Summit School News and Events

New Addition to Fall Course List!

This fall we are offering a special class with Benedict and Hilari:

Irish Session Repertoire: The Great Composers
In this term's installment of our continuing series of classes on Irish session repertoire we will focus on the music of some of the better known tunesmiths of the Irish tradition, such as Paddy O'Brien, Josie McDermott, Sean Ryan, Ed Reevy and Paddy Fahy-to name only a few. Students will receive a CD each week with the assigned tunes played slowly and at moderate speed. All players of melody instruments are welcome. Students should have from lower-intermediate to advanced proficiency on their instrument, even if Irish music is new to them.
Begins Sept. 21st, Tuesdays, 7:15-8:45pm, $180

What a great semester we have ahead of us!
-Katie Trautz, Director
Summit School 802-917-1886
music@summit-school.org
www.summit-school.org

Fall Registration Open!

Hello from the Summit School,

Registration for Fall Semester is now open! Register online (www.summit-school.org) or send a check to PO Box 646, Montpelier, VT 05601. All Classes at the Summit School on Barre St. and all classes $180 for 8-weeks. Classes begin September 20th.... Check out our offerings below:

Intermediate Old Time Fiddle-with Katie Trautz Tuesdays 6pm
American Harmony Singing-with Katie Trautz Wednesdays 6pm
Songwriting-with Colin McCaffrey Wednesdays at 7pm
Improvisation-with Jeremiah McLane Tuesdays at 5pm
West African Drumming-with Jordan Mensah Thursdays at 7pm
Intermediate Clawhammer Banjo-with Ted Ingham Tuesdays at 7:30pm
Square Dancing and Calling-with Jennifer Steckler Tuesdays at 6:30pm
Intro to Quebecois Music-with Susan Reid Mondays 7pm
Klezmer Music-with David Symons wednesdays at 7pm
Quebecois and French Dance Tunes for Intermediate Players-with Jeremiah McLane Tuesdays 6:45pm
Folk Guitar Styles for Beginners-with Mark Greenberg Wednesdays 7pm
Intro to Old-time and Bluegrass Guitar-with Mark Greenberg Tuesdays at 8pm
Educate your Thumb Fingerpicking Guitar-with mark Greenberg Tuesdays at 6:30pm

ALSO------------

Guitarists take note!

Andy Cohen, one of the most skilled and knowledgeable players of acoustic, fingerpicked blues and ragtime guitar, will be offering a special workshop to benefit the Summit School on Sat., Sept. 11, 10:00-12:00. The workshop will be held at Summit/Monteverdi School Building 46 Barre, Street, Montpelier. Cohen will also be appearing in concert the previous night at 7:30 at the Black Door with special guests Good Old Wagon (Andy Pitt and Summit teacher Mark Greenberg). The workshop fee is $25. Concert admission is $15. A combined workshop-concert ticket is $35.

Andy is a veteran of the folk music circuit, known for his authentic versions of Mississippi and Piedmont fingerpicked blues from the 1920s and ‘30s. Inspired by seeing the legendary singer-guitarist Rev. Gary Davis in the 1960s, Andy later learned from, and performed with, other musical giants including Pink Anderson, Reverend Dan Smith, Howard Armstrong, Honeyboy Edwards, and Jim Brewer.

Andy has also taught workshops throughout the country, including at Pinewoods Folk Music Camp, Port Townsend Country Blues Week, The Augusta Heritage Center, and Common Ground on the Hill.

Andy has recorded 7 albums, solo and with others. His 2005 CD, “Ridiculous Instrumentals,” recorded at Montpelier’s Upstreet Productions, showcases his guitar prowess. For samples of Andy’s music, go to http://www.andycohenmusic.net/music.html.

In addition to being a fingerpicking guitar whiz, Cohen is the only known dolceolist performing today.

Moira Smiley and Volunteer Positions at Summit School

Two Important Bits of News:

1) Last Chance to Register for the Moira Smiley workshops on Monday, Aug. 2nd.
4pm Kids Vocal Harmony and Rhythm Singing workshop
5pm Adult Singing Workshop

Each workshop is $25, register here: www.summit-school.org or call 802-917-1186 for more information. Workshops are at the Summit School on Barre St, Montpelier, VT.
Rare opportunity to study with a fantastic folk singer, vocalist, performer composer! www.moirasmiley.com

Workshops are followed by a concert that evening at Unitarian Church with Mayfly (Katie Trautz and Julia Wayne) and Moira Smiley with VOCO. 7:30pm, $15 at the door. Call 802-917-1186 for more information or to reserve tickets.

