Ultimate Guitar Strummit

Instructors for Guitar Strummit II announced, combining Bass Strummit too!

2012-02-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

We've been getting a lot of inquires, so we want to let you know that the Ultimate Guitar Strummit and Bass Strummit for 2012 is ON! This year, we'll be moving into the spacious Holiday Inn convention/meeting center just minutes from the Roanoke Municipal airport. That means that you can go to the workshops, eat breakfast & lunch, jam, and sleep (just a little sleep, yes?) and never have to leave the facility! Dates are November 3 & 4, and reservations will be available shortly, along with a complete schedule.
Instructors on guitar for 2012 will be Tony Rice, Wyatt Rice, Tim Stafford, John Miller, and Bull Harman. Our bass instructors this year represent two of the true giants in the upright world, Mike Bub and Todd Phillips! Mike Conner will also be on staff as well, and its likely that others will be announced. Check back here and on Bluegrass Today for complete information, schedules, and to make reservations.

Group picture of the 2011 Guitar Strummit class

2011-12-20T15:19:00.000-08:00

What a great looking bunch! Hope that all of you enjoyed this as much as we did putting it on. If you'd like to receive a jpeg of the shot, just shoot us an email.

What a great weekend this was

2011-11-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

Hi Strummit students. Just wanted to share some images and thoughts about this past weekend's workshops and concert. First, it was a blast to learn from John, Josh, and Wyatt, hope you all gleaned some things you can use in your playing and on-going learning.

Tony was apparently in the mood to speak philisophically this weekend, and although there was not a lot of hands-on teaching during his sessions he certainly offered some rare insights as to his thought processes as to the creative process. Not to mention that it was just pretty dang cool to be sitting there that close, just listening to the man talk, directly to you. The time spent doing the playing with the other guys sort of felt like a bonus :-)

I know for me, and many of you that the two highlights of the weekend were the Saturday night concert where the Unit played for a total of an hour and 45 minutes (remember them talking about it in class the next day?) and how they were so into the music, the great sound from Dewey the sound man, and the response from the crowd that the time just sort of flew by. Just as an aside, both Wyatt & Tony complimented Dewey for doing such a wonderful job, both saying they'd play more gigs if they could have sound like that every night. It was indeed special, many thanks Mr. Peters. Secondly, the picture and autograph session was very special to me, and to many of you as well, as to be perfectly frank, Tony does not do this at his concert appearances, so its rare indeed to be able to approach him for pictures or autographs.

It was certainly a couple of days I will not soon forget, and I hope that each of you enjoyed it as much as we did. I'll let you know about future plans for Guitar Strummit II as they are firmed up, hope to see all of you next year.

Contact information if you have questions

2011-10-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, I know that some of you will have questions or inquiries as we get closer to workshop & concert time. If there's an issue that you don't see covered on this site, please shoot me an email at mikeconner61@gmail.com, or you can call me direct at 540-537-4082 during normal business hours, I'm glad to help.
For those of you attending the workshops, there will be a reception on Friday night at the hotel on the 2nd floor, and we'll try to make sure we get all your questions answered there, and provide you with all the info you need.

Staying overnight with us? Here's some information for you.

2011-10-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are traveling and staying overnight, here's a bit of information for you about accommodations and such. First, the official hotel of Strummit Works is Best Western Plus at Valley View, and all our overnight guests have rooms reserved there (they are held under your name, or under the general umbrella of "Ultimate Guitar Strummit"). Room registration through Strummit Works is either one or two nights, but if you need further room nights outside that, they are available. Your point of contact at Best Western is Lori Womack, and she can be reached by calling 540-362-2400. Shuttle service from the Roanoke Regional Airport is available to the hotel, and we recommend you call in advance for that. The hotel is located about 1/2 mile away from the airport. Strummit Works will have a written directions sheet available for you at the Friday night reception, so you can find your way around to & from the workshop & concert venues.
The hotel offers free breakfast each morning, and its VERY GOOD!

If you have questions not answered here, call us at 866-883-9466, or shoot me an email at Mike@wrsc.roacoxmail.com and we'll see you guys in about 3 weeks.

Updates on Workshop & Concert venues for the Ultimate Guitar Strummit

2011-10-12T06:18:00.000-07:00

Here's some FYI for all our workshop & concert goers. Due to some scheduling issues at Hollins Theater, we have moved the concert portion for Saturday night into the Scottish Rite theater in Downtown Roanoke. If you'd like to Google map the location, the address is 622 West Campbell Ave., Roanoke VA 24016. For us locals, it's on Campbell Avenue right beside the Jefferson Center. There's plenty of FREE parking located behind the building, and on each side of the theater at Calvary Baptist church, and the opposite side at the LOA building. Additionally, we have permission to use the Twists & Turns lot straight across the street as well for this concert.

Since we moved the concert into downtown, we're also going to move the workshops into downtown, into the same space we've used for the past few years for The Bass Strummit, the Mill Mountain Theater Atelier.

First, if you've purchased your workshop registration and haven't clicked on the "Complete your registration" button to the right of the homepage, please do so now, there's a few details we very much need from you in advance, so please take care of that detail if you've not yet done so.
The entrance to the Atelier is code protected, and we'll only be giving that code to those who have registered for the workshops, so its VERY IMPORTANT that you complete your registration, and give us the necessary contact information so we can get you in the building.

