Viola da Gamba Society of America

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Members' Area 2025 Online Conclave Registration For those who are unable to attend Conclave in person, we offer a way to take part in some of the activities and festivities from afar. Online attendees may enroll in one or both of our Hybrid Classes. These will be taught as regular Conclave classes, but will also be accessible to registrants on Zoom, where they will be able to play along on mute and benefit from the teacher’s instruction. The final period will offer a live-streamed class for all, at no extra charge. The two available classes will take place during 2nd and 3rd periods in hopes to make them most readily accessible to members across the country: Second Period (11:00 - 12:15 EDT: Monday through Friday) Teacher: Patty Halverson Title: Delightful on Viols Level: UI - all sizes Description: Dance suites in 4, 5, and 6 parts by Valentin Haussman and Johann Schein, including suites from Schein’s delightful collection, Banchetto Musicale. Third Period (2:00 - 3:15 EDT: M, T, Th, F and 9:00 - 10:30: Saturday) Teacher: Martha McGaughey Title: Spacious Firmament Level: UI - all sizes Description: J.S. Bach, one of the brightest stars in the musical firmament, provided a wealth of chorales which can be a starting point to discuss musical issues, using text to inform performance, and how to lead an ensemble. Two Bach chorales a day, in various clefs, with doubling. Free live-streamed class: Fourth Period (3:45 - 5:00 EDT: M, T, Th, F and 11:00 - 12:15: Saturday) Teachers: Graham Christian (dance leader) & Jack Ashworth (dance musician) Title: A Lively Shape of Dauncing Level: ALL - no instruments necessary Description: Discover the beauties of the dance of court and country from the height of the Renaissance to the Baroque and beyond. Learn characteristic step sequences, rhythms, and forms, as we explore pavans, galliards, bourrées, minuets, country dances, and cotillons, while also considering their social meaning and context. Learn to move with energy and elegance or join in accompanying the movement. Important Details for Online Conclave: The tuning pitch is a’ = 415Hz. Conclave times are all in Eastern Daylight Time Classes will be on Zoom. Public events like concerts and lectures will be streamed on our YouTube channel . (Feel free to subscribe to our channel now!) We recommend using the highest speed internet connection you have available. Ideally you should set up your Conclave class area close to the Wi-Fi router or use an ethernet cable to connect to the internet. Make sure you can see your computer or tablet, and that you are close enough to be in the camera view. You will receive important messages with information and materials for your classes in your email inbox, so please make Conclave Manager a trusted email contact. We don’t want our messages going to your junk or spam folders! Tuition and Fees Tuition: $125 Late Registration fee (June 1–June 30): $50 Conclave T-shirt (sent by USPS): $26 (includes postage & handling) Deadlines Late registration fee applies from June 1 Registration closes June 30 Last cancellation date with full refund: July 4 Course Selection Course descriptions can be found above. Second Period Selection Halverson - Delightful on Viols No selection Third Period Selection McGaughey - Spacious Firmament No selection Photo and Video Release I hereby authorize the Viola da Gamba Society of America, Inc. ("VdGSA") to photograph and record video of me during the Online 2025 VdGSA Conclave, and to use these photographs and videos, and my likeness, in any media and for any purpose. These photographs, videos, and media will be property of the VdGSA. I understand that I might not be given the opportunity to inspect or approve them. I understand there will be no compensation for the use of these documents. Allow Don't Allow Archival Video Release I understand that the Viola da Gamba Society of America, Inc. ("VdGSA") may save archival video recordings of classes and events. These will only be used for archival purposes unless further permission is obtained. Select an item ($) * Tuition +Late Fee - $175 Tuition + Shirt + Late Fee - $201 Shirt Size Men's S Men's M Men's L Men's XL Men's XXL Men's XXXL Women's Fitted S Women's Fitted M Women's Fitted L Women's V-neck S Women's V-Neck M Women's V-neck L Women's V-neck XL Registration Closed Thanks for submitting!

Circuit Rider Teacher List The following teachers have all expressed willingness to participate in the Circuit Rider Program. You may contact them regarding this. Back to the Circuit Rider Program page. Erik Andersen San Francisco, CA SFO, OAK Contact Erik Andersen is a graduate of the Aaron Copland School of Music at the City University of New York where he completed studies in modern cello under the direction of Marcy Rosen and additional studies in historical performance with Lisa Terry. He regularly performs on viola da gamba and baroque cello, and enjoys teaching historical and modern strings in group and individual lessons with a focus on body learning and wellness adapted from the Alexander Technique, yoga and his own experience as a performer, teacher, and practitioner. At age 16 Erik was invited to participate in a teaching internship program through the InterSchool Orchestras of New York, and now has over ten years of teaching experience serving as music teacher and ensemble coach for students ranging in ages from 4 to 84 years old. As a current MA of Teaching candidate at the University of San Francisco, he is committed to facilitate the learning of all students and to promoting harmony and good-will in this world through teaching and music-making. Sonia Arbuche Los Angeles, CA LAX, BUR Contact Captivated by early music ever since early childhood, I first started playing the viola da gamba in France. I obtained a master's degree in viola da gamba performance from the Koninklijk Conservatorium in Brussels, Belgium with Philippe Pierlot. I have performed with various ensembles in northern France, Belgium and in the United States on the vielle, and treble, tenor and bass viols (medieval, Renaissance and baroque repertoire). I offer viola da gamba lessons for children and adults, and chamber music/consort coachings. I teach beginning, intermediate and advanced students. I am attentive to the musical needs and desires of my students in order to help them find their own personal way of playing the viol and provide useful tools to interpret the repertoire. I start small children with ukulele lessons: this is the perfect way to begin a stringed instrument. Later, we can easily switch to the viol. Rachel Cama Nemer Philadelphia, PA PHL Contact Rachel Cama Nemer performs on viol and Baroque cello throughout the country and abroad. Increasingly in demand as a teacher, Rachel has instructed viol at workshops in Philadelphia, New England, Toronto, at the Amherst Early Music Festival, at Brandeis University and at Case Western Reserve University. She has also enjoyed promoting the viol through outreach programs that have been presented to young children, public high school string students and college students. Rachel was the winner of a Young Artist Grant-in-Aid from the Viola da Gamba Society of America. She completed graduate degrees in music at Brandeis University and Longy School of Music. Rachel is also a professional Certified Yoga Therapist—she works individually with musicians on performance-related concerns and seamlessly integrates