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Girgarre Moosic Muster Needs You.

If you have not have the pleasure of attending the Girgarre Moosic Muster  in Victoria then can I commend this event to you. Whether you are a seasoned player, a novice or never held an instrument in your hands before, this festival has something to offer.

My wife and I attended the event for the first time last year and we blown away with the success of the event. To see the looks on the faces of people playing music for the first time in their lives is in itself a great experience. Even more so, is the sense of achievement reflected in the faces of the instructors delivering lessons to the beginners and others en-masse.

Girgarre needs your help. If you are thinking of attending this year, we urge you to bring along a spare musical instrument. It can be a fiddle, guitar, banjo or mandolin. Even if you cannot play it, but have it sitting around in your house, please get it out and bring it along to help the people of Girgarre continue their fine work. You may even consider donating the instrument you no longer use to this very worthy cause. We’d urge you to check out the Girgarre website and learn of their history and their achievements.

If you are able to provide and instrument, could you email Max Amos and let him know. This event is unique in Australia and in terms of what it is achieving it is one of the most vitally important festivals of its kind. We are pleased to be able to support the festival in this small way. We hope you can find a way to support it too.

Email Max Amos at the Girgarre Festival.

Also check out the festival’s website – Girgarre Moosic Muster

Festivals Girgarre Muster

Girgarre Moosic Muster – 8th to 10th Jan 2010

News from Max Amos of the Girgarre Moosic Muster is that Fender Australia, the festival’s sponsor, has donated another eight guitars a mandolin and a banjo for the 2010 Gigarre Moosic Muster workshops.

Apart from the many fabulous performances by the visiting artists, the Girgarre Moosic Muster is a opportunity for those looking to learn an instrument to have a go at some or all of the instruments you’d find in a bluegrass band. The artists give of their time to the festival to help run workshops in banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and bass and what’s more they are all FREE.

Max, and the team from Girgarre are busy planning the next Muster to be held from the 8th to 10th January 2010.

Festivals Girgarre Muster

New Girgarre Website

The team at Girgarre have launched a new website – girgarre.com.au. which provides an overall view of the festival’s focus, the details of the weekend’s activities including concert and workshop programs.

The other great feature of the weekend is the now famous Girgarre Farmer’s Market which sees thousands of people through the small town over the course of the weekend to pick up a bargain.

The Girgarre Moosic Muster is one of those festivals that, unless you’ve been there, you will continue to wonder about.

Visit  Girgarre Moosic Muster Website to download a festival program.

Festivals, New Website Girgarre Muster

We here at the Australian Bluegrass Blog along with the team at Comstar.com have been busy over the past few weeks developing a new website for the 2010 Girgarre Moosic Festival. The folks from Girgarre – Australia’s most successful beginners (newbies) festival – has now launched its new website – girgarre.com.au.

The festival site features all of the details of the 2010 Moosic Muster:

• History
• Camping details
• Accommodation,
• Workshop program
• Concerts

In addition, the festival weekend coincides with one of northern Victoria’s  most successful farmer’s market. The Girgarre Farmers Market.

Details of the the market are also featured on their website. Visit the new girgarre.com.au website today.

Festivals Girgarre Muster

After running the Girgarre Moosic Muster for four years organisers have reported that they are finally breaking even financially. This is only due to the efforts of all the people that kindly volunteer to donate their time to make the festival happen according to the festival’s organisers.

We estimate that we had 350 people attend the workshops at the 2009 Girgarre Moosic Muster. A great majority of these had never played a musical instrument before and we had to borrow instruments from people to lend to these participants. Despite this, it was sad to see people wanting to learn but unable to participate, as we did not have enough instruments. As a result of this we approached Graeme Walshe at Fender Australia. They have kindly donated guitars and a mandolin and banjo. These are all damaged stock and David Aumann  has kindly volunteered his great talent as an instrument builder to repair the ones that need attention, at no cost. We are still in need of mandolins and banjos for the 2010 Muster so if anyone can help please contact me on 03-95512123. – Max Amos.