Here's a picture of the entrance to the Atelier:

When you make the turn onto Salem Avenue from Williamson Road, you'll turn directly left into the parking lot, and this is the view you'll see. The security key pad is right beside the entry door, come on in and take the elevator up to the second floor where two of the studio areas are. The address for the Atelier is 127 Salem Avenue, Roanoke VA 24011. Its located only 6 blocks from the Saturday evening concert venue, and there's about 25 fantastic restaurants and shops in walking distance from the Atelier for lunch, dinner, and shopping. There are free parking spaces for the Atelier, and the lot beside it is also open to the public and free on the weekends (the spaces are marked reserved, but are only reserved for M-F for office workers at Merrill-Lynch), and there's also two parking garages within one block of the building as well.

Speaking of that turn off Williamson Road, you'll see this landmark to alert you to the turn:

This is the distinctive outline of the Taubman Museum of Art, which is directly across Salem Avenue from the Atelier, and is yet another attraction for those of you looking for something to do while your significant other is learning their "chops" on the guitar.

Concert Update: The Travelers will appear with "The Unit" and Sleepy Man!

2011-10-05T04:39:00.000-07:00

Hey music lovers, The Travelers will join The Tony Rice Unit and The Sleepy Man Banjo Boys for the concert on November 5th. Mike Conner & John Miller will be joined by their "pickin' mates" DC-based bluegrass legends Norman Wright (mandolin/vocals) and Kevin Church (banjo/vocals) for the performance from the theater on Saturday night. So, we just added some EXTRA music to an already great line up. Don't wait too late to get your tickets!

Sleepy Man Banjo Boys coming to Strummit!

2011-08-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

Hey music lovers, just so's you know those cute kids the Mizzone brothers, aka The Sleepy Man Banjo Boys that you've been seeing all over TV on Late Night with David Letterman and more recently cutting it with bassist Mike Huckabee on his Fox Network show (two appearances) will be at the Saturday evening concert with Conner & Miller and the Tony Rice Unit!
Tommy, the eldest at 13 and the trio's guitar player is registered for the two day workshop, and we suggested to Tom Sr. that he bring along Jonny and Robbie (banjo & fiddle), to which he replied "Well, I was going to have to do that anyway, when Tommy's brothers found out he was going to a Tony Rice workshop they just about worried me to death to go too!".
Says Tommy, "

"I am really looking forward to the Ultimate Guitar Strummit this fall. I consider Tony Rice the greatest flat-picker of all time and as a young guitarist I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from him. I am hoping that the workshop will help me improve my skills and technique in both flat-picking and bluegrass backup guitar. I believe anyone could greatly benefit from lessons with this unbelievable lineup of instructors. I’m also hoping to have my guitar signed by Tony Rice!"

Tommy, we here at the Ultimate Guitar Strummit couldn't have said it better. There are some spaces still available, but they are filling fast, so don't wait, its gonna be a blast and a weekend you'll never forget.

Some updates about UGS in November

2011-08-08T19:05:00.000-07:00

Hey Strummit Students, and those of you who haven't yet registered (but you're thinking about it). Registration for the Ultimate Guitar Workshop with Tony Rice will officially close the workshop registrations on October 30th, 2011, or when we reach the maximum number of students, whichever comes first. Just so you know, we're pretty sure we're not gonna make it to October 30th! So if you're thinking about it PLEASE, don't wait too late. We cannot stress enough, Tony has never done this sort of workshop, and may never again, so if you're considering waiting until "the next time", please don't, there may never be a next time.
Secondly the concert portion of the weekend is starting to fill up, so if you're considering attending the concert, please get your tickets soon for two reasons, A. we're thinking its going to sell out, and B. on October 1st the tickets go from $20 to $25, so save yourself some bucks and make sure you get a seat!
And finally, to the folks who have registered, please make sure that you click on "Complete Your Registration" button to the right of this page so we can make sure to have all the info we need for your rooms, room nights, and the reception.

The Ultimate Workshop Opportunity!

2010-11-14T17:55:00.000-08:00

Are you a flat-picker, or are you learning to be? Are you working on your rhythm stroke, trying to find the right combination and timing? What if you had to opportunity to spend an entire weekend with four of the most incredible flat-picking and rhythm stylists ever to pick up a guitar? Think maybe you might pick up a tip or two? The Ultimate Guitar Strummit is offering that opportunity.

For the first time ever, Tony Rice will take part in a weekend long intensive workshop, along with three of his proteges, players who exemplify what the "Rice Sound" is all about. Along with Tony, brother Wyatt Rice, and 3-time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year Josh Williams are joined by guitar master John Miller.

For two days you'll have the opportunity to learn from the undisputed masters of guitar, from bluegrass to jazz, and just about anything in between. Topics will include picking styles, chord patterns, various rhythm patterns/strokes (yes, you'll finally be able to see what Tony does up close!) and will also include time for evaluation of your instrument as to set up or repairs necessary to make your axe all it can be.

Sandwiched in between these two days of guitar heaven, there's even more guitar! On Saturday evening (Nov 5) at 8 PM, The Tony Rice Unit featuring Josh Williams will perform along with Conner & Miller. Special reserved seating for workshop attendees is all part of your weekend, and your workshop costs include your pass to this concert at no extra fee.

This is the only time that Tony has participated in this type of intensive workshop training, and its the first time ever that he is joined by the stellar team of players in Wyatt, Josh, and John. This may be the rarest of opportunities, so we recommend early registration, as space is VERY limited. All workshops and concert events take place on the beautiful Hollins University Campus (workshops in Ballator Gallery, concert in Hollins Theater)