body/mind practices into her music teaching and ensemble coaching. Tina Chancey Washington, DC WAS Contact Tina Chancey is director of HESPERUS. She plays medieval and traditional fiddles, viola da gamba and pardessus on roots music from Sephardic and Irish to Machaut and Joni Mitchell. A former member of the Toss the Feathers, Folger Consort, the Ensemble for Early Music, New York Renaissance Band, Blackmore's Night and QUOG, Tina teaches, performs, improvises, produces recordings, composes and arranges, writes popular and scholarly articles, and directs SoundCatcher workshops on playing by ear and improvisation. She has been given a Special Education Achievement Award by Early Music America and four Wammies for best classical instrumentalist. SPECIAL INTERESTS: Treble and pardessus; medieval strings, improvisation in the style of Ortiz; consort balancing, shifting and How to Practice. Sarah Cunningham Haverford, PA PHL Contact Sarah Cunningham is recognized as one of the foremost viola da gambists worldwide. She trained at Harvard University, the Longy School of Music, and the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Holland. She was co-founder, with Monica Huggett, of Trio Sonnerie, with whom she recorded chamber music for violin and viol, and toured on four continents between 1982 and 1997. She was invited by Sir James Galway to collaborate on his CDs of Bach's flute music, and toured with him in Europe and the USA. She released solo CDs on ASV and EMI/Virgin Classics, and she has appeared as recitalist from Helsinki to Vancouver. Sarah loves teaching viol technique to all levels, focusing especially on bow technique for a beautiful sound, clear articulation, and clean strong crossings, and left hand technique for relaxation, flexibility, and avoiding injury. She coaches all levels of consort playing emphasizing listening and musical structure, and also has a deep knowledge of solo repertoire at all levels. She teaches at the Juilliard School and has 45 years experience teaching privately and at summer workshops. Amy Domingues Washington, DC DCA Contact Amy Domingues (BM James Madison University, MM Peabody Conservatory) has enjoyed an ambitious career as a historically informed musician, performing on baroque cello and viola da gamba with groups as varied as The Folger Consort, Hesperus, the Valencia Baryton Project, and the Washington Bach Consort. Amy isa founding member of Sonnambula (Ensemble in Residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art 2018-2019). She is an avid educator and maintains a private studio of cello and gamba students. Amy particularly enjoys coaching consorts of various levels and helping players navigate playing together as an ensemble, through group breathing and movement exercises, as well as providing historical contexts for the consort repertoire. She has served as faculty at the VdGSA Conclave, the Madison Early Music Festival, and as a guest clinician in multiple universities. Amy can be heard on over 70 commercial recordings, most recently Sonnambula’s world premiere of Leonora Duarte’s Sinfonias (Centaur Records). She is a multiple recipient of the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities Fellowship Grant. Amy resides in Washington, DC with her husband and two cats. Julie Elhard Minneapolis, MN MSP Contact Julie Elhard, viola da gamba, appears regularly as a soloist and chamber musician and has made several appearances with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, including the St. Matthew Passion by Bach under the direction of Nicholas McGegan. Ms. Elhard was awarded a 2016 and 2012 Artist's Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and a Jerome Foundation grant in 2002. Ms. Elhard received a Performing Artist Certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague, Netherlands and has taught at numerous workshops in North America and at the Viola da Gamba Society of America's national Conclaves. She currently teaches viola da gamba at St. Olaf and Macalester colleges and is director of the early music programs at the St. Paul Conservatory of Music. She has published repertoire for the beginning viol player, teaches private lessons and has created and led both youth and adult early music ensembles. Wendy Gillespie Bloomington, IN IND Contact Wendy Gillespie taught performance practice, early notation and viola da gamba at Indiana University Bloomington's Jacobs School of Music for 32 years, and she has been playing renaissance polyphony, viol consorts, baroque music and contemporary music professionally for nearly 50 years - and she is still learning. She is eternally grateful to Grace Feldman at Wellesley College and Veronica Hampe at Amsterdam Conservatoire for their help and early encouragement into the world in which Wendy has been fortunate to spend her entire career. As a member of Fretwork and Phantasm, Wendy has received several Gramophone Awards, Grand Prix du Disque, and other shiny things, and she has participated in over 100 commercial recordings. A founding member of Nota Bene and Fretwork, she has been on the cutting edge of the edgy Renaissance viol scene in both the UK and the US. Wendy has experience teaching musicians of all ages, persuasions and levels of expertise. Her goal is to help people lose themselves in music, letting go of everything else. A Past President of the VdGSA, she has ideas of how to help people sound better and work together as a consort. Also a frequent faculty member at Conclave, Wendy has undertaken circuits in FL, CA and MS. She has a car, patience, curiosity, loads of time and motivation, and is willing to get on a plane. Jane Hershey Boston/Manchester, NH BOS, MHT Contact Jane Hershey, viola da gamba, studied at the Longy School of Music with Gian Silbiger, and The Hague Conservatory with Wieland Kuijken. Early in her career, she toured and recorded with the Boston Camerata. For many seasons, she performed with Laura Jeppesen at Boston's MFA as a member of the trio Charivary, and with the Carthage Consort in performances around the US and in local venues such as the Loeb Drama Center and the "Cambridge Society for Early Music" series. She has been a frequent guest with Emmanuel Music, the Aston Magna Festival, Monadnock Music, Hesperus, and the Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra, and performed as a violone player for many years with Arcadia Players. Her recent recordings are with Frances Fitch, music of Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, and with the viol consort Long & Away, cantatas of Samuel Capricornus. Jane is a member of Arcadia Viols, performing with the consort at colleges and universities in New England, at the Folger Shakespeare Library, and on the "Music before 1800" series. Next season, the Arcadia Viols will perform again at the Folger, and at other venues in New England. Jane is an active member of the Viola da Gamba Society of America. A frequent teacher for the Society, she served on the VdGSA Board for two terms, and directed many local workshops and performance projects, such as the 2011 Wieland Kuijken Residency and the 2015 Lawes-a-thon at the Longy School. She is currently the VdGSA Chair of the Teacher Development Committee. As well as teaching in the M.Mus. program at Longy,School of Music of Bard College, she works with students of all ages at the Powers Music School, and has directed the Tufts University Early Music Ensemble since 1995. Laura Jeppesen Boston, MA BOS Contact Laura