When? Thursday, August 12, 2021

Where? Kamfest Festival, Kamnik (stage “Pr’ Goslač”)

21.30 : Ida Meidell Blylod

Ida Meidell Blylod (SWE) – violin
Barja Drnovšek – e-bass, violin
Bojan Cvetrežnik – e-mandolin
Žiga Šercer – percussion
Godalkanje Fiddle Gang – violin orchestra

Ida Meidell Blylod is a Swedish baroque and folk violinist who is passionately interested in the diversity of European violin traditions. Ida’s delicate playing reveals her true ability to make every performance unique, whether she’s playing in a gloomy concert hall, on a lively dance floor, or in a crowded bar. Ida has toured European folk and baroque venues for many years, and is also sought-after as a mentor in international courses in various styles of folk music. She came to Slovenia for the first time in 2011 for joining the Etnohisteria festival. Since then, she has been returning regularly due to collaborations with the Symbolic Orchestra and Godalkanje. In 2014, she was the soloist of the international project “European Symbolic Orchestra”, with which she also recorded the album “Terrafolk & European Symbolic Orchestra – XXLive”. She performed with the Slovenian band Ida & Other Bears. We can watch quite a few recordings of her live performances online, including the ones with Godalkanje. Ida is currently playing in a Swedish folk-baroque project with Johan Hedin, a renowned soloist at nyckelharpa. She regularly collaborates with several baroque orchestras in Sweden, Denmark and France.

She will begin the concert with her solo violin programme, continue to the accompaniment of a trio, and end with the string ensemble Fiddle Gang. Ida Meidell left the greatest influence of all guest mentors on the repertoire that is part of the Godalkanje education curriculum. Together, they will take us on an energetic and colorful journey through the changing musical landscapes of Northern European folk music.

Around 22:15 follows Fidde Gang Jam – an audiophile exhibition of musical journeys, which will take you mainly into the world of Romanian and Serbian melodies thus time. It is performed by a 10-member ensemble of participants in the “Balkan Fiddle Gate” workshops, which run in parallel with Kamfest in the Mekinje Monastery.

CURATOR: Ida Meidell Blylod (SWE)

RHYTHM SECTION: Barja Drnovšek, Žiga Šercer, Danijel Bogataj

When: 9 – 13 August 2021, 11.30 – 13.00

Where: Chichester University, UK

Four years after leading ‘Upper Strings Basics’ workshops in 2017, Bojan Cvetrežnik was once again invited to give a lecture at the summer camp of the English association of string teachers – ESTA UK. This year’s ‘Daily Menu’ workshops are meant for all string players.

More information HERE.

When? 9th – 14th of August 2021

Where? Monastery Mekinje, Kamfest (Kamnik, Slovenia)

What?
Monday – Friday: Masterclass, Special Courses, Fiddle Gang Jam
Saturday: hiking, mentor’s concert, last party
(According to weather we can change the hiking day. In this case the program is moved to Saturday.)

Participants can choose from 2 programs:
Masterclass (advanced level, audition tape required)
Special Courses (medium-advanced level)

Our mission is:
– connecting European influential crossover fiddlers with more focus on the instrument specialities than at traditional Ethno
– to learn from specialized fiddlers for some region/style
– to give a chance to join professionals
– to join every day’s ‘Fiddle Gang Jam’, with the set list known in advance, organized rhythm section and provided materials
– experiencing every day’s spontaneous jam sessions

Fiddle Gang Jam
There will be a Godalkanje tent at the festival Kamfest in the downtown of Kamnik, reserved only for Balkan Fiddle Gate participant’s performing. Every evening’s Fiddle Gang Jam and the mentor’s concert. Rather than preparing a concert production, we will include the learned materials in the ‘Fiddle Gang Jam’ every day. Special Courses mentors will be curators of Fiddle Gang Jam’s line-up and set list. We will hire some professionals as a rhythm section. 1 hour set. After that, a free jam.
8PM – Fiddle Gang Jam
9PM – free jam session

Participation & Lodging

All participants will live and practice in the Monastery Mekinje, 15 minutes walk from Kamnik down-town.

Participation fee:
usual participation fee: 210 €
special price for 2021 (the festival pays 1/3): 140 €
one day boarding (one Masterclass and one Special Courses session): 40 €

If you would like to contribute to our project, support the arts and feel you can afford to give more money, we would be happy if you consider paying the solidarity price within your financial possibilities of your own choice. With this solidarity fee, you help us continue to offer events for a wide range of young musicians at an affordable price….

Accommodation and food (special price for the Balkan Fiddle Gate):
Monday, 9. 8. (lunch) – Saturday, 14. 8. (breakfast): 170 €
coming earlier or staying longer:
20 € – accomodation with breakfast
27 € – half pension
32 € – full pension

Saturday: one free hot meal at the festival Kamfest

When? Wednesdays from 3.30 p. m. to 5 p. m. (except during school holidays)

Where? CSK France Prešeren (Karunova 14), Ljubljana

Mentors: Bojan Cvetrežnik, Barja Drnovšek, visiting mentors of Godalkanje

For whom? For all sting players and players of the rhythm section (bass, guitar, ukulele, accordion …), who master the repertoire for the 3rd class of lower music school.

