PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, Inc. is dedicated to preserving, presenting, and promoting all forms of traditional music, dance and other folk performing arts.
Normally they are the force behind a lot of live music events throughout the Triangle, but right now, you’ll find their influence on the internet.
They are presenting a number of online workshops and other streaming events. They are all free, but donations are appreciated. Please remember that the people offering the workshops are working musicians whose livelihood has been cut off.
Here’s what’s coming up. Please make sure to follow the links for more information and to register. When you register you’ll receive all the information you need to watch and participate.
Bluegrass Fiddle Etiquette with Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw
Wednesday, January 6th, 2021
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free but a donation of $10 is suggested
Hone in your jam skills and familiarize yourself with the etiquette of bluegrass! This class includes instruction on a standard tune including melody, backup, rhythm, chords and improvisational tips.
Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw began playing the violin at age four and received her Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance and Suzuki Pedagogue Certification from East Carolina University. She is an extremely versatile musician and has a tremendous talent for American music as well as classical violin. Currently she holds two private studios in North Carolina and is frequently invited to teach workshops throughout the United States for classical, improvisational, and bluegrass instruction. Pattie performs regularly in the Eastern United States and is currently a member of multiple ensembles, including The Long Bay Symphony in Myrtle Beach, SC; and Hank, Pattie & The Current, an Americana bluegrass band based out of Raleigh, NC.
Where Do Songs Come From? with Violet Bell
Wednesday, January 13th, 2021
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free, but a donation of $10 is suggested
“Where Do Songs Come From?” is a workshop and mini-concert that explores creativity, self-acceptance, and empowerment through the lens of songwriting. By sharing their own creative process and practices, duo Violet Bell connects students with their own creative power and inspiration. Participants will learn mindsets, tools, and practices to cultivate an inner creative dialogue, and to produce creative works sustainably.
Blending pop sensibilities with classical chops and folk traditions, “Violet Bell puts an avant-garde twist on traditional roots music” (INDY Week). This “elegant marriage of strings and vocals” is “delicate yet powerful,” (Encore Magazine) breathing new life into the traditional Americana sound. Singer-songwriter Lizzy Ross “channels the spirit of Eva Cassidy,” while multi-instrumentalist Omar Ruiz-Lopez’s violin performance is “chocolate,” resulting in an undeniable onstage chemistry that captivates audiences of all ages (Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Show).
For the last four years, Violet Bell made a living touring full-time. They write: “Our lives were a whirl of highways, faces shining as the lights go up, packing up, and moving on. By the end of March, all of our shows for 2020 had been cancelled or postponed indefinitely. We know we’re not alone. So many people are facing big questions and changes right now. In the shift, we found stillness. We found each other. We found the rivers and forests, time to garden, time to play, to write, to sing for no one but ourselves. We are lucky. What would it take to build a life that honors these things? What would it take to let go of our culture’s story of what success means for musicians, chasing an outdated dream from a dying paradigm?
Making Practice Fun: A Bass Workshop with Zach Smith
Wednesday, January 20th, 2021
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free, but a donation of $10 is suggested
Practicing and even playing bluegrass bass can sometimes be a little bit boring, but it doesn’t have to be! Join Zach Smith for a look into exciting practice techniques (for both beginner and advanced), the beauty of “passing notes,” and finding the fun in bluegrass bass!
A native of Boone, NC, Zach grew up listening to his dad and family play bluegrass and gospel and attending Merlefest, one of the premiere music festivals in the country. Now, many years later, Zach can be found performing on the Merlefest stages and on infamous stages like the Grand Old Opry, The Met, & Red Rocks with Asheville’s hard driving bluegrass band Town Mountain.
Take a Break! Beginning to Solo on Guitar with Billie Feather
Wednesday, January 27th, 2021
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free but a donation of $10 is suggested
Intimidated by soloing? Does the word improvisation strike fear into your heart? Avoiding soloing at jams? Fear no more! Liberate yourself from soloing anxiety and learn to “take a break!” This crash-course in beginning to solo is geared primarily towards guitar players, but open to all instruments. In this course, participants will learn how to embellish a melody, discuss soloing ideas over an entire song form, and soloing over common chord progressions. You also will learn to activate your ears and borrow a few famous licks from the country and bluegrass greats. Exercises will be presented in both musical notation and guitar tab.
Billie Marie Feather is a singer/songwriter/guitarist/banjoist/double bassist, guitar technician, and online music teacher. For her senior year in high school, Billie was accepted into the prestigious music conservatory at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Classical Guitar Performance and remained there for her college studies. During her years at UNCSA, Billie was a guest classical guitarist in The Carolina Wind Symphony and has been able to perform all over North Carolina as both a solo artist and in classical guitar ensembles. After graduating in 2006, Billie expanded her musical studies by learning the double bass, electric bass, banjo, and mandolin.
Billie has been a member of numerous bands and currently performs primarily as the lead guitarist with Hank, Pattie and The Current (a string band combining classical, soul, and bluegrass influences), an electric bassist with Charles Latham and The Borrowed Band (a honky-tonk folk fusion group), a guitarist with Keenan McKenzie and the Riffers (a 1940s inspired jazz swing band), and a double-bassist in The Holland Brothers (a Piedmont blues trio). Billie continues to teach and share her love of music with her students through her private studio and through guest lectures around the Southeast. She is also an accomplished songwriter playing her own unique mix of country, folk, and bossa nova in her own band, Billie Feather and The Hallway Waltz.
Billie, currently a master’s candidate in guitar performance at the North Carolina School of the Arts, operates her own stringed instrument repair shop in Durham, NC, and enjoys teaching one-on-one lessons as a Suzuki Certified guitar instructor. As a teacher, Billies says, “I adapt my teaching style to specifically cater to the needs of each individual student. I believe everyone’s path to music is unique and will craft a curriculum to fit your learning style.”
Subscribe to Triangle on the CheapUpcoming Events in the Triangle -- both virtual and in-person
Check out our full events calendar, where you can enter any date, or look at the events for the next few days here:Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Thursday, January 28, 2021
Friday, January 29, 2021
Virtual