Jeppesen, violin, viola and viola da gamba, has a master's degree from Yale University. Following Yale, she studied at the Hamburg Hochschule and the Brussels Conservatory with Wieland Kuijken. She has been a Woodrow Wilson Designate, a Fulbright Scholar, and a fellow of the Bunting Institute at Harvard. A prominent member of Boston's early music community, she has long associations with The Boston Museum Trio, Boston Baroque, The Handel and Haydn Society, the Boston Early Music Festival and Aston Magna. In 2015 she was part of the BEMF team that won a Grammy for best opera recording. She has performed as soloist with conductors Christopher Hogwood, Edo deWaart, Seiji Ozawa, Craig Smith, Martin Pearlman, Harry Christophers, Grant Llewellyn, and Bernard Haitink. She has an extensive discography of solo and chamber works, including the gamba sonatas of J.S.Bach, music of Marin Marais, Buxtehude, Rameau, Telemann and Clerambault. She teaches at Boston University, Wellesley College and Harvard University, where in 2016 she won an award of special distinction for her teaching of undergraduates. She is a 2017 recipient of an Andrew W. Mellon Blended Learning Initiative Grant for innovative teaching at Wellesley College. Find out more about Laura on her website: laurajeppesen.com Lisle Kulbach Boston/New York BOS, JFK, LGA Contact Lisle Kulbach, multi-instrumentalist...Coaches mixed consorts, viol consorts, recorder consorts, and consorts with voice. Teacher and coach of Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Sephardic, and Country Dance music for over 30 years. Plays: Strings: viola da Gamba, rebec, kamanja, violin, vielle Winds: recorders Keyboards: harpsichord, piano Voice. Performed with and was Co-founder of Voice of the Turtle, a Sephardic Music group. Quadrivium Consort. Recordings with Voice of the Turtle and Revels. Bodky Award on harpsichord as a duo with Sarah Cunningham. Graduate of New England Conservatory of Music, BM in harpsichord. First viola da gamba studies were with Gian Lyman. Took lessons with John Hsu under the Ithaca Summer Viol Program. Teaching at workshops include: VDGSA, Pinewoods, Mt. Collegium, Bloomington Early Music Workshop. Brady Lanier Williamstown, VA RIC Contact Brady Lanier can currently be seen performing on viola da gamba and Baroque cello with The Governor’s Music, Colonial Williamsburg’s resident Baroque chamber ensemble. He is a degree candidate for the Doctorate in Music in viola da gamba performance at Indiana University, where he studied with Wendy Gillespie and Joanna Blendulf. A founding member of Quaver Viol Consort (www.quaver.org ), he has performed around the country with numerous ensembles such as the Houston Symphony, Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, Houston Bach Society, Istanpitta Medieval Ensemble, Ars Lyrica Houston, and Musikanten Montana. An experienced teacher, Mr. Lanier has taught cello and viol for over 25 years, offering both ensemble coaching and individual private lessons. His education studies have earned him a public music teacher's certificate and Suzuki certification for cello books 1 and 2. He has served on the faculty of numerous summer workshops, including the VdGSA Conclave and YPW, Music On The Mountain, and the Texas Toot. He is currently researching historical and modern viol pedagogy in preparation to write his Doctoral thesis. Mr. Lanier holds a BA from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and a MM from Indiana University. Carol Lewis Boston, MA BOS Contact Carol Lewis has been called a "zestful and passionate champion" of the viola da gamba. She has frequently demonstrated her musical virtuosity and versatility as a soloist in recitals in the United States and abroad. A former student of Jordi Savall, Ms. Lewis has toured and recorded with Hespèrion, Boston Camerata, and many other groups. Ms. Lewis has taught at Festival dei Saraceni (Pamparato, Italy), Milano Civica Scuola di Musica (Italy), New England Conservatory of Music, Amherst Early Music, Pinewoods, and the annual summer conclave of the Viola da Gamba Society of America. She currently teaches a viol consort class at Somerville (MA) High School and is a coach for the Boston Recorder Society as well as Recorders Early Music MetroWest. She teaches and coaches privately as well—all ages, all levels, catered to the individual needs of the player or group. She's happy to coach recorders, flutes, or other strings or winds, as well as singers. Larry Lipnik New York, NY LGA, JFK Contact Lawrence Lipnik has performed with many acclaimed early music ensembles including Anonymous 4, Piffaro, the Venice Baroque Orchestra, Waverly Consort, and is a founding member of the viol consort Parthenia and vocal ensemble Lionheart. He has prepared an authoritative edition of Francesco Cavalli's La Calisto, commissioned by the Juilliard School, served as gambist and recorder soloist for staged opera productions including Monteverdi's Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria at Wolf Trap and Telemann's Orpheus with the New York City Opera. In addition to performing, he enjoys a busy teaching schedule which has included viol, recorder and early music performance instruction at Wesleyan University, national and international festivals including the Benslow Music Trust in the UK, Port Townsend, San Diego and Madison Early Music Festivals, Pinewoods, Collegium Director at Amherst Early Music, and is currently serving as director of the Viols West Workshop in San Luis Obispo, California with his colleague Rosamund Morley. He is a contributor to The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare and Contemporary Dramatists, The Cambridge Guide to the Worlds of Shakespeare, and the journal Comparative Drama. Recent performance highlights include concerts with lutenist Paul O'dette of Dowland's complete Lachrimae at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, concerts at the Berkeley Festival, appearances with the Venice Baroque Orchestra, ARTEK, TENET, the Indiana University Historic Performance Institute at the Bloomington Early Music Festival and early opera residency at Canegie Mellon University. Sarah Manthey Albuquerque, NM ABQ Contact Sarah Manthey studied guitar in Spain, and a projected stay of one year turned into eight. While there, she heard a viola da gamba, and the course of her life was altered forever. She earned a degree from the Hochschule fuer Musik und darstellende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany; studied under Pere Ros, attended Masterclasses with Jordi Savall, Wieland Kuiken, took classes with Julia Theis, Hamburg, and Christine Kyprie, Cologne. A founding member of Ensemble Odhecaton in Madrid, Spain; performed with various Baroque ensembles in Germany including Tempora mutantur, Kiel; Musica Viva Moelln; Trias, Hamburg; Lamento, Luebeck; Musica Poetica (Netherlands) under the direction of Jorn Boysen. Since returning to New Mexico in 2011, has worked to expand interest in early music, continued private teaching, and performed with musicians working in New Mexico. Though neither a singer nor a voice-coach, she has a small choir, and finds great satisfaction in helping people who thought they were unmusical learn to sing 3 and 4-part harmony. Sarah Mead Boston, MA BOS, PVD Contact Sarah Mead is a Professor at Brandeis University where she has directed historical instrument and vocal ensembles and taught music history since 1982. In 2007 she received the Thomas Binkley Award from Early