{"id":23143,"date":"2022-06-16T05:30:32","date_gmt":"2022-06-16T09:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=23143"},"modified":"2022-06-10T09:41:01","modified_gmt":"2022-06-10T13:41:01","slug":"bryan-suttons-guitar-camp-and-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2022\/06\/16\/bryan-suttons-guitar-camp-and-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"Bryan Sutton’s Guitar Camp and Celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note: This feature was written as a preview for events that took place the first week of June 2022. — bk<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

One of the brightest stars in the bluegrass\/Americana galaxy is bringing the expertise of top guitarists to a session of learning and collaboration. Billed as the first annual event hosted by Asheville native Bryan Sutton, the Blue Ridge Guitar Camp happens June 1-5 at Brevard Music Center. A separately-ticked event, Sutton\u2019s North Carolina Guitar Celebration leverages the talent on hand for a June 4 extravaganza.<\/p>\n

Nashville-based Sutton was inspired by events mounted by like-minded musical friends. He mentions the Steep Canyon Rangers-hosted Mountain Song Festival as well as B\u00e9la Fleck\u2019s banjo camp as projects that inform his idea of what his camp should be. Sutton\u2019s camp \u201chas been in the works since 2018,\u201d he says. \u201cWe had things up and ready to go in 2020, and then had to shut down because of the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Music camps are commonplace, but Sutton aims to make his program unique. \u201cOne of my main goals is to shake up what normally happens at camps,\u201d he says. \u201cWe want to try some new programming that\u2019s not like what folks have experienced at other camps.\u201d He observes that a typical camp is \u201csort of like going to school for a week,\u201d and that\u2019s a vibe he wants to avoid.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want folks to experience conversation outside of normal guitar education,\u201d he says. The camp isn\u2019t so much about learning to play new music. \u201cIt\u2019s about a new way to look at playing,\u201d Sutton says, \u201cand a healthier way [for guitarists] to examine what they\u2019re already doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sutton will be joined by five highly regarded masters of their instruments, each of whom will spend quality time with the nearly 100 campers. \u201cMy goal is to provide a more comprehensive experience,\u201d Sutton says. \u201cGrant [Gordy] may not cover exactly what Courtney [Hartman] is discussing. I\u2019ve worked with each instructor to sort of create a lane.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each instructor\u2019s emphasis builds on their strengths. \u201cGrant Gordy is a great improviser who has stretched the boundaries of bluegrass and jazz guitar,\u201d Sutton says. \u201cSo his lane is more about discovering that improvisational voice.\u201d Michael Daves brings a \u201cwealth of knowledge of bluegrass traditions, rhythm playing and singing,\u201d Sutton says.<\/p>\n

Guitarist David Grier is a \u201cmaster of repertoire,\u201d Sutton enthuses. Grier\u2019s instruction will focus on cross-picking, what Sutton describes as \u201ca subgenre of flat-picking.\u201d And Hartman will emphasize \u201cartistry, musicianship and playing with others,\u201d Sutton says. For his part, Sutton\u2019s instruction will explore \u201cmechanics and fundamentals, all in the interest of better music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inevitably, the five instructors\u2019 presentations will intersect at various points. \u201cBut a student can expect a different conversation with each instructor,\u201d Sutton promises. \u201cAnd everybody [who attends] is going to see every instructor.\u201d<\/p>\n

The camp will also feature guest speakers leading \u201cdeeper conversations about the tradition of bluegrass and flat-picking,\u201d Sutton says. And master luthier Dana Bourgeois will lead campers through \u201can understanding of guitar construction,\u201d aimed at helping students appreciate \u201cwhy their guitar does what it does,\u201d Sutton says.<\/p>\n

Neurologist Josh Turknett, author of The Laws of Brainjo<\/i> will explore the intersection of musicianship and the human brain. \u201cIt\u2019s basically about understanding your \u2018machine,\u2019\u201d Sutton says with a chuckle. \u201cThe machine that is you, and the experience of playing a musical instrument.\u201d<\/p>\n

The camp will be capped by Bryan Sutton\u2019s North Carolina Guitar Celebration, a revue-style concert extravaganza featuring Sutton, his fellow instructors and other stars. Among those scheduled to appear are celebrated dobro player Jerry Douglas (a 14-time Grammy winner, 25-time IBMA award recipient and National Heritage fellow) and Grammy-winning musician-historian Dom Flemons (formerly of Carolina Chocolate Drops). Also on hand will be Shannon Whitworth; bluegrass star Peter Rowan; Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway; Grammy-nominated Americana duo Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley and more. Sutton\u2019s pals Woody Platt and Nicky Sanders of Brevard-based Steep Canyon Rangers will perform as well.<\/p>\n

The Celebration is envisioned as a variety show, carrying on the proud tradition of historic revues like The Grand Ole Opry and Louisiana Hayride. \u201cThere will be a few different setups,\u201d Sutton explains. The main stage will feature larger ensembles, while additional smaller stages will showcase solo performers and \u201cintimate little trios with singers and players around a couple of mics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sutton expects the Celebration to be a nonstop flurry of activity. \u201cThere will be people on the side of the stage, ready to go\u201d while other acts are performing, he says. \u201cThere will continually be a variety of things happening. My role is to host and curate, and to have fun.\u201d He notes that the Celebration is the musical component of this year\u2019s annual White Squirrel Festival. \u201cThat will draw even more people in,\u201d he believes. \u201cA lot of people come to the mountains to enjoy that festival.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sutton promises that campers will be involved in the Celebration as well. \u201cMy goal is to \u2013 some way or another \u2013 plug them into the show,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd there will certainly be a big finale where we\u2019ll try to get as many people on stage as we can, playing a big bluegrass jam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bryan Sutton\u2019s Blue Ridge Guitar Camp is designed to occupy the sweet spot between laid-back and intensive. \u201cI\u2019ve toyed with the question, \u2018Should we call this a camp at all?\u2019\u201d Sutton says. \u201cIt\u2019s more like an experience<\/i>, or a summit.\u201d He\u2019s reluctant to use the word \u2018intensive\u2019 to describe the five-day event, but admits that \u201cthere will be a lot going on.\u201d And Sutton believes that the pastoral setting of Brevard Music Center will contribute to a relaxed vibe.<\/p>\n

Sutton says that the camp and Celebration aren\u2019t designed to compete with music festivals, but his long-term plans are ambitious nonetheless. \u201cWe want to put together a really solid [program] and an annual event.\u201d Ultimately, Sutton hopes that attendees will \u201cfeel relaxed, feel supported in this community, and also be challenged. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot going on in this camp that reflects how I\u2019ve learned,\u201d Sutton says. \u201cAnd how I continue to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Note: This feature was written as a preview for events that took place the first week of June 2022. — bk One of the brightest stars in the bluegrass\/Americana galaxy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23144,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,41,44],"tags":[3902,434],"class_list":["post-23143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-americana","category-interview","category-live-shows","tag-brevard-music-center","tag-bryan-sutton","cat-6-id","cat-41-id","cat-44-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23143"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23145,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23143\/revisions\/23145"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}