Free music workshops (donations welcome) through PineCone

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.

The Versatility of the Banjo: How to Play Different Styles with Hank Smith
Wednesday, March 10th, 2021
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free but suggested donation of $10

The five string banjo is a defining instrument in bluegrass and old time music. The sound of the banjo has shaped American music since its inception and is incredibly versatile. In the modern era, however, banjo music is often pigeonholed into one or both of these genres. In this workshop, we’ll learn how to play different styles of music, giving you the opportunity to explore a wider range of sounds on the banjo. We’ll learn ways to approach jazz, classical, pop and other styles to further enrich your playing. Attendees of this workshop should already have knowledge and experience beyond the beginner level. As such, it is geared towards the intermediate and advanced player.

Hank Smith grew up in rural Florence, South Carolina, where he adopted the banjo as his instrument and his passion as a teenager. He honed his skills at the Saturday jam sessions of the nearby Southeastern Bluegrass Association. As a student at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Smith expanded his musical influences to include all manner of rock, jazz, reggae, folk, blues, and classical, while earning a B.A. in Philosophy and Religious Studies, followed by an M.A. in Middle Eastern History.

A professional musician based in Raleigh, Smith plays with the progressive bluegrass band Hank, Pattie & the Current, whose fourth album, RISE ABOVE, appears on Robust Records (2019). Previous bands include Hank Smith & Lindsey Tims, The Morning After, The Kickin’ Grass Band, and Barefoot Manner. He is a graduate of the IBMA Leadership Bluegrass program, a member of the Local Organizing Committee for IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, and co-founded the non-profit American Music Foundation of North Carolina, Inc.

Smith has extensive experience teaching banjo, mandolin, and guitar. He is also a composer, currently working on 24 Preludes For String Quartet and Banjo.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Crann Úll
Wednesday, March 17th, 2021
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free but suggested donation of $10

Raleigh musicians Crann Úll (Rob Sharer & Margaret Rush) will perform traditional Irish tunes and songs in English and Irish, on Irish banjo, flute, bodhrán, guitar and vocals to celebrate the day with tunes, songs and banter in equal measure. Along the way, they will talk about the mysteries of traditional Irish music to the outsider; the session, the types of tunes, the instruments and more. We hope you’ll make plans to join PineCone and Crann Úll for a great night of traditional Irish music!

Comprised of a Dublin native now residing in Raleigh, and a Raleigh native who once resided in Ireland, Crann Úll plays a spectrum of traditional Irish material. Lush ballads sung in the Irish language are followed by thoughtful instrumentals and slashing dance tunes to make for an exciting and evocative Celtic experience. Crann Úll is Rob Sharer on guitar, Irish tenor banjo, flute, bodhran and vocals with Margaret Rush on guitar and vocals.

Bluegrass Vocal Workshop with Emily Kirsch
Wednesday, March 24th, 2021
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free but suggested donation of $10

In this bluegrass vocal workshop, participants of all skill levels will learn from Emily Kirsch of Diamond Creek:

breathing techniques
helpful vocal warm ups and cool downs
important tips and tricks for keeping your vocal cords happy and healthy
how Emily breaks down songs vocally and melodically when she’s learning them and the different ways she uses to make a song her own
bluegrass harmonies

Emily Kirsch has been performing since the age of six, beginning her career in church, then on the stage of local dinner theaters, and with the Lost Colony chorus at the North Carolina Symphony. After studying piano for seven years, she began taking guitar lessons from Russell Johnson in 2009. It was then that she fell in love with bluegrass music and released her solo CD, Just Another Memory, in January 2013. Emily has been with Diamond Creek Bluegrass Band since its start eight years ago. Her band members describe her as someone who “sings with confidence and conviction well beyond her years – she makes any song her own with her powerful delivery.” She has filled many roles in Diamond Creek as a guitarist, mandolinist, and lead and harmony singer. She has been a featured artist on multiple CDs and enjoys songwriting in her free time. Jon Weisberger, chairman of IBMA’s board of directors, describes Emily as “a singer who’s going to make an awful lot of listeners sit up and take notice.”

The Ambient Life of a Story – Filling your Stories with Great Sound Effects! with Donna Washington
Wednesday, March 31st, 2021
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free but suggested donation of $10

How many sounds can you make?

How many sounds have you tried to make?

How well do you use your voice?

If you want to unlock the power of stories, be they ghost tales or personal narrative or literary tales, sound effects and character voices can bump up the effectiveness. Come and spend an hour exploring your voice, characters, and the joy of just being loud, wild, and joyous with abandon!

Donna Washington has been called a “Walking Disney Movie” and told she was “better than television.” A highly animated performer, she has been entertaining, educating, and inspiring audiences with her vocal pyrotechnics, elastic face, and deep characterizations that bring folklore, literary tales, and personal narratives to life for more than 30 years. Donna Washington is an internationally known, multiple award winning storyteller, spoken word recording artist, and author.