2) The Summit School is looking for dedicated volunteers to help our school continue to run throughout the year. The organization is voluntarily run and we need MORE help! Join our team, get discounts on classes, have fun with us...

We need a Bookkeeper to spend a little time every couple weeks to update our Quickbooks account and print reports for the board of directors. The responsibilities include entering checks and income into our Quickbooks system, print reports, reconcile our monthly statements, and write checks. This position is less than two hours a week! Get half off your class of choice for your time. Experience not necessary, but experience with Quickbooks is helpful.

We also are looking for a Space Coordinator who can help us find space to rent for our occasional concerts in Montpelier, and help coordinate with Monteverdi Music School classroom schedules. This position is an on-call type, with all contacts for potential venues are already compiled. Tasks include calling a venue, retreiving a contract, and discussing with the Summit School director/performers. Volunteer must be able to be present the first week of classes when a semester begins to help students and teachers find their classrooms. The time frame would be Tues, Wed, Thurs of the Third week of September, 2nd week of January, and mid-April. Less than 10 hours/semester. Discount on Summit school classes!

Please let us know before the end of August if you are interested or if somebody you know would be right for these jobs. Thank you so much for keeping the school alive and well,
Katie Trautz, Executive Director (Volunteer)

Summer Events not to be missed!

Hope the summer is going well for all you folk music enthusiasts! There are many wonderful festivals and events to mark on your calendars. Vermont has a very vibrant arts scene, we are all so lucky to be able to to advantage of these opportunities. Here is a short list of what's to come:

Weekend of July 31st-Champlain Valley Folk Fest www.cvfest.org

August 2nd-Moira Smiley and Mayfly perform at the Unitarian Church in Montpelier, VT
Singing workshops at the Summit School that afternoon. Concert at 7:30pm. Tickets will be available online: www.summit-school.org. www.moirasmiley.com. www.myspace.com/mayflygirls

Moira Smiley and Voco are some of the nations best vocalists, singing new renditions of folk songs, and many original compositions. They layer their voices with harmonies and rhythms, they are true entertainers.

Mayfly is a local duet with Katie Trautz and Julia Wayne. They have been performing for 10 years, traditional appalachian songs and original folk. They will also be playing at the Northeast Kingdom Music Fest the weekend of Aug. 7th.

Contra Dance Benefit Friday!

We hope you'll be joining us for this fundraising event! Please help us raise money, for our programs, for our students, for our future. We need your help to get us through the summer and into the fall, with more great programming to come! We only have to raise another $2000, and we want to meet our goal by the end of July...

So put on those dancing shoes, and bring your family and friends this Friday, July 2nd.
Contra Dance (caller: Will Mentor, music provided by Summit School teachers and students)
7-10pm Montpelier Grange Hall, Route 12 North.
$10 adults, $5 kids
Bake Sale, Silent Auction and more...

If you cannot make the dance, we encourage you to send a donation to Summit School, PO Box 646, Montpelier, VT 05601

Thank you for all your support, always,

Katie Trautz, Director
802-917-1186

Special School Summer Info...

Thank you all for a wonderful Open House! We had more than 42 people present, with great food and tunes to share.

Stay tuned for our next event: July 2nd Fundraiser Contra Dance to benefit the Summit School. 7-10pm, Montpelier grange hall. There will be a Silent Auction, and we are looking for donations. Items can be dropped off at the Monteverdi Music School Lobby, on Barre St. in Montpelier, across from the Rec Center. Call 802-917-1186 to discuss auction items and to schedule a time to drop them off.

A few other important things: We are looking for board members who will help support the Summit School and sustain us through the coming years. If you are interested or know of others who may be interested, let us know! We need people who have grantwriting experience, willingness and enthusiasm to support the school's activities, we are looking for board members who have fundraising experience or interest, and programming ideas. Send all inquiries to: music@summit-school.org. Or call 802-917-1186.

Old-Time Enthusiasts, Listen Up: I am organizing a group to travel to the Augusta Heritage Center in West Virginia for Old-time Week in August (learn old-time from the southern greats, learn songs and harmonies from the masters, contra and square dancing every night). Groups of 4 or more get a discount! Please let me know if you are interested in coming. The deadline for registration will be July 20th. All info about the camp is online at: http://www.augustaheritage.com/otw.html

Hope you are having a wonderful summer, see you soon!
-Katie Trautz, Director
802-917-1186
music@summit-school.org

June 20th Open House and July 2nd Contra Dance!