Festivals Girgarre Muster

On the weekend of 9th to 11th January I attended the Girgarre Moosic Muster to play in a concert and to host a workshop for banjo pickers. I was unsure of what to expect, having never attended the event before, and had never before visited the small township of Girgarre.

I was warned it would be hot and dry, it was. I was also told there would be over 3,000 people at the Farmer’s Market on the Sunday, there was. Girgarre is a major food processing town located near Shepparton in northern Victoria. The most significant business in the town is the Girgarre Country Foods Factory which is a division of the Heinz Company, which manufactures tomato based products.

In addition to the usual festival delights, this festival provided an opportunity for people who were curious about playing bluegrass instruments to have a go in a very relaxed and casual environment. Organisers say over 300 people attended the workshops. People came from everywhere to have a go at playing, fiddle, banjo, guitar, bass, tin whistle, harmonica, ukulele and mandolin. People not only learned the basics of the instrument they chose, all within the space of an hour, but they returned to rehearse and perform for the evening concert on Saturday night.  It was an amazing sight, watching dozens of people crowd onto the stage and collectively play ‘Katy Daley’. The camp site was a city of vans and tents, while music drifted from every corner of the campsite across the weekend.

The other amazing part of the weekend – for me – was to see the townsfolk band together to so generously welcome, host, feed and accommodate the festival goers over the three days.

The evening concerts were a treat with performances from a range of bands including, Appalachian Heaven, Jimmy Fong, Won’t Go Quietly, Men in Black and a Lady, Fat Chance and the Bluegrass Playboys and Pot Belly.

If you are contemplating learning an instrument and want to have a pick on a banjo, strum a guitar or vamp on a mandolin the 2010 Girgarre Moosic Muster is for you. This is Australia’s most welcoming music festival. Loads of workshops, lots of music amid a great sense of community – a thoroughly enjoyable weekend. Thanks Girgarre.

Festivals, Review Girgarre Muster

Workshop Details
Many people have aspired to play a musical instrument but have never been given the opportunity to try. This is your opportunity. The beginners’ workshops cater for people who have never played before or have a little knowledge of the basics.

The advanced workshops are an opportunity for those who can already play and want to improve their skills.

There will be a group of talented teachers to run the workshops. If you are able to assist in the running of the workshops, your help would be greatly appreciated.

Basic Guitar: For those who have never played or those who know the three cord basics and want to improve their skills. We hope to have some loan instruments available.
Advanced Guitar: For those who are down the track, but want to get further down the track.
Basic Mandolin: For those who have never played or those who know the three cord basics and want to improve their skills. We hope to have some loan instruments available.
Advanced Mandolin: If You can already play but want to improve your skills, this is the workshop for you.
Banjo: Despite all the jokes that go around about banjos they are a hard instrument to master but very rewarding, so come and give it a go.
Beginners Violin: Never played one? Come along to the starters’ workshop. We hope to have some loan instruments available.
Advanced Violin: Come and learn some new tunes. Old timey/Bluegrass.
Ukulele: Last year this was one of the most popular workshops. The leader had people playing tunes within the hour.
Double Bass: We hope this year to include this workshop.
Flute/Tin Whistle: A new workshop to be run an enthusiastic Melbourne musician.
Clogging Workshops: This was very popular last year.

The Girgarre Moozic Muster is scheduled for 9th – 11th January 2009.

Events, Promotions Girgarre Muster

After the success of the 2008 Muster, organisers have decided to keep the format the same while extending the workshop program. Thanks to the local community, there are now additional venues available for workshops and jamming. There are also additional facilities available in the community reserve.

Important information:

Camping:
The reserve is available for camping. This is only 50 meters from the Town Hall, and has ample room for tents and caravans. Toilets will be on the reserve and the town hall shower and toilet block is available at no additional cost. It is all included in your Registration fee.

Catering:
Food will be available on the weekend. Included in your Registration fee is Dinner on Saturday night and breakfast on the Sunday morning provided by the local groups.

