Winter Village Music
Camp Concerts!
JANUARY 8-11, 2026
Opening Camp Concert
Thursday, January 8, 2026
7:30 to 9:30 pm
Join us on Thursday evening, January 8th at 7:30pm as we kick off Winter Village 2026 in style with the great Canadian fiddler Shane Cook performing with Ithaca's own Contradictions (Dave Davies, Tom Hodgson, Tim Ball and Rick Manning) and the joined by visiting faculty members Grant Gordy on guitar and David Benedict on mandolin. The second set features multi-instrumentalist Jake Blount with his pals Judy Hyman and Jeff Claus joined by Gus and Huck Tritsch and Sally Freund. Jake, Gus and Huck all attended Winter Village camps 10 or so years ago and have gone on to be respected progressive old time musicians.
The concert will be held in Hamblin Hall on CSMA's third floor. Tickets are $15 for registered campers, $20 advance, and $25 at the door.
Come early and check out some free happy hour music next door at the Bike Bar.
Winter Village Music Camp is a fun and inspiring winter weekend of LISTENING, LEARNING, PLAYING in a friendly and inclusive setting.
LISTEN: Winter Village’s faculty concerts are always a highlight of the camp. Come on Thursday for the Opening Concert featuring Emily Miller & Jesse Milnes and Hildaland (Louise Bichan & Ethan Setiawan). The popular Saturday Night All-Faculty Concert features faculty in a series of short performances and spontaneous collaborations. Sunday evening enjoy the Closing Concert featuring The Clements Brothers with Natalie Padilla & Quinn Bachand.
LEARN: WVMC offers more than 100 workshops on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, bass, ukulele, singing and songwriting taught by our 25 person faculty. Workshops explore a variety of styles - Bluegrass, Old Time, Irish, New England, Cajun, Scandinavian, Swing, Folk, Americana and more. Singing and songwriting workshops are offered along with sessions on how to practice more effectively and enjoyably. This year we will explore some new topics - online marketing strategies for musicians, modern recording strategies at home and in the studio to capture and share your music, and weaving your musical practice into a healthy lifestyle.
PLAY: Musicians at all levels ‘play music’. Winter Village will have many opportunities for musical play dates, group sessions in the styles you like and at a level where you feel comfortable playing with others.
NOTE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ATTENDED PAST WINTER VILLAGE EVENTS: Earlier this year, La Tourelle was purchased by new owners who are renovating the hotel this winter. So, the 2025 Winter Village Music Camp is moving downtown. Our new food and lodging host is Canopy by Hilton and their restaurant/bar the Strand Cafe. Workshops and performances will be next door at the Community School of Music & Arts. We are excited about the move and look forward to sharing all that downtown Ithaca has to offer to our guests and visitors.
WORKSHOPS, CONCERTS,
JAMS & LOGISTICS
Thursday, January 11th
Opening Concert in at La Tourelle’s Concert Hall featuring Rachel Eddy at 7:30pm.
The evening begins at 6:00 pm with an old time jam and happy hour in lobby featuring the Circle Left String Band. Come early, save a seat, hang out in the lobby and enjoy a Finger Lakes craft beveridge.