Music America for her teaching and scholarship. She was Music Director of the annual VdGSA Conclave for seven years and of Pinewoods Early Music Week for six. Overseas she has performed and taught in Brazil, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. She is a sought-after lecturer and ensemble-coach, and a frequent faculty-member at early music workshops. She is a founding member and music director of Nota Bene Viol Consort. Her editions and commentary on both recent and historical works for viols can be found in the "NewsMusic" section of the VdGSA Newsletter. She helped found the Circuit Rider Program, where she enjoys teaching private lessons and coaching consorts of viols as well as recorders and mixed ensembles with voices. Ros Morley New York, NY JFK, LGA Contact Rosamund Morley performs on all sizes of the viol from the pardessus to the violone, and on the vielle. She is a member of New York's premiere consort of viols, Parthenia, with whom she enjoys playing and recording both early and newly commissioned music in New York and at festivals across the country and in Canada and Italy. For many years she toured around the world with The Waverly Consort. Having experience in many repertoires, she is a sought-after coach for both viol consorts and mixed ensembles working on Renaissance and Baroque music, and her busy teaching schedule has included numerous national workshops as well as courses in the UK, Italy and Canada. She teaches at her Brooklyn, NY studio, at the Neighborhood Music School in New Haven, CT, and online via Zoom and FaceTime. Active for many years in the VdGSA, from 2017 to 2020 she was the Music Director for the annual Conclave which in 2020 involved creating the first “NonClave” online workshop in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She continues to direct the Viols West Workshop in San Luis Obispo, California, with her colleague Lawrence Lipnik. She was educated in her native Canada at the University of Toronto, and at the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague, The Netherlands. Patricia Ann Neely New York, NY JFK, LGA Contact Patricia Ann Neely has appeared with the Smithsonian Viol Consort, the Washington Bach Consort, Abendmusik and more. She was a founding member of Parthenia, spent three years touring with Sequentia, and participated in festivals in Utrecht, Berlin, Regensberg, Berkeley, Vancouver, and Boston. She is director of the string ensemble, Abendmusik which released its first recording, "Whyte Noyse" - the complete fantasies of Willilam Whyte and appeared with Gesualdo Six and Cathedra Singers for the interactive production, "Secret Byrd." Pat was on the music faculty of The Brearley School for 25 years teaching double bass, recorder, and an early music string ensemble. She holds degrees from Vassar College (BA in music) and Sarah Lawrence College (MFA in Historical Performance) and has recorded for many labels including Musical Heritage, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Erato, and Lyrichord. Pat is the recipient of a VdGSA GUTSY grant, which has supported her teaching the viol at two schools she attended, LaGuardia High School of Music and Art in New York City and Vassar College. Pat is a member of the Board of the VdGSA and chair of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. Elisabeth Reed Oakland, CA OAK, SFO Contact Elisabeth Reed teaches viola da gamba and Baroque cello at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she is also co-director of the Baroque Ensemble. Recent teaching highlights include master classes at the Juilliard School, the Shanghai Conservatory and Middle School, and the Royal Academy of Music. Her playing has been described as, "intense, graceful, suffused with heat and vigor" and "delicately nuanced and powerful" (Seattle Times). A soloist and chamber musician with Voices of Music, Archetti, and Wildcat Viols, she has also appeared with the Smithsonian Chamber Players, the Seattle, Portland, Pacific, and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestras, American Bach Soloists, Byron Schenkman and Friends, Gallery Concerts, and Pacific Musicworks. She has performed at the Boston Early Music Festival, the Berkeley Early Music Festival, the Ohai Festival, the Whidbey Island Music Festival, and the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival. She can be heard on the Virgin Classics, Focus, Plectra, and Magnatunes recording labels and has many HD videos on the Voices of Music Youtube channel. She also teaches viola da gamba and Baroque cello at the University of California at Berkeley. She is a Guild-certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method of Awareness Through Movement, with a focus on working with musicians and performers. Lesley Retzer Long Island, NY ISP, LGA Contact LESLEY RETZER holds degrees of MM in Cello Performance and MFA in Early Music Performance, with post-grad study in Austria. As a Period Strings Specialist Lesley performs annually at the Fall Medieval Festival at the Cloisters, and has performed, toured and recorded with Ensemble for Early Music, New York Consort of Viols, and New York Renaissance Band (and was an invited performer with this group at The White House). She has appeared as Viola da Gamba soloist for J.S. Bach's St. Matthew and St. John Passions in NYC and Florida, played Treble Viol in The Three Musketeers on Broadway, and Bass Viol for Giulio Cesare at the Metropolitan Opera. Lesley teaches viols, medieval fiddles, and cello privately and at workshops, and attends a music festival performing concerts in churches and museums around Quebec on cello and viola da gamba. She has recorded for Arabesque, Indigo, Musical Heritage Society, Pleiades Records. Tulio Rondón Minneapolis, MN MSP Contact Cellist and Gambist Tulio Rondón performs throughout the United States, Europe, Middle East, and North and South America as a soloist and chamber musician. Known for his vivid depth, passionate performances and strong leadership, Tulio Rondón's performance career has taken him all over the world, sharing the stage with many internationally celebrated artists. Tulio Rondón is in demand as a teacher, chamber musician, and early music specialist. He joined the Vancouver Early Music Festival as faculty on viola da gamba and baroque cello alongside Jaap ter Linden in the summer of 2012 and is currently a faculty member of the IMFA (International Music Festival of the Adriatic) in Duino, Italy. He received his Bachelor of Music from the Simón Bolivar Conservatory, his Master of Music from Miami University (Oxford, OH), and completed a Doctoral Degree in performance at the University of Arizona. Pursuing his strong interest in historic performance practice, he continued his studies in The Netherlands, doing post-graduate studies on baroque cello and viola da gamba with Jaap ter Linden and Rainer Zipperling at The Royal Conservatory in The Hague. Mr. Rondón is currently the violoncello professor at the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire. Gail Ann Schroeder Asheville, NC AVL, CLT, GSP Contact Gail Ann Schroeder graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music History. She furthered her performance studies on the viola da gamba at the Royal Music Conservatory of Brussels, Belgium, with Wieland Kuijken, obtaining her First Prize and Higher Diploma, with distinction. She subsequently taught viola da gamba, pedagogy and directed the viol consort at the Brussels Conservatory from 