. All were different. All were positively brilliant.

This program may be a bit different in that it's a weekend, but if my past experience is any indication, by all means bring your banjo, but don't expect to play it much during the sessions. The Krugers generally aren't about showing licks or teaching songs.

What you SHOULD bring, definitely, is a recording device and a notebook. Oh, and an open mind. What the Krugers present in their workshops isn't so much about technique, or theory - although there are elements of both. What a Kruger session is really all about is, for lack of a better term, musicality. It's all about communicating with an audience by way of music - of using music to convey emotion. Their music is not about doing things to amaze people, although they are certainly capable of doing that; rather, their music is about TOUCHING people. They will most likely talk about this rather extensively and demonstrate as they go.

Given that Jens and Uwe almost invariably travel with their "third brother" - bassist Joel Landsberg - try to spend at least some of the time they're playing concentrating on what Joel is doing. He's an amazingly inventive and subtle bassist. Every note he plays is perfect - but so carefully crafted to be in support of either the banjo or the guitar - the song, really - that you might not notice it unless you listen for it. Musicality personified.

Do not think of this as a banjo class - if my past experience is any indication, it won't be. Think of it instead as a master class, a concert with dialogue, in which three true virtuosos explain, to a knowledgeable audience, why they do what they do (and not necessarily how). By all means, ask questions as they occur to you; they love to answer them. No one should be intimidated if they're newer players; they are as kind and generous with beginners as they are with 20 year veterans - maybe more so. I did my first Kruger session about five months into playing the banjo and it was probably the single most important session I ever attended, because it changed the way I thought about what the instrument can do and helped crystallize the idea that brilliant technique without truly understanding the music itself is nothing but sound.

Go expecting to be moved, delighted, entertained and inspired (oh, and plan on leaving thinking that you might have just gotten the best banjo bargain ever). Don't be surprised if you find yourself laughing your butt off from time to time. These are three very warm, very funny guys. And positively mindblowing players.

Have fun!

Edited by - eagleisland on 03/03/2010 04:49:29

djgretzkypup - Posted - 03/05/2010:  14:19:53

Eagleisland -

Thank you very much for articulate summary. You have provided excellent comments that will greatly assist my workshop attendees. If you have a moment, I would appreciate if you can add some of your own comments on my forum at fretmentor.com. Many of the people attending may or may not come to Banjohangout (although I encourage them to do so) and they could benefit from your experience.

All the best my friend.

Dave
ww.fretmentor.com

eagleisland - Posted - 03/06/2010:  05:15:31

Dave, feel free to copy and crosspost my comments, with attribution to the BHO - the last thing I need right now is to get involved in another forum!

djgretzkypup - Posted - 03/07/2010:  17:24:47

Thank Eagleisland -

I may just post your summary on my forum.

Dave
fretmentor.com

briln - Posted - 03/10/2010:  14:38:48

Will it be OK to record these sessions?

djgretzkypup - Posted - 03/14/2010:  11:29:54

Briln -

Audio recording only may be permitted for these sessions.

Thanks.

Dave

briln - Posted - 03/15/2010:  16:54:00

Perfect. That will be great.

dave2311 - Posted - 03/22/2010:  10:39:02

Eagleisland's experience just makes me that much more interested in this workshop. I'm going mainly to soak up Uwe's guitar knowledge, but i could be convinced into learning banjo if i win one of those banjos going up for grabs during the workshop. Can't wait. it's gonna be fun.

swivler - Posted - 03/22/2010:  11:53:57

Hey Dave,

will this event break out into separate rooms...one for banjo, another for guitar? I am interested in both...or will it be a combo of both during the entire time?

thanks,

Rob

Mike Dexter - Posted - 03/22/2010:  12:07:10

Hi everybody, I live in England. Last weekend I had the great pleasure of hearing the Kruger Brothers perform over here---they are absolutly fabulous musicians, the best. Give yourselves a treat and go and see them.

Mike Dexter - Posted - 03/22/2010:  12:18:14

Regarding the post above---forgot to mention---The Kruger Brothers are the nicest guys you could meet--non better.

brozcom - Posted - 03/23/2010:  09:47:48

Looking forward to this workshop. Been watching Krugers on You Tube and find them very impressive. Can't wait for ther evening concert.

voodoo_chilly - Posted - 03/24/2010:  11:26:38

Yeah, I've watched the Kruger Brothers on YouTube several times, and they are awesome! The workshop should be a fantastic event for all those that attend. A local performance afterward is icing on the cake as well.

djgretzkypup - Posted - 03/27/2010:  19:15:46

Rob -

The event will have Jens teaching the banjo students and Uwe teaching the guitar students. There are a number of attendees who have indicated that they will be interested in learning both the guitar and banjo sessions and they will have the opportunity to do both (such as a morning and an afternoon session on Saturday. So if you play both instruments, feel free to attend sessions by both of the Kruger brothers.

taterjacksam - Posted - 03/28/2010:  09:37:19

I just watched the Kruger Brothers on Woodsongs Old Time Radio Show. They put on a show. At the Friday night Ocoee Jam we were having a good time listening to the locals and up walked Bobby Hicks and started jamming. What a treat and what a fiddle player. His wife was on a job assignment in the area and they heard about the jam and decided to join us. It was a special event for all us locals.

douglasfountain - Posted - 03/30/2010:  15:28:25

Is it too late to register? Having read all the infor about the Kruger Brothers I really want to attend, so is registration still open?

OutlawSteph - Posted - 03/31/2010:  20:39:24

Jens' DVD is worth getting for more advanced players if you like melodics and "new acoustic" type banjo playing. His original tunes are on the DVD and TAB, note for note as he plays them. It's promising that this is going to be a course that will be challenging and we'll learn things that you won't get simply in a book or with your 'regular' banjo instructor... I hope.

djgretzkypup - Posted - 04/04/2010:  16:27:58

Douglas -

It is not too late to register. I will be taking registration up to and including the opening night (Friday night). Please contact me or go to my website for registration fees and details of this exciting event.

dave

djgretzkypup - Posted - 04/07/2010:  08:44:26

Only a couple more days left before Jens and Uwe's workshop here in Florida. I hope you will join us. Thanks to everyone who expressed interest and signed up for this exciting event

briln - Posted - 04/15/2010:  08:58:04

Unbelievable. Fantastic Workshop very well put on. Anyone that could have gone and didn't made a big mistake. Check out fretmentor.com for more details.