Mark your calendars with these fun summer events:

June 20th Summit School Open House
Barre St., Montpelier, VT
4-6pm Potluck, Refreshments, and performances by our students!
Free and open to the public

July 2nd Contra Dance Fundraiser for the Summit School!
Montpelier Grange Hall, Route 12 towards Northfield, on the left (look for the sign)
7-10pm Music by our teachers and students, Will Mentor calling, Silent Auction, Bake Sale and more...
$10 adults and teens, $5 kids (pay at the door)

The school is in great need of your support to make it through a summer without programming. Please help us continue and grow our classes in the fall by attending our events or making a donation by sending a check to: Summit School, PO Box 646, Montpelier, VT 05601

Thank you for all your support,
Katie Trautz, Director
Summit School
802-917-1186
www.summit-school.org
music@summit-school.org

The Summit School Needs Your Help

Dear Summit School Students, Teachers, and Friends,

We are writing to encourage you to support the Summit School through our first summer without programming. We are taking this time to improve our fall programs, develop a scholarship fund, and build a more sustainable school. In light of a very successful spring season, with more than 80 students enrolled, and 14 teachers offering 12 classes to the community, we realize there are ways in which the school needs to grow and change to accommodate our programs. We plan on offering more diverse and interesting classes and workshops this coming fall, as well as a concert series featuring some of the best musicians in New England. The Summit School also wants to sponsor a small music festival to fend off mid-winter blues.

In order to continue our mission to help build strong communities through group music and dance exploration, we need to spend our summer strengthening our roots in the Montpelier community. We are launching a fundraising plan to help the Summit School become a more sustainable organization that will accomodate our new program ideas and the growing interest in what we have to offer.

As a non-profit organization, the Summit School depends on its students and friends to support its programming. Without students, class tuition, and donors, the school cannot survive. In the coming summer months of planning and grantwriting, we will need extra support from the community. We are asking you for that help now.

Donating is easy, it can be done online, just follow this link:
http://www.summit-school.org/home/node/16, and click 'donate' at the bottom of the page. Or send your donation to: Summit School, PO Box 646, Montpelier, VT 05601. Become a part of the school’s future, any small donation goes a long way.

Many thanks, we hope to see you in the fall!
Katie Trautz, Director

Notorious Workshop and Concert

Notorious comes to the Summit School!

One of the hottest contra dance bands in the nation is coming to Montpelier to play a contra, teach a workshop, and play a concert the weekend of May 1st/2nd. We are very much looking forward to having them at the Summit School. www.summit-school.org

Contra Dance-Montpelier Grange Hall 8pm Saturday May 1st

Workshop (for all instruments) learn tunes and arrangements with Notorious. $25 workshop fee. Discount for Summit School STudents.
1pm Sunday May 2nd. At the Summit School. register online or call: 802-917-1186

Concert at Susan Reid's Attic. 4 Wilder St, Montpelier, VT. 4pm. $10 for general public. discount for Summit School students. Buy tickets online or make your reservation by calling: 802-917-1186.

Lauded as "sparkling" and "exhilarating” Notorious musicians Eden MacAdam-Somer and Larry Unger present a thrilling musical experience in genres that span many continents. With Eden on fiddle and vocals and Larry on guitar and banjo, their music lights up the hall with rhythm and sonority. Their performances are always new and exciting, featuring traditional American, Celtic, and Eastern-European tunes and songs, swing, blues, classical music and the group’s original compositions. Notorious has been a featured ensemble at such festivals as Falcon Ridge, Wheatland, Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Eastbourne International Festival, the Savannah Folk Festival, Pinewoods, and the Augusta Music Festival. Notorious has also performed at the Kennedy Center of Washington D.C., on the Evening Under the Stars Concert Series at Southshore Conservatory of Hingham, Massachusetts, and for the Multi-educational Cultural Center for the Arts of Houston, Texas, and frequently dedicates time to performances and educational programs in schools. The band has also toured extensively, across the entire East and West coasts of the United States, to Alaska, and England. In addition to solo concerts, Notorious frequently works with orchestral ensembles, performs for folk and swing dances, teaches workshops, and participates in musical film collaborations.

Last Call for Spring Registration

Hello and Happy Spring!

This is the last call for registration for our Spring classes at the Summit School: banjo, fiddle, singing, guitar, didgeredoo, songwriting, jazz, mandolin, bluegrass, clogging, etc. Classes for all levels and abilities!

Visit our website: www.summit-school.org for registration info.
Classes begin next week at the Summit School in Montpelier, VT. We hope you will consider coming and checking out our vibrant music community.

Feel free to call 802-917-1186 or email music@summit-school.org for more info.

All the best,
Katie Trautz, Director
Summit School
www.summit-school.org

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