Muster office:
Registration is available at the town hall from Midday on Friday. CD’s of the bands performing over the weekend will be on sale. Girgarre Moosic Muster Tee Shirts will be available for purchase from Tex and Fi from Big Tree Tee Shirts.

Fires:
Sorry, no fires allowed.

Workshops:
We will publish a full program on this blog shortly. Anyone – any age, any ability is welcome. We hope to have some spare instruments available if you want to give it a go. Local schools will be contacted as usual and we hope to get lots of children to attend the beginners’ workshops and develop a passion for music. The cost of the workshops is included in the registration fee. Workshops for locals and children are free of charge.

Accommodation:
See the list and support the local businesses, or see “camping” above.

Friday Night Open Mike Concerts:
Open to everyone – put your name down when you register.

Saturday Night Concerts:
Well known bands playing on inside and outside stages along with selection of performers from the Friday night open mike concerts. BYO blanket and chair to sit on for the outside concert.

Sunday Market:
On the Sunday you will see one of the biggest Farmers Markets in Victoria in the Reserve.
A hundred stalls with local produce and crafts, historically attended by up to 3000 people
from all over Victoria the surrounding areas.

In Conclusion:
Those who have attended previous years know what a refreshing weekend it is. Lots of music, lots of workshops, and a great sense of community. With the total weekend registration fee of only $40 the organizers hope to break even. If we don’t we will run a chook raffle on the Sunday.

Festivals Girgarre Muster

Do you want to learn to play a musical instrument?
Have you ever wanted to play a musical instrument, but never been game to try? Now is your chance. We provide the place, the teachers and even provide a limited number of instruments if you do not have one.

Over the weekend we’ll run beginner workshops and advanced workshops. There’ll be open mic performances and concerts on Saturday night on two stage featuring continuous music from great performers and bands.

Just pick from the program below and turn up. We’ll have you playing a tune in an hour.
It’s all free and provided by the community of Girgarre – 35klm’s west of Shepparton, Victoria on 9th – 11th January 2009.

Phone Jan on 03 5854 6283 or Max on 04283 06687 or Amelia on 04134 55362

Festivals Girgarre Muster

The Girgarre Moosic Muster is scheduled for 9th – 11th Jan 2009.
The Australian Bluegrass Blog will present a series of posts over the next couple of months to bring you details of this event, some history and the scheduled program. I asked Max Amos – one of the event organisers – to give us a run down on the Muster. Here’s what he sent:

Several years ago the people of Girgarre, a small country town west of Sheppaton in Victoria got together with a group of musicians from Melbourne and arranged a small concert that was held at the Town Hall.

The first concert was aimed at providing a sense of community spirit for townsfolk and farmers under pressure from the growing drought conditions and subsequent economic difficulties starting to affect family life and health.

The concert has now become an annual event attended by people from across the State.

After the success of the 2008 Muster, organisers decided to keep the format the same but expand the workshops. Now, thanks to the local community there are extra venues available for workshops and for jamming. There are also additional facilities available in the community reserve.

Venues this coming year will be the Town Hall, Breezeway Café, the RSL, The Camping Reserve, the Reserve and the CFA Shed. Meals will be available from the Café in Station Street.

Organisers are seeking support in advertising this growing community event.

Festivals Girgarre Muster

The 2009 Muster will be held on 9th, 10th, 11th January at the Girgarre township 35 kms west of Shepparton.

After the success of the 2008 Muster, organisers have decided to retain the same format but expand the workshop program. The reserve is available again for camping which is only 50 meters from the Town Hall.

Activities this year include workshops and concerts from Jimmy Fong, Bluegrassouls, Won’t Go Quietly, Appalachian Heaven, Suzette Herft and Unwanted Men In Black and a Lady.

On the Sunday you will see one of the biggest Farmers Markets in Victoria in the Reserve. A hundred stalls with local produce and crafts, historically attended by up to 3000 people from all over Victoria the surrounding areas.

Those who have attended previous years know what a refreshing weekend it is. Lots of music, lots of workshops, and a great sense of community. With the total weekend registration fee of only $40.00.

Visit the Girgarre Moosic Muster Website

Festivals Girgarre Muster