Valley Youth Fiddlers - Northwest Fiddle Camp

• Some classes are self-explanatory and won't have a class description.
• The "Gathering" block is a daily gathering for all campers where we will go over announcements and info for the day, followed by a community building game, activity or song.
• The "Elective" block is short fun courses that you sign up for the day of. They could be taught by a mentor or a camper, it could be a slow jam, vegetable band, bracelet making or who knows. This will also be a time when Rock Nest Ranch staff will lead kids through "Outdoor Adventures" like the zipline, climbing wall, or giant swing. Our goal is for each youth to get to do at least one of these activities. If you would like more time on these you can sign up for a full class of "Outdoor Adventure" in block 4. Outdoor Adventure space is limited per block and priority will be given to those who haven't had a chance to try any of the activities.

Period 1 (9:00-10:00)

ELISE BOEUR – FIDDLE 4 FURTHER NORTH: Bend time and minds with a deeper dive into Nordic fiddle music! We’ll learn a hypnotic gangar, a groovy reinlender, and more - and bring in some of those wild in-between pitches that you can’t play on a piano.

ROXI DYKSTRA -  FIDDLE 1 BEGINNING FIDDLE (KIDS AND KIDS AT HEART): Perfect for our youngest fiddlers—and for older ones who love a lively atmosphere—this class is all about jumping into the joy of fiddling! Roxi brings playful energy, great stories, and fun games (that just happen to sneak in some awesome posture tips). Together, we’ll explore the basics with smiles, laughter, and plenty of fiddle fun. Come join the adventure!

JARON FREEMAN-FOX – FIDDLE 2 OLD TIME & EUROPEAN (YOUTH/TEEN): Kick off your day with a wild burst of fun in this high-energy class led by Jaron, a mentor who’s  fiddled the Valley Youth Fiddlers through more musical escapades than we can even begin to count! With energy that could power a small town, stories that’ll have you laughing ‘til your cheeks hurt, and tunes that wiggle right into your brain, Jaron’s class is the kind of chaos you’ll love to wake up to.

LESLIE-JEAN MACMILLAN – FIDDLE 2  TUNES AND TECHNIQUE (TEEN/ADULT): Get ready for a joyful journey through some of LJ’s all-time favorite tunes:  melodies you’ll often hear at Smithers dances, jam sessions, and campfires. These tunes are guaranteed to lift your spirits and bring a smile to your face. Along the way, LJ will offer practical technique tips to help make playing feel more natural and fun. And what do Bob, flamingos, and alligators have in common? Come join us and find out!

CLINT PELLETIER – GUITAR 3-4 CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE: This class is a musical playground for guitar lovers! Want to explore Celtic-style chords? Curious about alternate tunings, arranging, or harmony? Let’s dive in! Wherever your musical curiosity leads, Clint is excited to create a class that follows your interests—and maybe even throw in a few fun surprises along the way.

EMILYN STAM – PIANO ALL LEVEL: Wherever you're at on your piano accompaniment journey, you'll be able to add a few more tools into your belt after this class! We'll talk about classic ways to accompany standard Canadian Fiddle tunes, harmonic ideas and chord substitutions, rhythmic grooves, and counter melodies. Or if you prefer, some support in solidifying the basics of accompanying Fiddle tunes on the piano!

JAMES STEPHENS – FIDDLE 3 TUNES FROM QUEBEC: In this class, James will explore a small cross section of Quebec fiddle tunes and will delve a bit it into what makes them feel different from other styles. And if we’re feeling bold (and a little bit wild), we might even retune our fiddles to unlock some extra magic!

PERIOD 2 (11:30-12:30)

ELISE BOEUR – FIDDLE 2 SCANDINAVIAN MIDSUMMER (TEEN/ADULT): A warm welcome to the wonderful world of Scandinavian fiddle music! Come and learn a few fun, jammable tunes at a relaxed pace, with lots of repetition. We’ll explore a schottische, vals, and polska, adding in ornaments and bowings to bring them to life. 

KYLE BURGHOUT – FIDDLE 3/4 CAPE BRETON: In this class, we will explore the nuances of the Cape Breton fiddle style while learning a march, strathspey, and a reel or two that can be played together in a medley. We will discuss ornamentation, variations, and bowing techniques to help give your playing an authentic Cape Breton sound, while also listening to recordings of different fiddlers to hear their approaches to these topics.  

ROXI DYKSTRA -  FIDDLE 2 CELTIC (YOUTH/TEEN:  Expand your repertoire with toe-tapping Celtic tunes, guided by Roxi, a passionate mentor who’s shared her love of music with students worldwide. Deeply committed to bringing more musical opportunities to the North, Roxi is thrilled to be teaching near her hometown of Houston once again. In this class, you’ll learn some Celtic standards and be invited to take your first steps into harmonies

JARON FREEMAN FOX – IMPROVISING FOR LEVELS 3/4 (ALL INSTRUMENTS): Want to solo in bluegrass, jazz, or contemporary style?  Dream of creating spontaneous compositions from scratch? Ready to push your musical boundaries? This is the class for you!  Jaron, a fearless innovator and gifted instructor, will help you explore new sounds, techniques and ideas to ignite your creativity and take your playing to the next level.

* RICHARD AND JAKE JENNE -  HAND DRUMMING  SNAP, CRACKLE, POP! (YOUTH/TEEN):  These classes offer a fun dive into the world of percussion and the rhythms that bring fiddle music to life. Open to everyone, from beginners to advanced player, we’ll explore different hand drumming styles and learn Basic techniques using brushes, spoons, wood blocks, and more. Perfect for fiddlers and anyone curious about rhythm!

