Learn More about
Earlville Shuffle
What It Is:
It is about song development…
…taking a new, original Song that is in sketch form (maybe only lyrics, a lead vocal part, and basic chord changes)…
…working with fellow Songwriter/Players who make up an Ephemeral Band to add…
…tasty bits, in the spirit of the original Song, from the infinite band arrangement tool kit of instrumental layers, intros, groove shifts, bridges, turnarounds, and more…
…to achieve a memorable and dynamic (or soothing?) Song!
It is an adventure and growth experience for emerging Songwriter/Players…
…who yearn to discover how their Songs will blossom in an ensemble situation…
…who are eager to try out arrangement ideas for their Song offered by their Ephemeral Band Peers and our Distinguished Faculty…
…who are willing and motivated to find their righteous instrumental or backing vocal contribution to the Songs brought by their fellow Songwriter/Players.
It will be intensive…
…after a Friday evening meal, a musical introduction to our Distinguished Faculty, and an open mic for our Songwriter/Players; a very long and exciting Saturday starts early with…
…four (4) x 2.25-hour Song Development Periods…
…preceded and punctuated by convivial meals and breaks, leading into…
…Sunday morning Rehearsal Sessions, followed by the...
...Sunday afternoon open-to-the-public Song Reveal Party performance of all Songs in the Historic 1892 Landmark Theater.
IT IS A FULL WEEKEND COMMITMENT..
…unless prevented by serious unforeseen circumstances (such as a family health emergency), Songwriter/Players are expected to attend all scheduled Earlville Shuffle activities, from Friday’s welcome until Sunday’s Song Reveal Party…
…this is essential so that each Songwriter/Player can receive the full benefit of the experience, and so that each Songwriter/Player contributes their support to their Ephemeral Bands in Song Development Sessions, Rehearsal Sessions, and performance at the Song Reveal Party.
What It Is Not:
It is not a typical songwriting workshop…
…this is not about starting Songs from scratch, finding sources of inspiration for lyrics, or word play..
…Earlville Shuffle starts with Songs already in sketch form and seeks to help our Songwriter/Players discover ways to transition their sketches into ensemble arrangements..
…which is not to say that tweaks to lyrics or shifts in the chord changes of the Song sketch are off the table in Earlville Shuffle Song Development Sessions.
It is not about how to record songs…
…the kind of song development that is the core of the Earlville Shuffle may be exactly the kind of thing one might want to do before going into a recording studio or hitting the record button in your home studio, but mic techniques, mixing, editing and mastering are not in the scope of the Earlville Shuffle.
It is not about creating the definitive, final version of a Song…
…it is instead about growing in your understanding of collaboration with other creative people…
…which isn’t to say that you won’t go home with a cool version of your Song, but we are providing an experience, not the promise of a product.
It is not a dance workshop or dance party…
…like, OK, the graphic shows some instruments dancing around in kind of a swing dance style, but shouldn’t instruments in a band kind of dance with each other?
What It Costs:
The fee…
…you will be charged a fee of $400 if your application is accepted and you choose to attend.
Meals and snacks are included in the fee…
…from early Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.
Lodging and transport are on you…
…you will be reserving and paying for your lodging on your own, and for arranging your own transportation to and from the event.
This is good deal…
…your fee pays for less than one third (1/3) of the total event costs that are above and beyond normal Earlville Opera House building maintenance, operating and staff costs. Your fee and grant funds from New York State and regional foundations will pay for faculty fees and expenses, regional musician fees, technical support and recruiting. Your weekend experience will be enhanced by significant participation of Earlville Opera House volunteers.