1988 to 2002. Since returning to the USA in 2006, Ms. Schroeder has been in demand as a teacher and ensemble coach at workshops for the Viola da Gamba Society of America, the Amherst Early Music Festival, Mountain Collegium, Music on the Mountain and Retreat to Advance. In 2012 she participated as performer and viol teacher in the French Baroque Project at the University of Alabama. Currently living in North Carolina, she teaches extensively in the southeast, mainly North Carolina and Georgia, where she currently has over 30 private students. Niccolo Seligmann MD BWI Contact Niccolo Seligmann is a viola da gamba performer, teacher, and composer. Most recently as the Viol Coach for UCLA's Early Music Ensemble, Niccolo teaches viola da gamba, kemençe, vielle, and musical "soft skills" like ear training, music theory, and composition. He has years of experience teaching private lessons, and relishes group coachings for a wide variety of ensembles, from viol consorts, to baroque ensembles, to experimental music collectives and rock bands. Focusing on a whole-body pedagogical approach, Niccolo weaves concepts from Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais into his music teaching. In a coaching or lesson, students can expect to focus on breathing, posture, and freedom of movement. Niccolo looks forward to sharing his expertise in many musical traditions from around the world and throughout time to help his students sound their best, whether they are professional players or brand-new beginners. Phillip Serna Chicago, IL CHI, ORD, MDW Contact Gambist, double bassist and collaborative artist PHILLIP W. SERNA has emerged among our nation's leading advocates of the viola da gamba. Co-founding Black Tulip, New Comma Baroque, ViolMedium and the Spirit of Gambo - a Chicago Consort of Viols, he’s collaborated with a myriad of distinguished historical-performance ensembles, most notably the Bella Voce Sinfonia, Burning River Baroque, the Chicago Early Music Consort, Les Touches and the Newberry Consort. He can be heard on WFMT Chicago, Wisconsin Public Radio, Milwaukee Public Radio, and on releases from Clarion, Cedille, and Varèse Sarabande Records. Holding degrees from Northwestern University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Dr. Serna teaches at Valparaiso University, North Central College, the Music Institute of Chicago and co-directs Illinois' first public-school period-instrument program at Adlai E. Stevenson High School. Furthermore, he serves as music director of Viols in Our Schools, an education initiative that earned him Early Music America's 2010 Laurette Goldberg Award for Early Music outreach. Mary Springfels Cerrillos, NM ABQ, SAF Contact I've been a part of the Circuit Rider Program for nearly 10 years, having worked in Texas, Florida, California, Pennsylvania and, next year, Seattle. Each situation is unique, and has involved working with every level of player, from beginner to professional. I've taught individuals, given master classes, group technique sessions, baroque ensembles and consorts. Where appropriate, I've encouraged house concerts or other performance projects. I have broad repertoire interests, and have encouraged the exploration of earlier Renaissance music. For the concluding sessions in Philadelphia, we will begin to learn to improvise, a la Christopher Simpson, using The Division Viol as our only guide. Sarah Stone New York, NY LGA, JFK, EWR Contact A curiosity in the cultural background behind the music she plays led Sarah Stone to baroque cello and gamba. She makes music around the country with Apollo’s Fire, New York Baroque Incorporated, Washington National Cathedral, Seraphic Fire, and Trinity Baroque Orchestra. At home in New York City, Sarah is Executive Director of the chamber ensemble Repast Baroque and facilitates Bitterroot Baroque, a community baroque orchestra playing on period instruments in Hamilton, Montana. Sharing multitrack arrangements everyday for over a year, her pandemic recording project Everyday Bach was featured in the Washington Post, The Greene Space (WNYC), and Early Music America. Sarah holds Masters degrees from the Juilliard School and San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and a Bachelors from Rice University. Arnie Tanimoto New York, NY LGA, JFK, EWR Contact Gold medalist of the 7th International Bach-Abel Competition, Arnie Tanimoto is equally at home on the viola da gamba and baroque cello. Described by The New York Times as a “fine instrumental soloist” he performs in venues across the United States, Europe, and Japan. The recipient of a 2017 Frank Huntington Beebe Fund Fellowship he has also performed and recorded with Barthold Kuijken, the Boston Early Music Festival Ensemble, and the Smithsonian Consort of Viols. As a teacher, he serves on faculty at the Mountainside Baroque Summer Academy as well as maintaining a private studio. He holds degrees and certificates from Oberlin Conservatory, the Eastman School of Music, The Juilliard School, and the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Arnie specializes in teaching the solo and ensemble repertory of the 17th and 18th centuries, including consort music and mixed baroque ensembles. Back to the Circuit Rider Program page

Circuit Rider Application Circuit Rider Program Application We are a: * New Applicant Established Circuit Ride We are applying for a: * Introductory Half Circuit (2 visits) Full Circuit (4 visits) Piggy-back on existing Circuit (What is a piggy-back Circuit?) Location of Proposed Circuit: Proposed Teacher: Total Expected Travel Expenses (for all visits): Round trip fares and rental car rates are based on current prices. For teachers who decide to drive their own vehicle to their destination, mileage is reimbursed at the current IRS rate. Travel Amount Requested (total for all visits): No single travel funding amount may exceed $2000 for the year ($1000 for Half Circuit). We are in Canada and requesting the teacher subsidy to cover the difference between USD and CAD. (If requesting) We have estimated this amount to be (in USD): Proposed Start Dates for Visits (choose two for a Half Circuit and four for a Full Circuit): Date One: * required Date Three: Date Two: * required Date Four: Agreement: The above-named teacher has agreed to visit our location on the specified dates and for each visit is prepared to provide at least 10 instructional hours—any combination of lessons and group coaching—(or 5 hours in the case of a piggy-back Circuit). As hosts we will guarantee to pay the teacher a minimum of $600 (or $300 if piggy back), covering the first 10 hours (or 5 for piggy backs). Any additional teaching will be paid at the rate of $60/hour. We, as hosts, will provide housing and food to the teacher for each visit. The teacher will submit travel receipts directly to the VdGSA after each visit. The local host will write a review of the completed Circuit Ride for possible publication in the VdGSA Newsletter. I agree to these terms Contact Person: Additional Comments: Thank you for applying to the Circuit Rider Program, we'll be in touch soon! Submit

