Workshops - 2011

Music Workshops

Making Musical Instruments with Children

Tawn Feeney

11:00 – 12:30 Children’s Area on the Meadow

Tawn Feeney, early childhood educator, will guide parents and young children to make simple musical instruments together. We will make instruments from everyday items and natural materials that children will enjoy making on their own. Children will have an instrument to take home at the end of the day.

Singing Games

Cathy McGrath

1:00  pm

Enjoy a very active program of singing games and folk songs that are steeped in tradition.  Families will clap, sing, and dance in a celebration of creative movement.  You will laugh at the limberjack dancing toys and then shake your own feet about.  Wholesome, old-timey fun for kids of all ages.

Clawhammer Banjo

Howie Lester

2:00 pm

A Teaching Workshop by Howie Lester.  “I will teach the basics of “Clawhammer” picking (sometimes called “Frailing” or “Rapping”) and how to play a few tunes (more advanced tunes for experienced players).  The workshop will include a variety of tunes and songs performed in this traditional style—more directly connected to the Afro/Euro origins of the American Banjo then the modern Bluegrass styles.  Bring a banjo and expand the expressive possibilities for your playing.”

Fiddle Workshop

Kathy Vandemortel & Banjo Backup by Stephen Bland

3:00 – 4:00 Sugarbush Nature Trail - Early Succession Area

Some of the material to be presented may include cross-tuning the fiddle (retuning to an open chord) and bowing patterns that are characteristic of old-time Appalachian fiddling. Tunes will be broken down, phrase by phrase, eventually building up to the complete tune. Once the complete tune has been learned the students will be accompanied by claw hammer banjo in the old-time style. This will be a good exercise in learning to play by ear as well as picking up some typical old-time Appalachian bowing licks and tunings. No written musical notation will be available. Participants are encouraged to bring a recording device to record the workshop. The recording will be very useful if the participant wishes to continue practicing the techniques at home.

Forestry Workshops

Mushroom foray in the Sugarbush Hollow forest

Rochester Area Mycological Association

10:00 - 2:00    Upper Sugarbush Trail - Site 6 & 7

Have you ever wanted to learn about the fascinating world of mushrooms?  Your chance begins at 10:00 when members of the Rochester Area Mycological Association will be on hand to conduct a mushroom foray in the Sugarbush Hollow forest.  Bring a basket with a handle, collection bags made of brown paper, or wax paper (no plastic) and a knife to collect the mushroom base under the ground.  Knowledgeable association members will identify mushrooms you collect and bring in. 

Caution: Some poisonous mushrooms are innocent looking, and can be fatal.

Historical Woodworking Workshop:

Mike Seager  and the Western Finger Lakes Chapter of the New York Forest Owner's Association  

12:00 - 4:00  Upper Sugarbush Nature Trail - Site 10 & 11  

Mike is past - president of the New York  Forest Owner Association (NYFOA) and a member of the Rochester Woodworkers Society. Working in the woods, Mike will attempt to model the early 18^th century furniture makers called the “bodgers” who lived in the forest during the summer months, making furniture and household items from what nature provided. Mike will demonstrate two traditional tools used for working green wood – a shaving horse and a foot-powered lathe. Such tools were used to make a wide range of articles from household items for personal use to legs for the Windsor chair industry. Green wood is much easier to and shape than seasoned stock, a major advantage before the advent of power tools.

In addition the NYFOA Western Finger Lakes Chapter will host an informational table related to the wise management of the woodlands.  Also included will be an opportunity to learn of the Master Forest Owner program which provides a free on site visit for those wishing to focus their forest land objectives.

Map of the Sugarbush

The workshops and demonstrations are located at eleven sites around the Sugarbush.  There is a loop trail that goes up the hill and  leads from the Sugarbush to all the workshop and demonstration sites.  Please stay on the trails while walking through the Sugarbush.