Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Banjo Ben 2020 European Camp Planning Thread

Just wondering how long people are imagining this Euro camp would last? It’s a long ways to travel for a few days but in a week or 10 days we could surely get in a heap a learnin’ and playin.

People usually get pretty tired of looking at me after 3 days.

Really?

I have been lookin at you for close on eight years and I never get tired of seeing you. I guess I must be in a minority.

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Don’t you have an email list of members and former members?

You could send out a flier to field interest levels.

I don’t have facebook but count me in on the eurocamp. It’s true the location will be a major factor for many. And so many variables to take in consideration. I love to see the drive and commitment of Maggie. And not even a Euro student. :grinning:

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Ben’s upcoming camp in Nashville is three days. Other similar bluegrass or banjo camps/workshops here in the States run about three days as well and people travel from all over the country for them. They typically take place over a weekend plus a Friday or Monday so that attendees will have to take a minimal amount of time away from their job. So, with a day of travel on each end, that’s a five day adventure.

Going longer than that starts to get costly. Also keep in mind that Ben is providing other instructors as well, one each for banjo, guitar and mando so they have to be brought from the States or sourced within Europe, either way, it’s costly.

Personally, I think three days is just about right, any longer I think would be exhausting. Europeans though, I don’t know, perhaps they can tolerate more.

I agree with you Maggie. I was just thinking if folks are already there then they would want to make the most of it although 3 days of hardcore playing and learning would be be pretty taxing. I’m good with however long it is!

Curse those Scots and their… endurance! :laughing:

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I’m from San Francisco so I can’t really attest one way or the other about Euro endurance.

Yeah well, if I’m lucky enough to go, just to help out and stuff, I’m sticking around for several more days to play, and I don’t mean banjo.

Try 7 days, I find it quite enjoyable, better than try to swing a stick at a wee white ball in the hope it will fall in a wee round hole

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If at first you don’t succeed. Dang that spider

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Yes @Maggie there’s lots to do and see in Europe. I am reminded of a train journey from Edinburgh to Darlington back in 1968. I was retuning to barracks after a weekend pass and struck up a conversation with an elderly American couple.

I asked them if they enjoyed their stay in Scotland and how long they had been in the UK, Oh yes, they replied, it’s lovely. We left London on Friday on the sleeper train to Glasgow, then up the west coast railway to Fort William and across to Inverness now we are heading back to London and across the Channel to Europe. This was Sunday afternoon.

I guess they enjoyed Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem “From a Railway Carriage” so much they didn’t feel the need to stretch their legs.

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I don’t like visiting anywhere for less than two weeks. You don’t have enough time to do stuff if you spend a week in even one city

Sounds good Maggie!

Has there been any more planning / discussion about a European camp this year?

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Question, i can get the map to come up, but there is nothing on it. No pins or anything.

Anyway, i am split between 2 places… midlothian VA, and Roanoke Rapids NC. If someone could add me to it, and explain how i can see where others are that don’t mind sharing, that would be great, thanks.

Hi John, long time, I hope you are well.

Ben has the two camps coming up at his house in March and April and I know he’s putting in a new a kitchen in his house and building a pavilion for the campers so he’s super busy, for the moment.

I hope it will still happen sometime. If @BanjoBen does not reply here, please be patient, he will eventually.

It’s good to hear from you. All the best.

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There hasn’t been any more planning/discussion for a camp this year but I have my sights set on 2021! I was able to get some much needed help hired around here so we hope to make some movement on the bigger goals like camps abroad. Thanks!

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And to the west?! You need another hunting trip! :wink:

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