Rachel Eddy will begin performing at 7:30pm downstairs in the Concert Hall
Friday, January 12th
CAMP REGISTRATION OPENS AT 12:00 PM
WORKSHOP SESSION # 1: 1:30 to 2:30 PM
Judy Hyman: Old Time Fiddle 1
Val Mindel: Singing the Old Time Way 1
Joe Crookston: The Art of Songwriting 1
Tim Ball: New England Dance Fiddle
Chris Luquette: Bluegrass Guitar Rhythm Fundamentals
Rachel Eddy: Old Time Banjo 1
Rick Manning: Bluegrass/Old Time Mandolin
WORKSHOP SESSION #2: 2:45 to 3:45 PM
Rachel Eddy: Old Time Fiddle 1
Grant Flick: Swing Fiddle
Chris Luquette: Bluegrass Mandolin Rhythm Fundamentals
Paul Fairbanks: Navigating the Banjo Neck
Katie Martucci: Swing Rhythm Guitar
Val Mindel: Harmony Singing in Old Time and Country Music
John & Cathy Cadley: Songwriting
SPECIAL WORKSHOPS & JAM SESSIONS: 4:00 to 5:00 PM
Nyckelharpa Demonstration with Grant Flick
Old Time Jam
Bluegrass Jam
Swing Jam
DINNER & HAPPY HOUR: 5:30 to 7:00 PM
Bluegrass Jam with John and Cathy Cadley
CAMP ORIENTATION & FACULTY INTRODUCTIONS: 7:30 TO 8:30 PM in the Concert Hall
FACILITATED JAM SESSIONS: 9:00 to 10:00 PM
Old Time
Bluegrass
Swing
Songwriter Circle & Sharing (Crookston & Sommers)
Saturday, January 13th
Breakfast: Bistro opens at 7:30 am
Morning Music: 8:00 to 8:45 am
Bluegrass & Old Time Jam
WORKSHOP #3: 9:00 to 10:15 am
Val Mindel: Singing the Old Time Way 2
Grant Flick: Bluegrass & Swing Mandolin 1
Benny Bleu: Old Time Banjo - Slow and in the Flow
Joe Crookston: The Art of Songwriting - Part 2
Paul Fairbanks: The Value of Noodling - Exploring Improvisation for All Instruments
Tim Ball & Rick Manning: Bluegrass Twin Fiddling
John & Cathy Cadley: Bluegrass Guitar 1 - Accompaniment
WORKSHOP #4: 10:30 am to 11:45 am
Judy Hyman: Old Time Fiddle 2
Rachel Eddy: Old Time Rhythm Guitar
Chris Luquette: Bluegrass Mandolin - Lead
Katie Martucci: Embodied Voice
Naomi Sommers: Songwriting 1
Cap Cooke: Old Time Banjo Tunings for Bluegrass & Finger Style Pickers
John & Cathy Cadley: Singing Country Covers in Harmony
LUNCH: 11:30am to 2:00 pm in the Bistro
OLD TIME LOBBY JAM FROM 11:45 am TO 1:00 pm or later led by The Stump Lifters: Tom Owens (fiddle), David Jones (guitar), Michelle Delco (banjo), Jordan Kleiman (bass). Open to all and the music will be played ‘full speed’.
WORKSHOP #5: 1:00 to 2:15 pm
Judy Hyman: Old Time Fiddle 3
Val Mindel: Old Time Mandolin
Chris Luquette: Bluegrass Guitar 2 - Rhythm Next Steps
Katie Martucci: Songwriting & Arranging 1
Joe Crookston: Guitar Tricks that Give Goosebumps
Grant Flick: Improvising Over Fiddle Tunes with Melodic Variations - Fiddle & All Instruments
Benny Bleu: The Role of the Old Time Banjo
WORKSHOP #6: 2:30 to 3:45 pm
Rachel Eddy: Old Time Fiddle 2 - Rhythm and Groove
Jason Anick: Swing & Bluegrass Mandolin - Essential Chord Shapes
Joe Crookston: Finger-Style Guitar Accompaniment
Val Mindel: Essentials in Old Time Country Singing
Grant Flick: More on Improvising for Bluegrass and Swing for Fiddle & All Instruments
Dave Davies: Vocal Improvisation
Cap Cooke: Banjo for Vocal Accompaniment
SPECIAL SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS: 4:00 to 5:00 pm
Old Time Band: Rachel Eddy, Judy Hyman, Val Mindel & Friends
Grant Flick: Rhythm Fiddle “Chopped”
Jason Anick: Gypsy Jazz Mandolin
Songwriter Circle: Joe Crookston and Naomi Sommers
DINNER: 5:00 to 7:00 pm
LOBBY JAM: 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Joe Crookston & Gravel Gertie Jam
