Vancouver Island |
Music Workshop |
Retreat: 2008 May 23 - 25 |
Workshop: 2008 Sept 5 - 7 |
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If you’re looking for somewhere to get started in music, hone your musical skills or kick start yourself back into music after a period of time away from it, you’ve found the right place in the Vancouver Island Music Workshop.
To provide an unforgettable weekend of music making and instruction within a supportive community and in a magical setting for a wide selection of instruments and voices.
The 2nd annual retreat will be held on the weekend of 23-25 May, 2008. The cost is CAN$160.
See details below, and in our Brochure
For information on our past workshops, go to VIMW 2006 ,VIMW 2007.
VIMW is a weekend in musical heaven, away from everyday distractions, in a beautiful setting, with musical friends. At the weekend event lessons in acoustic styles (bluegrass, blues, swing, folk) and on various instruments (eg: guitar, mandolin, fiddle) and at various skill levels, from beginner to advanced will be offered. The instruction will be provided by talented, experienced and passionately musical instructors. The instructors and their courses are outlined below: (Click on the instructor's names for course details.)
| VIMW will be held at Seven Springs Resort, a beautiful facility in the country at Nanoose Bay, about three miles south of Parksville B.C. on the weekend of September 5-7, 2008. | 
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On Friday, arrive at about 5:00 pm. A dinner of soup and sandwiches will be served at about 6:00pm. At about 8:00pm there will be a demonstration concert by the instructors who will “strut their stuff” and explain what they will teach in their classes. Ad hoc jamming will then start all over the resort until about 10:00 when we’ll stop for gourmet snacks in the lunch room. After that, jamming will go on until the wee hours.
On Saturday morning, if they choose to do so, students can sign up to perform in the concert on Saturday night. They can sing solo or form groups according to their choice and ask our wonderful instructors to back them up (a not-to-be-forgotten experience). After breakfast the classes in the first topic chosen by the students from the previous evening’s offerings by the instructors, start at 9:30 and go until 11:30. Classes will be held in the afternoon from 1:30 to 3:30 on a second subject chosen by the students. A two hour class on Sunday morning will complete the instruction started on Saturday morning and a two hour class on Sunday afternoon will complete the instruction started on Saturday afternoon.
After class on Saturday afternoon there is a rest period until 6:00 (usually jamming time unless you can resist it) when a dinner of delicious food will be served and at 7:00 there will be the students’ concert. It is just not possible to find a more supportive and appreciative audience whether you’re a beginning or seasoned performer. After the concert, snacks are served in the dining room and then there’s more jamming until the wee hours.
No problem. Just go to another one. Your first choice does not mean you’re stuck with it.
| The sleeping accommodation ranges from log cabins to dormitory bunk beds, bunk beds in 13 covered wagons in two circles (each circle with its own shower and toilet facility), tenting and recreational vehicle spaces (bring your own in the latter two cases, of course). |
The cost for eight hours of group musical instruction, a fabulous concert, jamming until your fingers fall off or your voice gives out, accommodation and gourmet food (six meals and two major snacks) is C$260. The cost is the same whether you choose any of our five modes of accommodation: cabins, dormitories, wagons, tenting and RVs. There are no rooms dedicated for couples. Some sleeping accommodations will be designated as quiet areas for those who need their sleep more than they need to jam.
Bedding or warm sleeping bag, tent if you’re tenting, towel, toiletries, flashlight, raincoat and umbrella (just in case), instrument(s), spare strings, capo if necessary, pen, pencil and paper, a pair of very good ear plugs (if lots of sleep is high on your agenda because the jamming often goes on until the wee hours), and your body all rested up (we’re not kidding-you’ll need it well rested when you come to VIMW, for sure) and ready to make music for hours on end. We’ll do our best to have a quiet sleeping area but there’s so much music to be made that it’s not always possible to have a super quiet sleeping area.
We respectfully ask our students and instructors at the camp not to bring amplified instruments with the exception of electric pianos. This is because the “spill” of sound between teaching areas will disrupt classes being taught nearby and nearby jamming. Sorry.
At the camp you’ll get:
Cancellations received by 8 August 2008 will receive a full refund less a $25 administration fee. Those received by 23 August will receive a 50% refund, those received by 31 August 2008 will receive a 25% refund and after that no refund will be given.
BC Ferries to Victoria, Nanaimo, Comox.
Coho Ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria.
Island Link Bus service
Laidlaw Coach Lines - on Vancouver Island (no web site)
Phone (250) 385-4411 - Victoria; (250) 334-2475 - Courtenay; or 1-800-318-0818 (Canada/US)
The Board of the Vancouver Island Music Workshop (VIMW) wishes to gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance and moral support of the Georgia Strait Guitar Workshop which helped us to a great extent to “get off the ground”.
The Board of Directors and organizers of VIMW are:
Vancouver Folk Music Festival
Georgia Strait Guitar Workshop
Vancouver Island Music Fest
Vancouver Folk Song Society
Fiddles and Fun
Fiddle Tech
