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





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The 19th Annual (2023)
Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer Retreats 
with Ken Kolodner:
Teaching assistant for all weeks: Mary Lynn Michal (van Deventer)  
Technical assistant for all weeks: Laurie McCarriar

All weeks are hybrid with an IN-PERSON component and ZOOMING.

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2023 Spring Dates 
THE SPRING WEEKS ARE A HYBRID OF IN-PERSON ALONG WITH ZOOM
  • March 26-April 1, 2023: Sandbridge "Relaxed" Week! For first-timers to Sandbridge and those who would like a more relaxed pace. 
  • April 2-8, 2023: Spring Week for intermediate/advanced 
  • Week of April 9-15, 2023 Exact Masterclass and Fiddle Retreat dates to come

2023 Fall Dates 
THE FALL WEEKS ARE A HYBRID OF IN-PERSON ALONG WITH ZOOM
Note that the dates for Fall 2023 have shifted one week later:
  • ​Sep 24-30, 2023: Intermediate 
  • Oct 1-7, 2023: Intermediate/advanced 
  • Oct 8-14, 2023: Advanced only ​ ​
Register
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NOTE: We are running all 2022 & 2023 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

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 18th year (2022), we ran the Spring and Fall weeks as a hybrid model with around 140 in person and another 35 zooming. Participants have attended in-person from Canada, Australia, the UK and Russia and from 35 states in the U.S. including AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI and WV!!  We held our fiddle retreat with a small group of 12 in person and several zooming. We will continue with our hybrid model in 2023. Laurie McCarriar dedicates her focus on the zoomers. 
Contact Ken anytime if you are interested. All in-person 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:
  • Instruction with Ken Kolodner and the fabulous Mary Lynn Michal!
  • 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 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 begins with a Master Class for up to 8 players, followed by an old-time fiddle retreat.  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.
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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 all fall weeks: 
​Mary Lynn Michal (formerly van Deventer)

 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
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Jamming in the big room at Sandbridge, 2012
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