FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2013

BEAR FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE
OF MASTER CLASSES FOR MUSICIANS

Organizers of Dahlonega's Bear on the Square Mountain Festival are serious when they use the term Master Classes. The instructors at this spring's Master Classes described by Joe Matteson, coordinator of the sessions, as four of the finest musicians and teachers available.

The 17th annual Bear on the Square Mountain Festival has scheduled its Master Classes for Sunday afternoon, April 21. The classes will be held in the Historic Vickery House, home of the Georgia Appalachian Studies Center of the University of North Georgia. The festival takes place in and around Dahlonega's Historic Public Square, and the Vickery House is located at West Main St. and Vickery Dr.,  just a short walk from the square. The sponsor for the Master Classes is the SouthEastern Bluegrass Association (SEBA). As sponsor, SEBA is offering to discount its normal $15 online membership fee to just $5 for anyone taking and paying for one of the Master Classes. 

Cost of each class is $10, and  pre-registration is highly recommended due to the popularity of the sessions and limited class size. There will be only eight students per class, and each session will last for one hour and 45 minutes. Those interested in registering for a class can do so by going to www.bearonthesquare.org and clicking the link on the Master Classes announcement.

Class times are 12:30 - 2:15 p.m. for banjo and bass; 2:30 - 4:15 p.m. for fiddle and guitar.

Master class instructors and class material include:

* Geoff Hohwald: “Back-up Bluegrass Banjo," or what to do when you’re not playing lead. How to enhance the vocals and other lead instruments by using tasteful fills, licks and rhythm techniques, while not detracting from their performance.
* Curtis Jones: “Rhythm Guitar." The essential building block of any bluegrass band is the rhythm guitarist, and there is none better than Curtis. He will show students how to improve their timing and how to enhance their band’s sound with several different rhythm techniques for different types of songs.
* Martin Norgaard: “Improvising Over Standard Fiddle Tune," adding variety and spontaneity to playing standard fiddle tunes. Martin will show students how to easily improvise over any fiddle tune using his proven methods and techniques. Unlock the stigma associated with improvising quickly and easily with Martin’s tried and true instruction.
* Chris Enghauser: “Bass-Spelling Chords," chord functions and understanding what we are playing. Chris shows how to move beyond the 1-5 progression. Students will learn earn some simple techniques to take bass playing to the next level and enhance their understanding of the finger board.
More information about the instructors, including their teaching and musical backgrounds, can be found on the Bear on the Square website.
Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, Inc., which stages the festival the third weekend in April each year, is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit cultural arts organization whose mission is to preserve and celebrate the culture of the Southern Appalachians through the presentation of music, traditional craft, and folkways. Tax deductible donations are welcome and can be sent to P.O. Box 338, Dahlonega, GA 30533. More details about the 2013 Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, including information about music performances, the juried artists marketplace, workshops, other activities, and sponsors, will be available on the festival website.