Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer Retreat
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  • Home
  • Registration
  • Preparing for Sandbridge
  • Repertoire
  • Schedule
  • Advice for first-timers
  • Sandbridge Relaxed Week
  • Student Reflections
  • Photos
  • What to Bring
  • Travel
  • Lodging
  • FoodSurvey
  • Brief History
  • Facebook
  • Baltimore HD Facebook Jam
  • VIDEO LESSONS
  • The Sandbridge Fiddle Retreat
  • Special Events and Traditions
  • Apps, Tech and more
  • Recipes
  • In Memoriam
  • Scholarship
  • Contact

The 17th Annual
Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer Retreats 
with Ken Kolodner:
Teaching assistant for all weeks: Mary Lynn Michal (van Deventer)  
Technical assistant for all weeks: Laurie McCarriar
Unless things change substantially, we will be Zooming in the Spring
​​. If there is an effective vaccine, it is possible we can run a hybrid model with an in-person component and the rest zooming 

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2021 Dates - ZOOM or possibly a hybrid model: AS OF 10/15/2020, ALL SPRING WEEKS WILL BE VIA ZOOM. OUR HOPE IS THAT THE FALL 2021 WEEKS WILL INCLUDE IN-PERSON & ZOOM
  • March 28-April 2, 2021: Sandbridge "Relaxed" Week! For first-timers to Sandbridge and those who would like a more relaxed pace. 
  • April 4-9, 2021​: Spring Week for intermediate/advanced 
  • April 11-12, 2021: Master class - contact Ken if you would like to find out about this (limited to 8)
  • April 13-15, 2021: Sandbridge Fiddle Retreat - The Sandfiddlers Fiddle Retreat! 3 full days of fiddling 
  • THE FALL WEEKS WILL LIKELY BE A HYBRID OF IN-PERSON ALONG WITH ZOOM
  • Sep 19-25, 2021: Intermediate - registration opens Jan 15, 2020 
  • Sep 26 - Oct 2, 2021: Intermediate/advanced
  • Oct 3-9, 2021: Advanced only
Register Today
2021 Dates - if we are able to do an in-person component, we will run the workshops on these dates to allow for travel - we recommend early arrival on Saturday of each week for the fall in-person weeks
  • March 28-April 2, 2021: Sandbridge "Relaxed" Week! For first-timers to Sandbridge and those who would like a more relaxed pace. Teaching assistant: Mary Lynn Michal
  • April 4-9, 2021​: Spring Week for intermediate/advanced - registration opens March 15, 2020; Teaching assistant: Mary Lynn Michal
  • April 11-12, 2021: Master class - contact Ken if you would like to find out about this (limited to 8)
  • April 13-15, 2021: Sandbridge Fiddle Retreat - The Sandfiddlers Fiddle Retreat! 3 full days of fiddling
  • ​WE EXPECT THAT THE FALL WEEKS WILL BE A HYBRID OF IN-PERSON AND DEFINITELY ZOOM
  • Sep 19-25, 2021: Intermediate - registration opens Jan 15, 2020; Teaching Assistant: Mary Lynn Michal
  • Sep 26 - Oct 2, 2021: Intermediate/advanced; Teaching Assistant: Mary Lynn Michal
  • Oct 3-9, 2021: Advanced only; Teaching Assistant: Mary Lynn Michal
NOTE: Due to Covid-19, we are running all Spring 2021 weeks via Zoom; we hope for a hybrid model for the Fall, 2021 with in-person and zooming. We just have to wait and see!

Order Sandbridge Tune Books & Video Lessons

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Click here for Sandbridge Video Lessons 
Detailed video lessons for more than 70 tunes and 5 Foundation Skill areas. 

The Sandbridge Scholarship Fund

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 30 participants have attended on partial scholarships. Find out more and apply here.

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For our 15th year (2019), we had 20-23 participants for our five weeks (104 total plus 28 guests) coming from Australia and 26 states in the U.S. including AL, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, VT, WA, and WI!!  We held our first fiddle retreat with 12 participants. And we had our second year of 7 person two-day master class for hammered dulcimer.
Contact Ken anytime if you are interested. All weeks 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:
  • A minimum of approximately 5-6 hours of daily group instruction
  • Informal instruction 
  • Evening instructional sessions (depending on energy levels)
  • Lots of time for jamming including fast and slow jams and instituted beautiful tunes jam on Friday
  • Written music for arranged versions for all tunes - with melody, backup and multiple arranging ideas/variations. 
  • A comprehensive summary DVD for a small additional cost ($35-$50)
  • Dolphin and pelican watching!
  • Ocean-front housing (mostly private rooms with some shared rooms)
  • Fabulous dinners prepared by our chef (Sunday through Thursday evening)
  • Sunday night crab/shrimp feast; crab cakes, daily home-made chocolate chip cookies and more
  • Wednesday night "coffeehouse" featuring informal performances
  • Friday afternoon beautiful tunes jam
  • Friday night dinner at Virignia's "Best Seafood Dive" - Margie and Ray's Seafood House (all meals covered in the workshop except the Friday night dinner)
  • Lots of beach time! It is typically warm enough to swim in the ocean (fall weeks only). 
  • Wide range of dulcimers available for those who are flying in (Masterworks, Dusty Strings ER and 16/15, SongBird, Sam Rizzetta compact, Rick Thum) - plus dulcimer and music stands
  • Hot tub, foosball, pool, games!
  • Lodging in beautiful and spacious ocean front houses: the 12-bedroom Ocean Front Villa (our main house); and our adjacent houses the 6-bedroom Beachy Keen and 7-bedroom Great Escape!

There are four weeks of Sandbridge with three weeks in the fall and "Spring Sandbridge" in early April. 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. Spring Sandbridge is a more inclusive week in terms of level and includes intermediate through advanced 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 18-21 participants.
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Class Time
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Great food! Click here for some recipes
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A beach neighbor. Photo by David Magers
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Music theory can be fun!
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Soccer on the beach
Assistant for fall weeks #1 and #2: 
​Mary Lynn Michal (van Deventer)

For both the first and second fall weeks, I am thrilled to have Mary Lynn as my assistant. 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 Hillsborough,  North Carolina, 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 three 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
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Jamming in the big room at Sandbridge, 2012
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