Joe Newberry and Val Mindel Duet SONG/VOCAL RETREAT IN STAUNTON VA-11/14-16, 2025
Janie’s Jumpstart Duet Singing Weekend Retreat
Joe Newberry and Val Mindel!
Joe Newberry and Val Mindel bring their popular weekend duets retreat to Staunton Va. Over the course of two days, participants will work on both the basics and the finer points of creating that buzzy, close harmony sound that defines the music of the rural American South. We’ll draw repertory from traditional mountain and old-time music through to bluegrass, classic country and beyond.
Limited to 20 attendee’s so don’t wait to get your spot!
WHEN: 11/14-16, 2025
WHERE: Queen City Music Studios 16 West Beverley Street, Staunton VA
COST: $300 Early Bird Ticket until July 1-then $350
REGISTRATION BELOW
WEEKEND SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Friday Nov 14
Orientation and a short get-to-know-you singing session begins the weekend. It’s an opportunity to swap songs and begin the process of singing together.
7pm Arrive for Check In-Orientation at Queen City Music Studios
7:30-9pm Song Swap with Joe and Val:
Saturday Nov 15
Emphasis will be on repertory and covering the basics of duet singing, including making up the chord-based harmonies found in traditional American music.
Where possible we’ll work in smaller groups to solidify understanding of the parts and get to the more intangible aspects of harmony singing. The focus will be on giving you a handful of great songs to take home to work on with your singing partners in as much stylistic detail as possible given the skills of the group.
9:45am Arrive at Queen City Music Studios
10-12pm Morning Class
12-1:30pm Lunch On Your Own
2-5pm Afternoon Class
5-7pm Dinner on Your Own Break
7-8:30pm Concert with Joe, Val and Janie & Allan
8:30-9:30pm Evening Sing
Sunday Nov 16
We’ll work more specifically on the challenges of singing with another singer, looking at ways to solve some of the arranging issues that often come up. The repertoire will be different from Saturday. We’ll workshop individual duets, getting to the heart of what it means to present this repertory for an audience. This is an excellent opportunity for experienced singers to get feedback on what they’re doing.
10am-12pm Class
12-1:00pm Lunch on your own
2-3:00pm Group Sing
ACCOMODATIONS: There are numerous hotels and B&B’s available within walking distance to Queen City Studios
MEALS: Meals are on your own: There are wonderful restaurants within walking distance of Queen City Music Studios.
Janie’s Jumpstart Duet Singing Weekend with Joe & Val in Staunton VA-11/14-16, 2025.
Joe Newberry
Val Mindel
Val Mindel is a longtime musician, teacher and workshop leader, known for helping singers achieve the sound they want and have fun doing it. She teaches a wide range of harmony styles from the buzzy sound of American old-time and early country harmony to the weaving harmonies of songs from across the ocean. In the process she addresses such indefinables as tone, ornamentation and lead singing. In addition to being a regular on staff at the Augusta Heritage Center, she has taught at numerous music camps elsewhere in the U.S. and abroad, including SongRoots, Targhee Music Camp, Ashokan Music and Dance Camps, Centrum’s Voice Works, Pinewoods and Sore Fingers. She is a founding member of the California-based Any Old Time string band, and has two CDs with daughter and old-time country musician Emily Miller. Val is also the author of So You Want to Sing Folk Music, and she is in the process of cowriting with Dr. Kathy Bullock a chapter on traditional singing for the upcoming Oxford Handbook of Voice Pedagogy. She lives in Elkins, West Virginia.