Camp Director Andrew Lawrence weighs in on the latest developments of the 2014 Django in June 17-22.

Here's a quick update on this year's Django in June (and an invitation for you to join us if you are not already registered!)

Recap the most basic of basics:

*Our Django Camp is the first, and still the only, music camp in North America dedicated solely to the Gypsy jazz tradition.
*We have instructional tracks for guitar, violin, accordion, mandolin and bass.
*This year's artists and staff include Les Doigts De L'Homme, Samson Schmitt, Christophe Lartilleux, Tim Kliphuis, Don Stiernberg and many others. *You'll find a full listing of them here.
*This year's dates are June 17-22nd.
*The event takes place on the campus of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.
*The cost of tuition goes up by $30 each month, starting in March. Avoid the next three tuition hikes by preregistering now, right here.
Now for the late-breaking news...

Registration update: Early registration has been strong and we are just a little faster than last year's pace. Best guess: expect around 200 participants in 2014.

Newcomers and slow-jammers, Sami's your man: We are well aware that a stroll through the grounds of Django in June can be as intimidating as it is exhilarating. In addition to our staff -- all of whom are scary good -- we attract some of the best amateur players and regional performers in North America to this event. It may only take exposure to 2 or 3 high-end jams (in the first 10 minutes after arriving) to make one wonder: do I, a mere mortal, belong here?

To which we chime, in chorus, "Yes, you do!" And this year, we have invited Sami Arefins to make sure your needs are met by serving as a liaison of sorts to newcomers and slow-jammers. His job is to help people get prepared before arrival and then, once here, to get connected and jamming with as little wandering and wondering as possible. We'll be in touch with registered participants soon to discuss Sami's role in more detail and invite you to contact him if you think he might be a valuable resource for you. Another good reason to register, now.

Expect new materials to get ready musically. We'll start uploading this year's Core Repertoire to the website in April so you can start getting ready to djam at Django Camp. Jack Soref will again be preparing lead sheets for us. New this year, Sami Arefin will be preparing video and/or audio intros and play-alongs for newcomers and slow-jammers with a focus on the "Tier 1" (most common) tunes for jamming. Similarly, Denis Chang has agreed to prepare jam tracks for the "Tier 2" tunes, which are often less familiar. Registered participants will be alerted as these materials come online.

Mandolin players, we are thrilled to have Don Stiernberg on board this year, after many attempts at getting our schedules to line up. Don't wait for it to happen again! Could be a while...

And that's it for now. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing another great week of music at Django in June!

Andrew Lawrence

Website: Django in June

Posted by Ted at March 19, 2014 8:58 AM