Another thumbpicking weekend at the Ozark Folk Center has come and gone, and this one will stand out in my memory. The format was different this year, beginning on Thursday morning and including workshops with some very fine guitarists. I felt very fortunate to spend six hours in workshops with Muriel Anderson. I came home with a copy of her double CD set Nightlight Daylight.
While Muriel was teaching advanced workshops, Randy Buckner taught beginners workshops. With workshops for folks who were just getting started thumbpicking, the weekend could generate more interest in the style and help folks fall in love with the guitar all over again, much like I did.
This year the thumbpicking contest had two divisions, traditional and contemporary. The contemporary category is more open fingerstyle, and beginning next year, the winner of that division will be automatically entered in the International Fingerstyle Guitar Competition at Winfield. I was in the finals this year, but a dose of cerebral flatulance mixed with a really good field kept me from bringing home any hardware.
Alan “Doc” Rogers won both divisions, and he deserved it. Doc is featured in the video above. He is a fantastic player and a great person. He plays so clean and smooth! It was a pleasure to jam with him, Mark Clark and Joy Ward each evening.
Thumbpicking Weekend is going in some new directions. I think it’s going to be good for the event, the Ozark Folk Center and for a lot of thumbpickers and others who love this style of music. I’d love to see you there next year, May 14-16, 2015.
Great write up, Dean, and a very great pleasure meeting you, Debbie, and Doc. It was a memorable weekend indeed.