Registration Open!
Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer Retreats
with Ken Kolodner & Mary Lynn Michal
Technical assistant for all weeks: Laurie McCarriar
All weeks are hybrid with an IN-PERSON component and ZOOMING.
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2025 Fall Dates (registration opens Jan 1; deposits due May 15)
ALL WEEKS ARE A HYBRID OF IN-PERSON ALONG WITH ZOOM
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NOTE: We are running all weeks via a hybrid model with in-person and zooming.
Order Sandbridge Tune Books & Video Lessons
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Click here for Sandbridge Video Lessons Detailed video lessons for more than 100 tunes and 5 Foundation Skill areas. |
The Sandbridge Scholarship Fund
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The Sandbridge Scholarship Fund was born in the fall of 2017 based on the generosity of a former Sandbridge participant, Adie Carlyle. Contributions are tax deductible. Over 40 participants have attended on partial scholarships. Find out more and apply here.
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For our 20th year (2024), we ran the Spring and Fall weeks as a hybrid model with around 150 in person (including a bunch of spouses/guests and even a few dogs) and another 35 zooming. Participants have attended in-person from Canada, Australia, Belgium, Scotland, The UK and Russia and from 35 states in the U.S. including AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI and WV!! We held our fiddle retreat with a group of 16 in person. We will continue with our hybrid model in 2026. Laurie McCarriar dedicates her focus on the Zoomers. Contact Ken anytime if you are interested. All in-person weeks typically fill every year! Spend a week in Sandbridge, Virginia at one of three adjacent beach houses overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It is about a 100 yard walk to dipping your feet in the water! These are beautiful houses.
This is an intensive hammered dulcimer workshop in a wonderfully relaxing and supportive environment. Workshop topics and daily schedule will be determined through discussions of participants with Ken prior to the workshop. Likely topics include arranging, accompaniment, application of chord theory, improvisation and much more. Here's what you get:
There are six weeks of Sandbridge with three weeks in the fall and three weeks in the Spring. The first fall week ("Week #1") is designed to be mostly for a wide range of intermediate level players; the second fall week ("Week #2") is designed to be a higher level, most appropriate for stronger intermediates plus some advanced players; the last week ("Week #3") is primarily for advanced players. However, there tends to be a mix of levels at each week. The first Spring week is the "relaxed" week for players attending Sandbridge for the first time and for those desiring a slower pace. The second week is a mixed-level week. The third week is our old-time fiddle retreat for intermediate level players. The level of player tends to be relatively high during all weeks - my experience from teaching at 125-150 festivals is that the level is higher than any festival in the U.S. We strive to move along as fast as possible, without stressing out the participants. Enrollment is limited to 18-23 participants per week. |
Class Time
Great food! Click here for some recipes
A beach neighbor. Photo by David Magers
Music theory can be fun!
Soccer on the beach
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Co-teacher for all fall weeks:
Mary Lynn Michal I am thrilled to have Mary Lynn as my assistant at Sandbridge. Mary Lynn ("ML") currently teaches 40+ of my Sandbridge regular attendees via FaceTime and in person. She has been instrumental in raising the level of the weeks through her great understanding of my approach and her undying patience and determination. From her home base of Middletown MD, ML maintains 100+ students on hammered dulcimer, piano, flute and French Horn. Trained at the prestigious Eastman School of Music, ML is the principal French Horn player in the Durham Symphony Orchestra. As a hammered dulcimer player of just six years, she has joined Ken Kolodner on stage in concerts in Chicago, Watkins Glen, NY and at The Black Mountain Festival, and has performed at The National Cathedral in DC as a soloist and with Mark Grobner, Jim Plitt and Bob Hubbach on the main stage at "Evart". In addition to assisting Ken at all of the Sandbridge weeks, she has taught at Evart, The Black Mountain Festival, The Poconos Dulcimer Festival and "Unicoi" and private workshops. |
Videographer and technical support:
Laurie McCarriar I started "Sandbridge" largely at the urging of Laurie McCarriar, "The Artist Geek". Laurie has been with me since year #1 and has attended EVERY week. Laurie does all recording for the summary DVDs, runs the workshop projector, puts out our annual calendar and does all the graphics for other products (bumper stickers, t-shirts, mugs etc.). Laurie helps artists of all types (musicians, artists, chefs, you name it) with their technical needs - websites, book publishing, CD cover, etc. And she operates as my sounding board! I couldn't do it without Laurie!! |
Ken evaluates all applicants for acceptance into the workshop. Based on your availability, space in the weeks, and your playing experience, Ken will work with each participant to place you in the best week for you.
Click for more info and registration
Click for more info and registration
Jamming in the big room at Sandbridge, 2012