The Lancaster Catholic High School Fine & Performing Arts Department, Lancaster, PA, presents a “Balkan Music & Rhythms Workshop” featuring clinician Joan Grauman on Saturday, October 8, 2016 from 10:30 to 12:PM. — Free Admission. The location is the Lancaster Catholic High School Band Room. It is open to all instruments and musicians of all ages.
Workshop: The Rhythms and Harmonies of Bulgarian and Macedonian Folk Music
This workshop is designed for musicians who enjoy the unusual rhythms and beautiful melodies of the Balkan region, but need a little “push” to try to tackle this music on their own. Accordionist Joan Grauman will introduce the “mathematical system” of Balkan rhythms.
Within minutes, what seemed difficult and confusing will become exciting and fun. She will give out music for a few lovely Macedonian and Bulgarian melodies, so bring your instruments! The art of the hauntingly beautiful Balkan harmonies will also be introduced. Dances will be demonstrated by Joan and her daughter, Emily Geller, who will accompany Joan in this workshop.
Both Joan and Emily danced for several years in Eastern European dance troupes. Emily has been a “tupan” player (Bulgarian drum) for the celebrated Balkan bands, Veveritze and ZlatneUste for over ten years, regularly touring the US and Eastern Europe. Emily will demonstrate the drumming techniques and introduce percussionists to the tupan. Joan was the accordionist for the Balkan/Gypsy band “BAMCO” for 18 years.
A Maryland resident all of her life, Joan Grauman studied piano and dance in her youth. By the age of 22, she had a degree in piano performance and music education, and was the director of the Columbia International Folk Dancers. At the age of 23, Joan taught herself to play the accordion to accompany the Bulgarian and Macedonian dances she was teaching and performing. She was the accordionist for theBalkan/Gypsy band, BAMCO for 18 years, and also performed in Klezmer and Bavarian groups during those years.
Since 2004, Joan has been the Vice-President and music director of the Washington Metropolitan Accordion Society (WMAS) and the director of its performing group, the Potomac Accordion Ensemble. She is on the Governing Board of the American Accordionists’ Association (AAA) and is its historian. Joan and her husband Dan own the mail-order business, “SqueezinArt”, which features Joan’s artwork on “all things accordion.” The Graumans also founded and directed an annual accordion orchestra camp, the Frank Marocco/Mesa Accordion Event, from 2007 to 2014.
Lancaster Catholic High School is located at 650 Juliette Avenue, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17601. Free parking is provided in the lot behind the school, and workshop attendees may enter through the band room doors on the far right side of the back of the building. There is no need to pre-register, and the workshop is free.
Dianna McSherry said, “This is the high school that Cody McSherry will attend in another year when he enters 9th grade and they have been very welcoming to him and his accordion.”
For further information:
Tony Brill,Director of Fine & Performing Arts at Lancaster Catholic High School
717.509-0310
tbrill@lchsyes.org
www.lchsyes.org