Members' Area StoryChords set-up Got a great memory about when the viol entered your life? Planning a trip to see a VdGSA veteran, and interested in hearing some of their stories about the early years of the Society? Please help the VdGSA by recording an interview for our StoryChords project! These interviews are part of a growing archive on the history of the Society. Here are a few tips and guidelines for gathering interviews. Once you've got an interview subject selected, all you need is a relatively quiet space to have a chat and a digital video camera (more on the cameras below). We've found that it's often useful to give your interview subject just a couple of minutes of "think prep" while you're setting up the camera—let them know what types of questions you'll use to start off (see below for some good samples to get going). One really useful thing is to have the subject get in the habit of always repeating the question you've just asked before launching into their answer. That way, we have the choice of editing out the interviewer's question itself and can instead just include the interviewee's answer, complete with question rolled in. For example, ask the interview subject when they first began playing the viol. Prompt them to say, "I first started playing the viol when I was in college, and the Collegium director nabbed me in the hallway." Don't worry overmuch about this, we aren't looking for perfection in these, and we'd certainly rather have people speaking comfortably for the camera, instead of worrying about redoing sections of the interview in order to repeat the questions. Equipment: We have two cameras available to borrow, both of which are easy to use. The Flip camera will come with the camera and tripod. It has a USB port "arm" that flips out to plug into a USB port on your computer. This is both how you charge it and how you'll transfer the newly created video files onto your hard drive. The Kodak Zi8 camera will come with the camera, tripod, and external lavalier-style microphone, which optionally can be plugged into the camera to capture sound in hard-to-hear environments. This camera also comes with all necessary USB cords to transfer the files onto a computer, as well as an extra memory disk, should you need it. CAUTION: If you decide to use the lavalier microphone with this camera, you must be SURE that it is plugged all the way into the camera, and that during the interview, it doesn't become loose! If you think it may have jiggled loose, take a second to readjust (we can always edit out your adjusting time)—we've found out the hard way that this is a necessary step to make sure you're capturing all the sound and picture you intend to! When you first receive either of these cameras, it's worth it to do a couple of quick tests before launching into your interviews. Try recording a few seconds of someone talking, and then plug it into your computer to check the playback. That way, you'll not only ensure you have sound and the camera is actually capturing the expected field of view, you'll also gain experience with retrieving files off the camera! Note that each of the cameras comes with its original instructions in the box as well, which should answer any lingering set-up questions (but the general idea is that this should be a point-and-shoot type of scenario). To borrow a camera for interviewing, please contact our Historian . Sample questions: Here are a few questions that can serve as a starting point—but we have no fear that there will be plenty to talk about once two viol players get going on a conversation.... And while we're of course especially excited about hearing memories and stories about early years in the VdGSA or Conclave, we are also thrilled to learn more about how our unique instrument has been, well, instrumental in people's music-making lives in general! When did you first hear about the viola da gamba? Why did you start playing? How did you get your first instrument? When did you first attend a Conclave and/or how many Conclaves have you attended? What is it about playing the viol that you like the most? What is your favorite viol repertory to play or listen to? What effect has the viol had on your professional or personal life? Are there any players or mentors who particularly inspired you? What springs to mind as your favorite or most memorable thing that has ever happened at a Conclave you have attended? What would you like to say to newcomers to the viol? For more ideas, watch some of the videos in our StoryChords archive !

Young Players' Weekend "I feel that overall the Young Players’ Weekend was a very insightful event that guided me on the right path to not just becoming a better viola da gamba player, but a better musician as well." -Jack Meyer Young Players' Weekend 2025 ! The twelfth VdGSA Young Players' Weekend will take place March 28–30, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin. We are thrilled to welcome Joanna Blendulf of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and Erica Rubis as guest faculty for the weekend! The workshop will include a range of activities for viol players of all ability levels including coached consort sessions and special sessions led by our faculty. Evening activities will include a play-in on Friday, a masterclass led by Joanna Blendulf on Saturday, and of course, informal late night consort playing. There is no upper age limit to attend Young Players’ Weekend (although participants must be over age 18). If you feel that you are a “young player,” you are welcome to attend. Register Here Brochure Cost & Deadlines Early Bird registration - $150 by February 14, 2025 Late registration - $175 by February 28, 2025 About The Young Players' Weekend Approximately every other year, the Society hosts a weekend retreat specifically geared toward younger players. The workshop is subsidized by the Society so that the cost is affordable to students, young professionals, and those of limited means. The primary goal of this workshop is—what else?—to get together and play the viol, but it also serves several secondary objectives for the Society and its members: to provide those who may not have the means to attend Conclave every year (or at all) with opportunities to learn from professional players and scholars to provide younger players who may not know many other viol players with the opportunity to connect with others who have similar interests to provide a warm welcome to the VdGSA family and to share information about all the fantastic opportunities available to VdGSA members For more information about the 2025 Young Players’ Weekend and future events, sign up for our YPW mailing list, or contact the YPW director Eric Miller using the link below. Email Join the YPW Mailing List! Eric Miller is the current YPW director. Past Directors: Pedro Funes-Whittington, 2013–2022 Jessica Powell Eig, 2013-2016 Josh Lee, 2008-2013 FAQ Who qualifies as a young player? There is no age limit for YPW attendees. If you feel that you are a young player, you are welcome to attend. How much does it cost? The total fee for tuition, room and board in 2025 was $150. Fees may fluctuate from year to year, but the VdGSA has committed to keep the cost affordable to those of limited means. How good do I have to be? Every year, YPW includes players who run the gamut from absolute beginner to professional track. We value this diversity of experience and benefit from it. Whether you've been playing for 15 minutes or 15 years, there is a place for you at YPW. Do I need to bring a viol? Loaner instruments of all sizes are available for those who have difficulty traveling with an instrument and for those who are interested in trying a new size. Please let us know in the registration form if you need a loaner instrument. More information: Email YPW Director Eric Miller or find the VdGSA Young Players group on Facebook .

