Come spread your roots! Grow on your core instrument while also exploring the many influences of American Roots Music.

Price: $150

Dates & Times: 4pm July 18 — 1pm July 20

REGISTER

The rich tapestry of styles now called “American Roots Music” reflects the remarkable diversity of people who have contributed to our music. From integrated string bands in Appalachia, to border-blurring dance styles in the Southwest, and indigenous honky-tonk in the western plains, music has long provided spaces for poor and working class people to connect across racial and cultural barriers. This weekend of workshops and performances celebrates that legacy by providing a deeply inclusive place for making music in a beautiful rural setting.
Participants can expect workshops from expert instructors in the following areas. Banjo, African Drumming, Fiddle, Guitar, Kora, African Dance and Steel Pan. We are also proud to offer the unique opportunity to participate in both gourd planting and the building of gourd instruments! This is a chance for attendees to grow on their core instrument while also trying something new. Experimenting with other Roots Music influences will only serve to strengthen your core instrument and broaden your appreciation for the genre as a whole!
As part of The Savanna Sanctuary commitment to conservation awareness and nature immersion at White Oak Savanna, this is a camping event. Attendees will have access to campsites on the beautifully restored savanna prairie, with easy access to bathroom, shower and kitchen facilities. For those who prefer not to camp, there are many hotel options within a short distance from the grounds.
Food service from the White Oak kitchen is included in the price. Attendees with special dietary needs will have available kitchen space to store groceries.
Because of our commitment to youth education, college age students may attend at half price. Attendees under 18 are also half price when attending with a registered adult.
July 18th
4:00- 5:30pm Grounds open for campsite load-in
5:30 - 6:45pm Dinner with Instructor introductions and short performances
7:00 - 8:00pm Full Group Intro to African Drum and Dance
8:30 - 10:30pm Late Night Jams
July 19th
7:30 - 9:00am Continental Breakfast and Jam Stations Open
9:00 - 10:15 Workshop session 1 (choose one)
- Taylor Ackley: Improvising and Melodic Ornamentation for String Instruments
- Anna Jacobson: Fiddle - Irish Repertoire and Technique
- Jonas Friddle: Guitar - Early Blues Repertoire and Technique
- Evan Jacobson: Intro to Steel Pan
10:30 - 11:30 Full Group Gourd Planting Session
11:45 - 12:45 Lunch
1:00 - 2:00 Workshop Session 2 (Full Group)
- Kabillo Music: Kora: The Storytelling Harp. Exploring the history, playing techniques, and role of the kora in griot tradition.
2:15 - 3:15pm Full Group Gourd Percussion Instrument Building
4:00- 5:20 Workshop Session 3 (choose one)
- Kabillo Music: West African Drumming. Introduction to traditional rhythms, technique, and cultural significance.
- Taylor, Anna, Jonas Old-Time Repertoire and Technique For Fiddle, Guitar, Banjo and Mandolin
5:30 - 6:30 Dinner Break
6:45 - 7:45pm Instructor Led Jam Sessions
8:00 - 9:15pm Short Lecture on the History of the Banjo and Instructor Performances
9:30 - 11pm Late Night Campfire and S’more Jams Sessions
July 20th
7:30 - 9:00am Continental Breakfast and Jam Stations Open
9:30 -10:30am Workshop Session 3
- Getting it together: In this final full group workshop we explore ways to bring our various styles together.
11:00am -12:30pm Campsite Breakdown and Lunch

INSTRUCTOR BIOS:

**Taylor Ackley**

Taylor Ackley is first and foremost a folk musician. Born into a working class family with a remarkable heritage of traditional American music, his work grows directly out of the rich musical expression cultivated across the generations of pickers, singers, song writers and fiddlers that populate his family tree. His academic training began at Adelphi University. He continued his studies at Stony Brook University, where he earned a Master’s Degree and a PhD in Composition as well as a Master’s Degree in Ethnomusicology.
Taylor is the founder and director of the Deep Roots Ensemble. A group which merges classical chamber music instrumentation and techniques with traditional American music performance practice into a refined and cohesive style. They have performed around the United States and have released two albums of Taylor’s music, Songs from the Bitterroot (2018) and Hard Tellin’ (2020) both through the 4Tay Records label.

**Kabillo Music**

Kabillo Music is a dynamic ensemble led by brothers Mamadu and Abdu, dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich musical heritage of West Africa, Senegal. As a master drummer and griot storyteller, Mamadu brings the heartbeat of Africa to life through powerful rhythms and interactive performances. Abdu, a skilled kora player, weaves enchanting melodies that transport listeners to the heart of Senegal’s griot traditions.

**Claire Ramos**

Claire is rooted in the mission to connect communities to nature as a mechanism for healing and connection to land and self. With a love for facilitating, she leads groups in land-based activities that highlight how nature mirrors the human experience and how the land can support us in navigating our experiences. She weaves teachings from ancestral Mexica tradition, mindfulness, and somatic practices to drive her vision forward. When she’s not facilitating, she’s consulting for urban gardening projects, gardening, hiking, and spending time in community.

**Jonas Friddle**

Jonas Friddle is a singer, songwriter and Old-Time banjo player whose songs have received The John Lennon Songwriting Award, First Place in the Great American Song Contest and a nomination for Album of the Year in the Independent Music Awards.   Friddle was raised in the mountains of North Carolina and learned to play guitar on a yard sale Harmony six string. He continued his love of music all the way to Berea College, where he found the deep well of the folk tradition. After serving his time in higher education, he spent a year traveling around the world playing music in pubs and living rooms. In 2007 Jonas landed in Chicago, started the Barehand Jugband, the Sleepy Lou Old-Time duo and joined the faculty at the Old Town School of Folk Music.

**Mauricio Pineda**

Mauricio Pineda was born in Ecuador and has lived in Chicago for nearly 20 years, where he currently teaches art at Reilly Elementary School and serves as an adjunct professor at DePaul University. He also leads the art program at Centro San Bonifacio promoting social justice through art, conflict resolution, and peace circles.
He has worked in organizations like the Chicago Freedom School and Project NIA. Mauricio also co-created the Peacemaker Program at Reilly Elementary, which is recognized as the most innovative in Chicago Public Schools. He has presented as a guest educator at the Museum of Contemporary Art and received several awards for excellence in teaching, including recognition from the Aspen Institute, DePaul University, and UIC.

Anna Jacobson

Anna is a highly sought-after multi-instrumentalist in the Chicago music scene, playing everything from French Horn to Fiddle. Anna has recorded on five studio albums with Jonas Friddle and teaches at the widely respected Old Town School of Folk Music. Their live show combines traditional American music with original songs. Also a dedicated chamber musician, she is a founding member of V3NTO Brass Trio and also plays with the Alloy Horn Quartet. On horn, Anna has played with the Chicago Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, South Bend Symphony, Illinois Symphony, Dubuque Symphony, and many others across the Midwest.

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