What? At Godalkanje group workshops, we teach content that is not yet widely available in our country. We draw mainly from the treasury of violin tunes of different nations. We learn by listening, following chords, performing different techniques (‘chops’, jig, swing, different ornamentation…). We refresh the learned repertoire at street performances and in concert halls.

More inforamtion and applications: godalkanje@gmail.com

When? From 25th to 29th of June 2020

Where? Music school Laško Radeče, Valvazorjev trg 2, Laško

For whom? For all the string players.

Required level of prior knowledge: sovereign performance of the repertoire for the 2nd grade of lower music school.

For the seventh year in a row, immediately after the end of the school year, Godalkanje will take place in Laško as part of the Romanica Antiqua festival. The mentors will be Bojan Cvetrežnik and Barja Drnovšek. In the case of registered participants with different backgrounds, we will make two groups. We will introduce children to attractive tunes with the desire to strengthen technical stability, a sense of pulse, self-confidence in performance and the joy of playing. We will learn the technique of performing accompaniments by following a written chordal guide typical of jazz music. We will also pay attention to the safe physiological posture of children. We hope that the nice weather will allow us to play also in the nearby park or on the streets. If you have concerns or fears, you can contact us or those who had fear in previous years but no longer know it.

Registration fee: 150 €

We are happy that care for minors will be this year organized again. The organizer offers a favorable opportunity for a stay at the Laško Health Resort.

More information here.
For your application you can use online application form.
Last date to sign up is June 12, 2020.

You can view the article from last year’s workshops here.

When? From 20th to 22nd of February 2020

Where? Werkstadthaus, Tübingen (Germany)

What? Violin technique workshops with Bojan Cvetrežnik and Barja Drnovšek

When? November 23, 2019

Where? Gornja Radgona Music School

You can read more about content of visiting weekend workshops here:

When? 26th and 27th of August 2019

Where? Boghill, Galway (Ireland)

Mentors: Bojan Cvetrežnik and Barja Drnovšek

When? Every Thursday from 5 p. m. to 6.30 p. m. (except during school holidays)

Where? Tower Pungert, Kranj

more

What?  Music workshop for all young and old string players and other instrumentalists.

Godalkanje means gathering of young musicians who play ethno tunes without notes. The emphasis is on playing by ear and including improvisation. The workshops help children and adults understand playing in front of a mass audience and in a group with exalted adult musicians. Godalkanje workshops have been held at various national music schools in Slovenia for several years.

Mentor: Barja Drnovšek / Bojan Cvetrežnik and other visiting mentors
Price: 20 € / month (4 workshops)

When? From October 29, 2019 to November 3, 2019

Where? Ljubljana

More information: godalkanje@gmail.com

Visual design: https://www.brandician.eu/

What?

A double set of workshops on the theme of dance music of Central Europe (especially France and Belgium) will take place in Ljubljana during the autumn holidays. This time, the guest mentor will be Wouter Vandenabeele from Belgium, who will prepare a large concert-dance programme for the final concert in the Festival Hall together with Barja Drnovšek. The concert will take place on November 3 at 6 p.m. Wouter is the founder of the group Ola Vogala and the festival ‘Fiddlers on the move’, where ‘Slovenian Fiddle Gang’ has already got a lot of admiration. He is a teacher, composer and multi-genre violinist, most recently playing a lot of African music with the band Tamala.

The workshops are suitable for anyone who masters the instrument at the 5th grade level; more advanced Godalkanje students will get their challenges. Balfolk music is mostly diatonic, the melodies are ingeniously beautiful, some dance steps can be learned simultaneously. Let us mention some dance forms typical of Balfolk – mazurka, scottish, andro, hanter dro, chapelloise, bourrée, circle circassian, gavotte de l’aven, waltz, … A group of students and teachers from Sweden will join us at the workshops and concert. In addition to violins, they also play the Swedish folk instrument – the nyckelharp. It is also possible to participate in a common musical act of children from different music schools who already know the songs or will learn them themselves and come to one joint rehearsal, on Saturday, October 26th.

Price:

Before the 1st of October: 140 €
Before the start of the workshops: 190 €
Regular students of Godalkanje in 2019/20: 60 €
Passive participation: 20 € / day

Schedule:

TUESDAY, October 29, from 4 p. m.  to 7 p. m. (workshop)
WEDNESDAY, October 30, from 11 a. m. to 2 p. m. and from 4 p. m. to 7 p. m. (workshop)
THURSDAY, October 31, from 11 a. m. to 2 p. m. and from 4 p. m. to 7 p. m. (workshop)
FRIDAY, November 1, from 3 p. m. to 6 p. m. (workshop)
SATURDAY, November 2, from 11 a. m. to 2 p. m. and from 4 p. m. to 10 p. m. (recording and a concert, Tower Škrlovec in Kranj)
SUNDAY, November 3 (dress rehearsal and the concert, Festivalna dvorana, Ljubljana)

The schedule is approximate in nature and may slightly change depending on the circumstances.