CAMP FACULTY CONCERT 7:30 to 9:30 pm
OLD TIME,BLUEGRASS, SWING & SONG JAMS: 10:00 to 11:30 pm
Sunday, January 14th
Breakfast: Bistro opens at 7:30
Morning Jam: 8:00 to 9:15 am
WORKSHOP #7: 9:30 to 10:30 AM
Rachel Eddy: Old Time Fiddle 3
Grant Flick: Bluegrass/Swing Mandolin 2
Val Mindel: Old Time Guitar in an Old Time Band
Benny Bleu: Translating Tunes on the Old Time Banjo
John & Cathy Cadley: Bluegrass & Country Harmony Singing
Naomi Sommers - Songwriting 2
Tim Ball: Celtic Fiddle Basics
WORKSHOP #8: 10:45 am to 12 PM
Rachel Eddy: Old Time Banjo 2 - Syncopating Your Drop Thumb
Jason Anick: Swing Fiddle 1 - Bringing the Swing
Chris Luquette: Bluegrass Mandolin - Double Stops
John & Cathy Cadley: Playing Bluegrass & Folk Guitar Leads
Katie Martucci - Music of Connie Converse
LUNCH: 11:30am to 1:30 PM
WORKSHOP #9: 1:00 PM
Jason Anick: Arpeggios & Enclosures for Jazz Violin and Mandolin
Dave Davies: Swing Rhythm Guitar
Chris Luquette: Bluegrass Guitar 3 - Lead Playing
Katie Martucci: Songwriting & Arranging 2
WORKSHOP #10: 2:30 PM
Jason Anick: Violin Fingerboard Mastery
Dave Davies & Katie Martucci Vocal Harmony Master Class
SPECIAL SESSIONS/MASTER CLASSES: 4:00 PM
Jason Anick & Grant Flick: Swing Fiddle & Mandolin Master Class/Developing a Practice Routine that Works
CLOSING SWING CONCERT: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Jason Anick, Grant Flick, Dave Davies, Katie Martucci & Friends
JAM SESSIONS IN ITHACA
Fiddle Tunes for Dancing Jam at the Canaan Institute
Fiddle Tunes for Dancing is a long-standing Ithaca jam session hosted by Michael Ludgate that takes place mostly weekly on Wednesdays 7-9 pm at The Canaan Institute. The music includes fiddle tunes from Contra, New England, Quebecois, World and US. Directions on website www.cinst.org Look for "Fiddle Tunes" in the drop down menu for free sheet music. https://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusicblog/event/canaan-contra-fiddle-jam-session/all/
Old Time Jam at the Deep Dive
Monthly Old Time Jam on the first Tuesday from 6 - 8:00 pm at the Deep Dive on the Ithaca waterfront. The next jam is this week on Tuesday, April 1st, from 6-8:00 pm (No kidding!). This jam stays in one key (A, C, D, or G) for the entire session, and rotates to a new key each month.
Bluegrass Jam at The Downstairs
A new monthly bluegrass jam on the first Sunday from 12 - 4:00 pm at The Downstairs in downtown Ithaca. The next jam is Sunday, April 6th from 12 - 4:00 pm.
Irish Music Session at The Watershed
This long standing session is held on the first and third Sundays of each month from 5 - 8:00 pm at The Watershed! It is hosted by the band Traonach and friends, in the fine tradition of their much-beloved sessions at the Argos, The Chapterhouse, and Micawbers.
Jazz Jam at The Downstairs
First & last Sunday of every month at 6:00 pm.
Support the downstairs! Any purchase at the bar or a $5 donation to the programming fund!
The Downstairs is located below The Watershed at 121 West Martin Luther King Jr St, Ithaca NY
Note from the owners about Accessibility at The Watershed and The Downstairs
We regret that The Watershed and Downstairs are not wheelchair accessible at this time.There is one step at the door and additional steps to the entrances. We are actively seeking a solution to the problem. Please feel free to contact us about possible accommodations.