About the Online Camp

SBC Is Moving on Line

Due to the Covid crisis, we all knew that there was at least some chance that it might be difficult or impossible to hold an in person event in Live Oak Florida this coming March, and we were expecting that we would have to make a difficult decision at some point. Even though there are vaccines on the horizon, the current sate of things – and logistics at our venue – make it impossible to guarantee that we’ll be able to safely gather together to study our favorite instruments. It is with great regret then, that we must now officially cancel the in-person version of SBC. That’s the sad news.

The hopeful news is that SBC will be moving online for 2021 and in a big way. We’ll announce most details shortly (and in fact some are still being worked out) but we expect offer the following.

•  Length of event. MBC online will run for two solid days: Saturday and Sunday, March 13-14
• Class time-slots. There will be five class time-slots per day.
• Number of Tracks. We have found software that allows us to run 10 tracks simultaneously; so your options will almost be as large as for the in-person Camp.
• Class length. Each class will be one hour long followed by a 15 minute Q&A period
• 5-String banjo tracks offered. During each class time-slot we expect to offer four levels of bluegrass banjo, and four levels of old-time banjo. The tracks will be called Basic, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, and Advanced.
• What about total novice banjo? We don’t feel that we can offer the kind of interactive instruction online required to launch complete beginners. However, we plan to offer detailed videos that would get people started ahead of time
• Classes in other instruments. We will continue to offer a full program in old-time fiddle. We will offer one full day in guitar and one full day in mandolin.
• Other Activities. We will offer at least one, and possibly two online concerts featuring members of our faculty. We may also offer some internet style “jams” (instructors play on line; participants play on their own at home with their audios muted).
• Faculty. So far almost the entire 2021 faculty has already agreed to participate in the online event.
• Cost. $125 per day, or $240 for the entire event.