Yeah I could see his ad for his first jammin camp…“boys and girls come to my first all “jammin” nudie camp…we goin TABless. Bring nut’n but your instrument, ears and a smile. We be jammin at my place.” Sign me up (haha).
Anyone Been To A Wernick Jam Camp?
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I will totally conceive that and launch it in 2023, thanks! I do wrestle with the balance of instruction vs. jamming. I try to run camps that appeal the most amount of people, and I also have learned even this year that some folks desire to do more jamming than time allows.
I haven’t released details yet, but I’m doing a camp this fall in Nashville that is different than any before. It’s a band camp with a focus on how to be a successful bandmate. There is focus on how to play, yeah, but it’s much more. We’ll have sessions on groove/pocket, how to arrange songs, how to write a setlist, how to get gigs, how to record and choose a studio, how to get on the radio, and how to get a record deal. Each session will have a Nashville expert teaching it…gonna be off the charts.
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That is exactly what I was just thinking I need… I can’t wait for these details!! I’m assuming it’s going to be taught at an advanced level?
Ben gets better at reading our minds every day…
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Yes please. We all need more advanced stuff.
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Most all the band-related stuff will be at an intermediate-advanced level. But also there will be much that is not skill level-dependent, like how to record or how to get played on radio.
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Oh yeah, also having Skaggs’ sound guys out to teach you how to do a pro soundcheck and work with audio folks.
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Wee doggey, would have been all over that bandcamp idea as a young pup Ben. Down to front porch jam pickin now. Will watch out for your jammin’ camp.
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Oh dear, there’s a subject that used to be close to my heart, then I retired. Yippee! During my radio career I had countless local bands come to me with vanity demos they wanted played on the radio. They never heard of ASCAP/BMI/SESAC.
This could be very valuable information for skilled musicians who want to get into the music business. It’s a world where they call it the “music business,” but in reality it is the “business of music.” Things get a bit colder when business comes before music.
I heard an anecdote about Louise Scruggs, Earl’s wife and business manager for the band. On the “Acknowledgements” page of the book “Earl Scruggs & the 5-String Banjo,” the very first thing Earl writes is “I would like to express my appreciation to Billy Keith and Burt Brent for the assistance they gave me in preparing this book.” No one ever expected the book to sell as well as it did.
When Bill Keith wanted a little share of the money for helping Earl with his banjo book, Louise allegedly told him “You can’t take a handshake to the bank.”
Earl knew the music business. Louise knew the business of music.
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The story goes that Lester & Earl broke up after Lester found out Louise had put her dog on payroll!
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I just attended a weekend Wernick Method jam camp this past weekend in Denton Texas. It was a great experience and I can’t wait to do it again. I’m just a beginner and maybe some more experienced folks wouldn’t like it as much, but I gained more experience playing with others this past week than I could have imagined.
Pete has a large roster of teachers so I’m sure some are better than others, but they all use the Wernick Method. The focus is on getting beginners and intermediate players playing together. I think the curriculum was well thought out. You can tell the instructors have been trained to ensure a good experience. I paid $250 for the weekend with two instructors and 8 students and 17 hours of playing over 3 days. They did talk and give instructions, but mainly we played and we played and we played. Much more playing than talking.
I met several other BanjoBen members there by the way.
Pete or Dr Banjo still teaches some of the camps at some festivals. I’d like to go to one of those.
There are also some videos for sale on the DrBanjo site about bluegrass jamming. Pretty close to the way the class works
It’s a thumbs up from me.
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Now you’re talking!
Thank you.
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@BanjoBen, that’s great news! It’s very encouraging to see your high level of commitment to exploring different ways to reach out to old and new students alike, and exploring different interests. You go, Ben!
whoa. This is HUGE!!!
Ooh that’s gonna be so cool!
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Any updates/details on the band camp?
I’m currently weighing some options and attempting to forecast the economical climate. It’s a ton of investment on my end and folks aren’t too excited to turn loose their money right now, it seems 
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