2021 "Zoom" Spring Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer Workshops with Ken Kolodner Teaching Assistant: Mary Lynn Michal Technical Assistant: Laurie McCarriar
2021 Spring Dates for Zooming Limited to 35 per week
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
Any of the following will do: a smart phone OR a laptop OR a tablet OR an ipad OR a desktop.
Your Sandbridge Team: Ken Kolodner - taught at countless week-long music camps including Swannanoa for 20 years, Meadowlark (14 years), KMW (15+ years), Common Ground (15+), John Campbell (5 years), Augusta (4 years), Northeast Dulcimer Symposium (3 years) and hundreds of weekend festivals
Teaching Assistant Mary Lynn Michal (formerly van Deventer) (Mary Lynn has nearly 100 students, most of whom are online. Ken's teaching assistant for the last four years for Week #1 and #2, Newbie week, Watkins Glen). ML will be the teaching assistant for all weeks (except for fiddle).
Technical support: Laurie McCarriar (Are you tech challenged? Have NO fear. Laurie is super patient and can figure out your issues!)
Zooming History We conducted the three 2020 Spring Sandbridge weeks and three 2020 Fall weeks all via Zoom for 170 participants. Ken also runs (with his son) a bi-weekly online old-time jam and has participated in many online concerts and festivals. Both Ken and Mary Lynn Michal participating in Quarantunes. We continue to refine our process. While nothing compares to being there in person, there are many benefits of zooming.
Advantages of Zooming!
You can noodle around without bothering anyone!
You can play without worrying about any distractions from the people around you.
Since we record the entire conference, participants can review later that evening, or the next morning, and in the coming weeks/months.
Many participants miss a session or more and catch up later or after the workshops.
We manage to get through more material than is typical.
There are many folks who are able to attend but would not otherwise because of the inability to travel.
Almost everyone who attended in the spring or the fall either wants to do it again, no matter what the format! After Sandbridge, we have been holding periodic review sessions. We will do this after Fall Sandbridge as well. The learning is taking place is fantastic!
We use an audio interface with an external microphone and an ethernet connection! With three of us in the room, we monitor your progress.
Prior to the weeks, we will do Zoom tests to make sure everyone is ready to roll
Sunday night prior the week, we will do introductions and an overview of the week
Daily happy hours to visit together!
Mon-Thu: 9:30-12, 2-4:30 plus brief evening review sessions and jams hosted by Ken, ML and Laurie
Wed night coffeehouse student performances (optional!)
Fri: 9:30-12 class; 2-4 "beautiful tunes jam"
Two review sessions one and two months after your week
SPRING DEADLINES/COST: $650 for the week Dec 15: deposit of $350 & application for all Spring weeks Feb 1: balance due (if mailed, postmarked by Feb 1) Deposits are non-refundable; all payments are non-refundable NOTE: There is no early bird discount for Zoom. All payments must be net of fees.
SIX ways to pay: Payment may be made by check, Venmo, Paypal or credit card. The "Paypal to a friend" option works great!! But be sure to fund your account FIRST to avoid fees. Fees are the responsibility of the participant. All payments must be net of fees.
Check - mail a payment to: Ken Kolodner 3806 Fenchurch Rd. Baltimore, MD 21218
Echeck to Ken Kolodner at kenkolodner@aol.com - easy to use and work just like a regular check!
Pay by credit card: (a 3.6% service fee will be added to cover credit card fees; 2.6% if done in person) - call Ken at 410-746-8387
Paypal:Fees must be covered by the participant. Be very careful regarding fees when using Paypal.
Venmo to kenkolodner@aol.com
Zelle to kenkolodner@aol.com Cancellation Policy:Deposits are non-refundable. Balance of workshop fee refundable only if your spot can be filled.
