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Cajun Band Workshop w Rafe Wolman
at The Parlor Room
October 16th: 7pm - 8:30pm, November 6th: 5pm - 6:30pm, December 4th: 7pm - 8:30 pm
Drop-In: $30 non-members // $20 members
Bundle: $80 non-members // $50 members
Cajun and Creole music are the traditional musical styles of Southwest Louisiana, sung in French and featuring fiddles, accordions and more. Each class we will work on 1-2 tunes/songs from the Cajun and Creole tradition. We'll learn the basic melody and chords by ear. Then we'll do some listening to different recorded versions, and talk about the different roles that each instrument can play, and the rhythmic nuances, phrasing and embellishment that gives the music a Cajun sound. Then we will put the song together in the context of a full-band arrangement, with singing, solos, etc.
Class led by Rafe Wolman. He has performed around the Northeast with different Cajun bands including his own band Les Taiauts, playing fiddle, accordion, guitar and singing. He learned the music through thousands of hours of listening to recordings, many trips to Louisiana, and lots of hanging out and playing with great Cajun musicians known and unknown.
Rafe also teaches violin and cello to students in the Greenfield schools through Strings for Kids, where he enjoys sneaking Old-time and Cajun fiddle into the curriculum.
Recommended instruments: voice (prior knowledge of French not required), fiddle/violin, guitar (acoustic or electric), accordion (traditionally a one-row button accordion in C or D but piano or other accordion is okay), steel or hawaiian guitar, mandolin, harmonica (bring your C and D), bass, percussion (snare drum or small kit with brushes, triangle, rubboard, or whatever you've got). Other instruments welcome, by instructor's discretion.
requirements: basic proficiency on your instrument, willingness to listen and learn by ear, interest in Cajun/Creole/Zydeo music. If you're intrigued, but not too familiar with the music yet, check out npmusic.org or earlycajunmusic.blogspot.com for lots of classic recordings to listen to.
This course has a minimum enrollment of 3
Date & Time
Oct 16 - Dec 4, 2023
Venue Details
The Parlor Room
32 Masonic StreetNorthampton, Massachusetts 01060
