Nancy Lawing

Good question Nancy. I’ve been working TrueFire lessons past few years, mostly trying to Blues Solo. . Still nothing compares to Steve’s LMG series.

Jan-Mar2024 I worked with a local music teacher/store so I could play live at their bar jam night. which went really great (sadly no video) 

Take’n Care of Business by Bachman Turner Overdrive.

i sang and pulled off all 3 (although short) Randy Bachman solos. Still brings a smile just thinking of it.

Then I used Steve’s LMG FingerStyle course from April to Oct 2024 made it into Session 4 before fall retreat. 

The LMG FingerStyle did help (and I should continue but…haven’t )

But i was already doing some fingerstyle before that when I played in the church choir. 
 

Steve’s retreat. We did play but it’s not an intense playing schedule as I would have hoped . It’s more lecture based format I found. 
Steve morning warmup is straight out of the LMG FingerStyle course. 
Guest instructors have lots and lots of knowledge and not a large time frame to impart on it. They try but as I said above it works out more lecture based format.

Colin Hill lecture was the most interactive. When he was having us play along . 
Side note: make sure you’re sitting in front of the instructor. I sat off to the side for Colin. It was hard for me to visual follow him, had to rely on the printed material. 

my most playing live was in church on acoustic. But I much prefer electric British/Texas blues.

After Fall retreat I went back to my TrueFire Blues solo course and started preparing for acoustic Christmas songs. Right after Christmas TrueFire announced a “10wk Boot Camp” online program for free. I signed up and did the first couple of weeks till work interrupted it. 4 more weeks to go on it. Still nothing compares to LMG  

I had been working on Layla fingerstyle  for 5 months  and it’s not like I haven’t been playing in front of others before but when it came time for student performance I got super nervous and derailed pretty good 

if you’d like to see how I struggled with it  , one of the students videoed it; I’ll send you a link to my google drive. 
let me know if you want to see it. 

out of 30 only 15 played the student concert  . So it’s not mandatory but I’d recommend it.

others had to stop their song and start again to calm themselves down. Typically not recommended in live performances. But in this learning venue it is fine if needed to do so. 
 

yes I need to go back for “redemption “ 🤣 but will be some time later (years??)

Steve has lots of free time in the day in there, usually after 3 pm-6  

the concerts by the instructors are great 

Deer Run accommodation are good  , I didn’t know the guys I bunked with  (they seemed to know each other) worked out fine. 
food was good too. Enough quantity if you wanted 3rds 

would I go back again? 
yes, 

it’s great being able to hang out with like minded musicians/guitarists.

i had looked into going to the guitar retreat in Bar Harbour Mane that Dianne goes to https://www.guitarintensives.com/

and was considering it. 
similar rural retreat acoustic playing like Steve’s 

then I found https://guitarworkshopplus.com/

more rock/blues oriented and closer to home and not having to take 2 flights to Bar Harbour was really tipping its head that way. But…

Might be something I do in 2026. As my brother has me going to Florida feb23-mar2 and my wife has 3 trips planned this year so tossed out my guitar plans 

long story made story: haven’t continued the fingerstyle, 

wished there was a bit more interactive playing at Steve’s.

i plan to finish off the TrueFire boot camp then see if I can get in with the teacher/store again and work on another song for the schools bar jam night  

Chat any time   
Doug

Great review of the retreat, thanks! My husband and I went to Steve's regular summer retreat (what used to be regular, not happening now) and you might enjoy that if he resumes......some rock and blues workshops.

Diane really enjoyed the Bar Harbour, think she's returning this year.  There was a theory course that she especially liked.

Arthritis is preventing me from doing some tricky, repetitive stuff in the Fingerstyle LMG course. Plus I just resonate more to blues.

Collin Hill was just 18ish when we went to Steve's retreat I already mentioned.  He was an unknown then and took the stage......so talented.  Now he hangs out with Tommy Emmanuel! Makes me feel like a slacker that I haven't improved a whole lot since that 2018 retreat. 

Now that I'm retired, I am progressing more, but.....the arthritis.....Wish we could have fun when we're young and healthy THEN work in later years!

BTO.....rumor has it that Randy Bachman was sick when they recorded Takin Care of Business, and that contributed to the gravelly voice.

Stage fright.....I have that bigtime so wouldn't solo.  I love playing in a group, but where I live in a small NC mountain town, the only groups I've found are bluegrass.

I do play ukulele in a circle monthly at our library and love that.  I never thought I'd like ukulele but I do.

Time to sign off, warm up my fingers and play some.

Take care.

Yes I was at Steve’s Summer  Gathering in 2016 when Colin first came out from 

he played Somewhere Over the Rainbow 

I reminded him of it this past fall and he played it again this time with even more.

wish I could retire. Can’t. 
 

yup tendinitis in my fretting hand and forearm tell me that I’m not 20 anymore