Ken evaluates all applicants for acceptance into the workshop. Zoom Testimonials Spring Weeks
"Wow you guys did a great job on the videos. Framing and clarity is really good. Explanations are really complete and put in terms that are easy to follow. Definitely worth it. Thank you so much." Brenda Fischer (Newbie week)
"Count me in. I thought Spring Sandbridge was great. It was really helpful to have the recordings of the week for review later while waiting for the final videos to come out. It was great to see everyone then and then again at our review last week. You three were amazing then and I’m sure Fall will be even better." Linda Lloyd (Spring week)
"I felt that the newbie zoom week was great. I wasn’t feeling great so I could sleep when I needed to, figure out tunes on my own and not disturb anyone. I would definitely do it again! Ken, ML and Laurie were great!" Laura Saunders (Newbie Week)
"Well I have not been able to attend Sandbridge in person, my only experience was with the zoom newbie week. I can say that without a doubt I enjoyed every session we had and felt sad Friday afternoon when it was over. I was able to learn so much. There were no distractions, we were all muted lol. You could study out a piece when you needed to. The major benefits was everything was recorded. I have been through it twice already. I keep picking things up I missed the first go round. I would strongly recommend doing the zoom sandbridge if we are not able to go and be there in person. Don't worry about the tech aspect as Laurie McCarriar is a genius on that. Ken and ML switch up and its absolutely great. If your on the fence, go ahead and jump on over." Laura Saunders (Week spring)
"I thought the experience was great. The positives: •a great view of Ken’s dulcimer. I am a visual learner so I really liked seeing his dulcimer. •when we had mini-practice time I could hear only myself play. While I certainly do okay with hearing myself when practicing in the midst of other HDs playing, being alone was nice. •access to Ken (and Mary Lynn) was great. I was nervous about this prior to the class. I personally asked questions “live,” I wrote a question in the chat box and I emailed with ML and Ken (not much but when appropriate) during the class and received timely responses. •I felt like I got to know the other participants in the class even though we were not under the same roof. •I didn’t know when ML or Ken were looking at me specifically, but they did and they did give me individual feedback, which was great. •we got to do all the normal Sandbridge activities: night sessions, Coffee House and the Pretty Tunes session. The main negatives (besides not being at the beach in person): •I had to prepare my own meals •No chocolate chip cookies appeared like magic in the afternoons." Kathy Spirtes (Spring week)
"I will absolutely do Sandbridge again via Zoom if it is not possible to do it in person in September. It was a great experience and I am grateful to Ken, ML, and Laurie for putting in all the work to make it happen. I am not very technologically savvy and I don't have super fast internet, but I had no technical issues. And as some people have already pointed out, there are actually some benefits of doing it via Zoom - mainly you can hear yourself play, which is hard to do in a room with 20 other dulcimers, and you can noodle around trying to figure something out and you won't be bothering anyone." Jeanne Zang (Spring Week)
"Big thank you to Ken Kolodner, MaryLynn Van Deventer and Laurie McCarriar for a great Sandbridge retreat. I was only able to join in the mornings as I needed to work in the afternoons, but I can't wait to keep working on what we learned. You three did an amazing job with this online version of teaching. Thanks for putting it all together." Ashley Ernst, Newbie week, DPN editor
"Really enjoyed doing Newbie week with this group! It was a great workshop!! Thanks Ken, MaryLynn, & Laurie!!!" Baylus East, Newbie week
"I'm starting to get depressed at the idea we won't be together next week. I've loved every minute of being with everyone, if only virtually. And the lessons have helped me see the dulcimer better than ever. Thanks for a great week." Mary Tilghmann (Newbie week)
"This has been an amazing week. I have learned so much. This was such a wonderful opportunity." Laura Saunders (Newbie week)
"Thank you, Ken, Laurie, and Mary Lynn for giving us a great week of music and camaraderie. Thanks, also, for the class back-ups on YouTube. Now, on to learning Lonesome John..." Ann Parker (Spring week)
"Thank you Sandbridge team, KK, ML, and LM, for a wonderful week. You did an amazing and very professional job. It was easy to hear and see where you were on the dulcimer as you were teaching. Playing at home allowed for hearing my own mistakes. I thought I was really going to flounder, but I was able to keep up with the basic melody part. The coffee houses were great and so encouraging and supportive. Thank you everyone! I did miss the face to face companionship as just as much is communicated non verbally as verbally. However, I so enjoyed visiting with former classmates and meeting new ones. I look forward to seeing you all in the flesh at a future date. Blessings to all!" Linda Lloyd (Spring week)
"Per usual, post Sandbridge, I am missing seeing everyone and working on beautiful tunes with you to learn them for the year. Hopefully with meeting periodically through the year we will retain them to build our repertoire. And piece by piece learn the melody, then backup, then arrangement. There are now so many pieces to work on!!Under these very challenging circumstances, Ken, ML and Laurie definitely made lemonade for us! It was sweet! Be healthy everyone. We need our music to keep our spirits up! Practice, practice, practice." Susan Goldstein (Spring week)
"Great week, and many thanks for all the work that went into it!" Marian Olson (Spring week)
"I felt that I truly experienced Sandbridge just by seeing and talking to so many of you. Then of course, there were tunes and music theory. I loved the coffeehouse!" Jan Young (Spring week)
"Many thanks to you three...a great team to pull this week off so well! And to all fellow classmates. Fantastic! I also look forward to ML’s idea to reconvene sometime to play these tunes together. We are ZOOM experts these days." Kathy Sanderson (Spring week)
"Peacock Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggg!" Mary Lynn Michal (van Deventer) (Spring week)