Grants Grants-in-Aid Private Lesson Subsidy Program Workshop Grants Chapter Start-up Grants Chapter Conclave Voucher Program Consort Loan Program GUTSY Grant The Consort Loan Program empowers teachers to begin viola da gamba programs by providing instruments for a two-year period with the possibility of renewal. Applicants for this program must have been members of the VdGSA for at least one year. For more information about the program and the application process, visit the Programs and Grants section in the Members' area, and refer to the Consort Loan Program title on the sidebar. A consort of five viols is available for loan for a period of two years (typically August-July). Renewal for additional years is possible at the discretion of the Consort Loan Program committee. Applications by letter or email to the Consort Loan Program Administrator are welcome at any time and a committee response may be anticipated within a month of receipt. Approval of any application is dependent upon the strength of the proposal and the availability of instruments at the time of application. The application should include: Name of the VdGSA member applying for the consort loan Brief resume of applicant's teaching experience, with emphasis on viol teaching preparation and experience Detailed description of program: type of venue, ages of students served, typical activities planned, how the year's work is organized, sample syllabus for a class Estimated impact of program Specific dates of program Sizes of viol required* *The typical consort in the Consort Loan Program is 2 trebles, 2 tenors and bass, appropriate for high school and middle school. For younger children, a consort of small viols may be available. Please discuss your needs with the Program Administrator. If your application is approved, you will be required to send in a signed copy of the Consort Loan Program Agreement . Costs and responsibilities involved in the Consort Loan Program: A security deposit of $500 is required, which will be refunded after the five viols are returned to VdGSA in the same playing condition as they arrived The applying teacher is responsible for all loss or damage to the viols VdGSA will pay for all viol shipping Periodic reports on the program by e-mail to the program administrator are expected semi-annually throughout the term of the loan, coinciding with the meetings of the Board of Directors Care and maintenance: Instruments will be sent in playing condition. It is the teacher's responsibility to replace any broken strings or frets before returning the consort. Any other problems must be reported to the program administrator to determine what action is to be taken. Teachers may apply to VdGSA for financial help in maintaining the viols; contact the Consort Loan Program Administrator with your request. Shipping: The VdGSA will pay for shipping the consort to the teacher and back to the VdGSA. The teacher is responsible for any costs incurred by the VdGSA in retrieving an instrument, case and bow, including legal fees, and costs of repair of any damage. VdGSA strongly recommends that the recipient save the packing materials for the eventual return of the instruments. Packing materials, including the correct size of box, can be expensive and hard to find, so reusing these items is both convenient and cost effective. The VdGSA will not pay for replacing these materials for return shipment. Before returning the viols, please contact the Consort Loan Program Administrator first for detailed packing and shipping instructions. Please contact the Consort Loan Program Administrator with any and all questions about this program.

Members' Area Grants Grants-in-Aid Private Lesson Subsidy Program Workshop Grants Chapter Start-up Grants Chapter Conclave Voucher Program Consort Loan Program GUTSY Grant The Society encourages and supports the formation of new Chapters by offering two $500 Chapter Start-up Grants per calendar year. These are awarded on a first come, first served basis. Visit the Chapters Info page for more information about the requirements for starting a Chapter and tips for successfully running a Chapter. Download the Chapter Start-up Grant Application . Submit applications to Chapter and Area Representative Amy Domingues .

Members' Area Grants Grants-in-Aid Private Lesson Subsidy Program Workshop Grants Chapter Start-up Grants Chapter Conclave Voucher Program Consort Loan Program GUTSY Grant Overview Workshop Grants, and the optional Emerging Teacher supplement, support organizers and teachers who wish to put on a workshop. The Society awards these grants with the goal of providing the greatest number of teaching and learning opportunities for the greatest number of people, with special preference given to areas not regularly served by teachers. Workshop Grants can be awarded up to $750. Funding may be used for any reasonable expense associated with the event. Workshop Grant applications can also include an Emerging Teacher supplement of up to $500. To add an Emerging Teacher supplement, the organizer should identify a teacher who: Is a member of VdGSA Is reasonably local to where the workshop takes place Has attended a Conclave or other viol workshop Has not previously taught at Conclave Workshop organizers should be clear on the skillset they are seeking in an emerging teacher: consort coaching, solo repertory coaching, etc. If the position is to coach amateur consort players, then a coach will be more successful if they bring prior consort experience, are familiar with the consort repertory being covered at the workshop, play or can coach those playing several sizes of viol, and can articulate approaches to how they might work with a variety of playing skill levels. If you need help finding coaches, contact Sarah Mead . Application Instructions Applications should include: Name of the VdGSA member contact person for the event Workshop title Chapter or region holding the event, if any A short description of the event that includes the length, format, and audience Number of people expected to attend Workshop Schedule of events Proposed coach(es)/teacher(s) Expenses anticipated (e.g., coaching fees, travel expenses) Additional information: There are no deadlines and applications are accepted at any time during the year. We accept applications up to 18 months before a scheduled workshop to be fair to those planning workshops in advance while accommodating spontaneous workshop opportunities. A given workshop can only receive a single Workshop Grant in a calendar year. Recipients of workshop grants are expected to write a report afterwards for the VdGSA News which should be sent to the grant program coordinator and the Newsletter editors within 30 days of the completion of the workshop. Applications should be submitted electronically to Workshop Grant administrator Lucy Bardo . For other information or workshop organizational advice, please contact Alice Robbins .

