**SUWANNEE BANJO CAMP**

DATES: MARCH 12-15, 2020

THIS WAS OUR 2019 SBC PROGRAM SCHEDULE

LOOK FOR OUR UPDATED WEBSITE – & 2020 REGISTRATION FORM – IN LATE AUGUST 

Here is our 2019 Camp Photo

Click to Access & Download a High Res Version of our 2019 Camp Photo, Suitable for Printing

Come study 5-string banjo with some of today’s best players and teachers. Our program features hands-on classes, demonstrations, and two big faculty concerts, and still leaves lots of time for jamming with your fellow banjo enthusiasts. SBC offers serious instruction in clawhammer, old-time fingerpicking, and bluegrass banjo styles. We also offer full-time programs in old-time fiddle and bluegrass guitar.

Note: Clawhammer and old-time fingerpicking together are often referred to as old-time banjo.

Program

Suwannee Banjo Camp now runs straight through from Thursday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. We offer nine class sessions — three on Friday, four on Saturday and two on Sunday. Each session is one hour and fifteen minutes long. There are staff concerts on both Friday and Saturday evenings; over the course of the weekend you’ll have the opportunity to hear our entire staff in concert. Rounding out the program are “demonstrations,” presentations, and staff-led bluegrass and old-time jams conducted at a variety of skill levels. See below for more details.

Can I Still Attend Suwannee Banjo Camp Just from Friday to Sunday? (The Weekend-Only Option)

Yes, you can. You can still enjoy SBC even if you can’t take an extra day off. Our Weekend-Only Option begins with the first class Friday afternoon. Included are seven hands-on classes and all meals from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch. Also included are the two faculty concerts, staff-led jams on Friday and Saturday evenings, and demonstrations on Friday afternoon. Rates for the weekend-only option appear on the “Registration” page.

How to Reserve On-Site Lodging . . .

Lodging must be reserved and paid for directly through our host, Cerveny Conference Center. Here’s the procedure. First register for camp. We then send you an acknowledgement email, which also  contains a Cerveny Lodging Link. Use this link to reserve and pay for you on-site lodging.  You have a choice of single and double occupancy guest rooms, RV sites, cabin bunks, or tent camping (see the lodging and reservation pages for more details). You will also have the opportunity to specify roommates, ask for handicapped friendly rooms, etc.

Commuting

You can easily commute to camp – and pay only for tuition and meals – either from home or from an area hotel or B&B. For more info, click on the Stay on Site tab, in the Tuition, Meals and Lodging section.

Our Full-Time Fiddle & Guitar Tracks

For more information on our full-time tracks in fiddle and guitar, click on the Classes menu item.

Location

Suwannee Banjo Camp takes place at beautiful Cerveny Conference Center at Camp Weed in Live Oak, Florida. For more info, click on the “Our New Location” menu item, or visit the Cerveny Conference Center website.

Class Sessions

SBC offers nine class sessions over the course of the weekend — three on Friday, four on Saturday and two on Sunday. Each session is one hour and fifteen minutes long.

Orientation

Student Orientation takes place on Thursday evening right after dinner, prior to the start of the Thursday evening activities.

Thursday Evening Activities

On Thursday evening following orientation, we kick off our program with a student open mic and band scramble, in which students can perform as soloists, in groups of their own choosing, or in randomly assigned ensembles (some people call these “band scrambles”). To make the band scramble experience more rewarding, we assign an instructor to serve as coach for each ensemble. The evening concludes with staff-led jams at different levels featuring either old-time or bluegrass music. We also offer jams with a vocals focus.

Demonstrations

“Demos” take place on Friday afternoon. They are presentations or mini-performances combined with explication and Q&A sessions. They are similar to the kind of round-robin events called “workshops” at many Folk and Bluegrass Festivals.

Why attend Demonstrations? Although there’s no hands-on instruction, demonstrations offer a valuable learning experience. By watching our instructors play in the demos, and listening to their explanatory remarks and verbal interchanges, you get a strong sense not only of the state of the field, but also of the history of bluegrass and old-time music. What’s more, observing the instructors in action is a great way to discover whose styles you are most attracted to, and whose methods of presentation suit you best.

Faculty Concerts

We have two faculty concerts at SBC — one on Friday and the other on Saturday evening. During the course of SBC you’ll have an opportunity to hear our entire staff in concert. To get the idea of what to expect, here is a selection of videos from past SBC Faculty Concerts.

Jams

Staff-led jams at different levels are held following each faculty concert for bluegrass and old-time banjo. We also feature jams for vocalists and other specialized interests.

Our 2019 Faculty

Starting and Ending Times

Check-in for the full Camp Opens at 3:00 PM on Thursday March 12; hands-on classes start promptly at 9:15 AM on Friday March 13. Camp ends following lunch at 1:30 PM, Sunday March 15.

Start Time for the Weekend-Only Option

Check-in for the Weekend Only Option starts at 11:00 AM Friday, March 13; your first camp meal is dinner (6:00 pm). The program begins about 1:30 pm that afternoon and continues through the morning of Sunday March 15.

SBC was featured in the Nov. 18, 2018 Issue of Bluegrass Unlimited

Check out the feature article on us by Vicki Dean right here.

This Was SBC’s 2019 T-Shirt Design (look for our 2020 design in early January).

This was our 2019 design; aptly featuring an egret flying against a background Spanish moss (this is a common sight at Camp; admittedly it is less common to see the egret carrying a banjo. . .).