Swing Mandolin Workshop with Brian Oberlin
Pursell Lutherie - Ferndale, MI
Saturday, February 25
2:00 - 3:30 pm
$35 or $70 for both workshops
As the saying goes, “Swing is best played on a mandolin”. No truer words have been spoken. Students will learn the ups, downs, ins and outs of swinging mandolin by way of chords, turn-a-rounds, rhythms, melodies and motif playing to build improvisation. The workshop is designed for beginner and intermediate players and all charts will be in notation and tablature.
From Rockford, Michigan, Brian Oberlin is an internationally acclaimed mandolin player and educator. During his decades long professional career, Brian has been playing swing, bluegrass, and Italian classical as a solo mandolinist and vocalist. Brian celebrated the release of his 20th album in May, 2016; Troubadour which features Brian playing solo and singing original music. Along with the myriad of award-winning bands and ensembles he has collaborated with throughout the United States and Europe (Full Cord Bluegrass, Grasshoppah, GER Mandolin Orchestra with Mike Marshall and Twin Mandolin Slingers with Evan J. Marshall), Brian is also the founder and director of the River of the West Mandolin Camp, the Great Lakes Mandolin Camp, the Michigan Mandolin Orchestra and the Oregon Mandolin Orchestra. Brian’s bluegrass band, Full Cord won the 2022 Telluride bluegrass band contest and the 2022 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year. As a soloists, he was a top ten finalist at the 2013 Telluride Troubadour Contest. Brian was an instructor/performer at the 2012, 2013 and 2017 International Mandolin Academy in Italy, a featured soloist at the 2014 & 2018 EuroFest Plucked String Festival in Bruchsal, Germany, a featured soloist at the 2015 Mandolin Upgrade festival in Berlin, Germany and a featured song-writer at the 2021 IBMA awards. Currently, Brian plays with the star-studded Bluegrass band, Full Cord Bluegrass based in Grand Haven, MI. Their music is being recognized around the country and they are playing major festivals. When he is not performing, Brian teaches music to children and adults at art centers, cultural events, festivals, camps, music schools and academies. Brian’s website (MandOberlin.com) is a great resource for not only his appearances but features FREE content for budding mandolinists on the Lesson Hub.