JAMES STEPHENS – MANDOLIN FOR INT/ADV PLAYERS ON FIRST INSTRUMENT: This class is a perfect introduction to the mandolin for established fiddle players who would like to explore a plucked string instrument that is tuned exactly the same as a violin.  It is also open to experienced guitar or piano players who want to twist their brains and hands in new directions. We’ll look at how to use a pick instead of a bow and explore how to blend chords and melody for a fresh musical adventure.

MARIAN ROSE – ACCORDION: Come and join the elite group of musicians who play the ‘band in a box’.  You will learn about styles of accordion music, different types of accordions, and, of course, you will learn to play the darn thing. We will work on gaining facility with the left hand so that you can think of yourself as an accordionist rather than a lop-sided piano player. You will get the most out of the session if you can already play at least basic piano. BYOA

* CLINT PELLETIER – INTRODUCTION TO UKELELE:  We will cover how this lovely little instrument can be so powerful with nice chords and good groove! We can choose to focus on instrumental or vocal backup …or both! 

PERIOD 3 (3:00-4:00)

KYLE BURGHOUT – PIANO INT/ADV: In this class, we’ll learn some complex rhythmic patterns, intricate bass lines, and harmony techniques to support various fiddle tunes. We will explore different regional styles of accompaniment, including Old-Time, Quebecois, and Cape Breton. 

* RICHARD AND JAKE JENNE – VOICE ALL LEVELS SING, SING, SING: Intro to Harmony Singing.  Open to all.

LESLIE-JEAN MACMILLAN – FIDDLE 3 TUNES FROM HERE: Come learn tunes from Northwest BC: music inspired by the Bulkley Valley and the people who call it  home.

CLINT PELLETIER – GUITAR 1-4: Learn how to back up a fiddle player with style! We’ll start with essential chord progressions and then spice things up with some fun passing chords to add flavor to your playing. Along the way, we’ll cover tempo, try out a bit of melody picking, and, if time allows, dip into some improvisation. This class focuses on practical, everyday skills you can take straight into your next jam session or practice time. Come ready to learn something new and immediately put it to use!

* MARIAN ROSE – STRINGS AND GAMES: Games, songs and dances that feed the musician within, without having that darned instrument in our hands. Fun for all; so easy that even adults can do it!

* PERRY RATH – ART ESCAPES: Come and explore the visual arts side of your creativity, through a variety of hands-on and experiential art projects and activities. To unleash the full spectrum of your creative energy, augment your musical focus with some art-making to help engage different parts of your brain and ideas.

EMILYN STAM - FIDDLE 4 DANCING ON THE WAVES: Tunes that have gotten people dancing for centuries in the rolling volcanic hills of central France, mixed in with the wacky and groovy world of Oliver Schroer! We'll check out twisty and fun OliTunes that like to hop around different time signatures, as well as some of the earthy and beautiful old village music like Bourrées and rondos. Dance music to move your feet and fill your soul!

PERIOD 4 (4:15-5:15)

ELISE BOEUR AND EMILYN STAM – TRAD BAND: Let’s make a band! We’ll work together on building frameworks for playing traditional tunes in a group, looking at interplay and arrangement techniques, developing harmonies, and listening, listening, listening.

KYLE BURGHOUT – PIANO NOVICE/INTERMEDIATE: In this class, we'll build on your foundational piano skills by focusing on chord building/voicing and basic accompaniment rhythms. We’ll also learn some common chord patterns so that you can learn to accompany tunes by ear, without chord charts. 

JARON FREEMAN-FOX – FIDDLE 4 ADVANCED TUNES: Learn advanced Oldtime, Scandinavian, Irish and Bulgarian Fiddle tunes from the man who takes fiddling to places you never thought possible.

* JAKE AND RICHARD JENNE – DRUMMING MAKE THE PEOPLE WANNA DANCE (TEEN/ADULT): These classes offer a fun dive into the world of percussion and the rhythms that bring fiddle music to life. Open to everyone, from beginners to advanced player, we’ll explore different hand drumming styles and learn basic techniques using brushes, spoons, wood blocks, and more. Perfect for fiddlers and anyone curious about rhythm!

* PERRY RATH – ART ESCAPES: Come and explore the visual arts side of your creativity, through a variety of hands-on and experiential art projects and activities. To unleash the full spectrum of your creative energy, augment your musical focus with some art-making to help engage different parts of your brain and ideas.

* MARIAN ROSE – CALLERS’ WORKSHOP LEADING DANCES:  It looks easy, doesn’t it? You just stand in front of some fiddlers, tell the dancers what to do, and everyone has fun. What could go wrong? In this class we will look under the hood at the things that make a dance run more smoothly and the dancers hoot and holler. If you are curious, but don’t think you want to be a caller, please come along and be one of our practice dancers.

JAMES STEPHENS – MANDOLIN FOR BEGINNING/NOVICE PLAYERS ON FIRST INSTRUMENT: An introduction to the mandolin for those at the beginning of their music-learning journey. We will proceed at a calm, measured pace and explore how to hold and play this little plucked fiddle and explore it’s unique charm and different possibilities.

* ROCKNEST STAFF – ADVENTURE: Climbing Wall, Big Swing, Zipline and more.  Burn off some energy in activities led by Rock Nest staff.  Please note extended time for this session: 4:00-5:30.  

***NB: There will be a separate adventure block during the elective block (1:30-2:45) for kids/youth who choose a class during Block 4.