Django in June

Since the new wave of Gypsy jazz recordings and instructional materials began to come available around the turn of the millennium, North American musicians with an interest in the style have made tremendous progress. We better understand what Django and his heirs have contributed to our own jazz tradition. Many of us have now had the opportunity to hear world-class Gypsy jazz in a live setting and take a few workshops. Some of us have a local band or jam going. Many guitarists have Selmacs, distinctive picks, and other gear that was scarcely seen on this side of the Atlantic a decade ago. All of this has come into being relatively quickly and all of it is good. But we are just getting started as individual students and as a nationwide community of Gypsy jazz players. Most of us are still relatively isolated, with only occasional access to expert guidance and to the camaraderie that keeps a music tradition vital. Since 2007, Django in June's full-immersion offering—Django Camp—has held out an unparalleled opportunity to take both your understanding and enjoyment of this music to the next level, in two ways:

• First, we offer a gathering place for players from all over the continent and abroad. A place to meet face-to-face, learn from one another, and djam to our hearts' content. By centralizing all of Django Camp's activities in and around a single facility—namely, a dorm on the Smith campus—we have easy, constant access to one another for the better part of a week, all with the comfort of private dorm rooms and three squares a day provided.

• Second, we offer the chance to study with real experts in a sustained, intimate setting. While a two-hour clinic is far, far better than no instruction at all, that format has its limitations. We want to offer you the opportunity to get more guidance from more artists/instructors at a better value than has ever been available in the US.

In 2009, Django Camp will get started after dinner on Tuesday, June 9th and wrap up mid-day on Sunday the 14th, though we invite early arrivals on Monday evening for those who would enjoy some relaxed djamming to warm up. Wednesday through Saturday, the day will be broken into four time periods: one in the morning, two in the afternoon, and then an evening devoted to jamming, study or performance. We take over a posh dorm on the Smith campus, where most of the classes and jamming happen. Meals are offered in one of the dining halls on the Smith campus, providing good, easy, affordable fare and a great opportunity for more informal time with fellow campers and staff. There is jamming before, in between, in the midst of, and afterwards.

Our instructional program is built around (but not limited to) a core repertoire of tunes that provide a foundation for jamming and learning across instruments and levels of experience. Whether our focus is improvisation, idiomatic licks, technique or accompaniment, our instructors will, whenever possible, use these tunes to demonstrate and explore the topic at hand. Some of this year's material is already available on the Get Ready Musically page of this website. As we get closer to Camp, we'll have more suggestions for registered participants on how to prepare.

We will leave many details regarding the instructional program flexible so we can adapt to the number, experience level and expressed interests of our registrants. But here are some fundamentals you can count on: We will accommodate both newcomers to the style and very experienced Gypsy jazz players. Please note, though, that we do not offer beginning instruction on your instrument. Classes will be divided between those with mixed instrumentation and those that are instrument-specific, including guitar, violin, mandolin, accordion and bass. Some sessions will be organized as presentations for a larger group, while others will be designated for individual or small group coaching. Most are offered in small group gatherings averaging roughly 8-10 people. Whenever it serves us, classes are offered at three levels of ability: introductory, intermediate and advanced. In addition to formal instruction, our days will be scheduled with plenty of time for informal guidance from the artists on our staff and the many experienced musicians who attend.

You'll find more details related to housing, food and this year's teaching staff by following the links at the top of this page. For your options relating to cost and registration swing by Django Camp Registration.