Members' Area Legal Code of Conduct Copyright Privacy Policy Viola da Gamba Society of America Privacy Policy 1. Who We Are The Viola da Gamba Society of America (“VdGSA” or “we” or “us”) is a member-based nonprofit organization dedicated to activities and resources relating to the viola da gamba, other early stringed instruments, and music for these instruments. We have members (“you” or “your”) in the United States as well as in other countries. 2. Our Privacy Policy and Your Personal Information We are committed to protecting your privacy. This privacy policy tells you how we may collect, use, disclose, secure, and retain your personal information. We define “personal information” as information that personally identifies you as an individual. 3. The Information We Collect About You The type of personal information that we collect about you depends on the service or product involved. We collect only the personal information that we need to further the legitimate interests of the VdGSA. This includes but is not limited to the following: (i) For every service we provide for you, we have your name, postal address, email address, and telephone number; (ii) For any interaction through our website, we have information about your computer, including your browser identification string, your internet protocol address, the pages you have visited, and the dates and times of these visits. These are anonymous unless you supply your name when using the website, e.g., to become a member, or to register for Conclave; (iii) For payments you make through our website, we have only the information that the credit card processor sends to us, which currently includes your name, type of credit card, the last four digits of your credit card number, and the expiration date; (iv) For credit card payments you make other than through our website using our credit card processor, we have your name, type of credit card, credit card number, and expiration date. We shred the paper receipt; (v) For payments we make to you, such as grants, honoraria, or wages, we have your social security number; (vi) For Conclave registration, we have your dietary preferences, housing preferences, performing preferences, instruments you will be bringing, travel plans, contact information, and emergency contact information; (vii) For inclusion in the membership directory, attendee lists at Conclave, and workshops, we have your name, postal address, email address, and telephone number. 4. Privacy of Minors. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) protects the personal information of children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly solicit personal information from children. We collect personal information about children only with the express consent of their parents or legal guardians. When doing so, we notify the parents or guardians about the information we are requesting and how we plan to use it and ask the parent or guardian to give or deny their consent. Such consent may be revoked at any time. 5. Use of Personal Information The VdGSA may use your personal information that include but are not limited to the following purposes: (i) To process membership renewals; update membership records; record donations; process event registrations; pay you; process surveys; provide products or services you request; mail newsletters; contact you; and improve our website and services; (ii) To include in our membership directory and conference attendee lists, although you may limit what information is included in our membership directory and may opt out of being included in conference attendee lists; (iii) To publish photographs on the website and in the newsletter. You may opt out of having your likeness used by the Society on its website or in social media; (iv) To administer our website and to analyze user intent, using anonymous or aggregate records of access to our website; (v) To comply with our legal obligations, policies, and procedures. 6. Disclosures of Your Personal Information We will disclose your personal information to outside parties only as follows: (i) If you pay us by credit card other than through our website, we give the details of your credit card to our credit card processing company through an encrypted link and then shred our paper receipt; (ii) We give general aggregate numbers to staff, board members, catering services, or others who need to know this information for operation of our services; (iii) We will use your email address to answer your emails; (iv) We will provide your personal information to others upon your request; (v) We will use personal information as necessary to establish or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal action; (vi) We will provide personal information in response to a validly issued subpoena, court order, or other legal process; (vii) We will not collect your personal information for uses that are in violation of the law or unrelated to the uses discussed in this policy. 7. Information Security (i) We store your information on a secure server that only VdGSA and its authorized agents can access via an encrypted and secure channel. When your information is in transit to us via our website, it is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access by third parties; (ii) We perform periodic backups of our information, and we retain the last 60 days of backups. The backups will be used only in the event of a catastrophic loss of our database; (iii) When paying by credit card on our website, you must provide your name, credit card number, expiration date, and security code. Only the credit card processing company has access to this information, and we do not receive or see it. The processing company notifies us of the transaction. When paying with your credit card other than through our website, we will retain your credit card information only long enough to give to the processing company; (iv) We do not accept payments through unsecured emails. 8. Information Retention (i) Our computer retains certain personal information, including your emails, details of workshop registrations, your purchasing record, records of donations, payments, grant applications, and certain identifying information as required by tax laws and other governmental requirements; (ii) Our system does not automatically delete your information; (iii) You may request that we delete all information that we store, by emailing us through our website, vdgsa.org. Doing so may limit your participation in VdGSA activities, such as Conclave, and may have other consequences. Once deleted, the information cannot be restored. Any remaining traces of your identity will be made anonymous, to the best of our ability. Certain information required for tax and other legal purposes cannot be deleted. 9. Cookies The VdGSA uses cookies on its website only where strictly necessary to provide functionality, such as signing in to the Members’ Area. 10. Scope of policy Although this policy applies to all the information obtained by us for the purpose of accessing or using content controlled and owned by the VdGSA, it does not apply to third-party sites. 11. The European General Data Protection Regulation If you are a citizen of the European Union, our responsibilities regarding your data are laid out in the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We believe we conform to this regulation. However, if you have a complaint, you have the right to object. Our goal is always to do the right thing, but if we can’t reach an agreement you have the right to have your personal data deleted from our systems. You also have the right to examine, at no charge, the data we store related to you. If you believe that we have not complied with our obligation under the GDPR, you have the right to make a complaint to an EU Data Protection Authority. 12. Copies and correction of personal data. You may request a copy of all data we hold about you by emailing us. You are responsible for correcting the personal information in your member profile. 13. How you can contact us. We welcome all inquiries about this privacy policy. Please email us . 14. Revisions. The VdGSA reserves the right to amend the privacy policy without notice, at any time and for any reason, and the date of the most recent revision is listed below. The current version of the privacy policy is available on our website or by email. We adopted this policy on February 10, 2021. This policy can be downloaded here .

Journal of the VdGSA The Journal of the VdGSA is a biennial, scholarly publication containing articles and translations, as well as reviews of books, music publications and recordings—all relating to the viol. Back issues, an index, and information about submissions are posted on the public side of our website .

Members' Area Circuit Rider Program Apply here . Applications due by October 15th. In 2008 the VdGSA initiated the "Circuit Rider Program" to provide support to communities that do not have a local viol teacher and wish to set up an ongoing relationship with a viol teacher by covering the cost of travel for a teacher to visit the community. The purpose of the program is to provide an opportunity for players in such communities to have ongoing lessons that will give direction to practice time and help set goals. The application deadline for the Circuit Rider program is October 15 of each year with award decisions announced by November 1. The contact person must be a VdGSA member in good standing. See below for full information, including the "piggy-back option" (for a group close enough to an established Circuit to be able to offer their teacher another partial Circuit with coordinated dates). The Circuit Rider program has expanded to include both 2- and 4-visit Circuits within the calendar year. The Full Circuit consists of 4 visits completed between January and December. The Half Circuit consists of 2 visits to be completed within 6 months, and is offered on a one-time basis as an enticement for new groups to try out the program and hopefully get ready for a Full Circuit the next year. Contact the Circuit Rider Coordinator, Isabel Hendry for more information. Program Guidelines: Ready to apply? Here are the steps you'll need to take: Consult with other local players and assemble a group interested in having lessons and willing to make either, a one-year commitment to the program for a Full Circuit of 4 visits, or a six-month commitment for a Half Circuit of 2 visits (The Half Circuit is a one-time only, introductory option to the Full Circuit Rider program) Agree to guarantee the teacher a minimum of 10 hours of teaching at a rate of $60/hour for each visit (Canadian subsidies available). These teaching hours may be private lessons, group coachings, master classes, or beginner sessions. Your group may decide to divvy up payments as they see fit but must provide the teacher with a minimum of $600 per visit. Select a teacher from the list of participating teachers (below) and contact that teacher directly. Along with their professional statement, each teacher’s ‘home airport’ is provided. It’s hoped that you will use this information to select a teacher who is geographically closer to you such that their travel expenses are kept as affordable as possible and also that the carbon footprint of their travel is as small as possible. Contact the teacher and set up a preliminary schedule of 2 (Half Circuit) or 4 (Full Circuit) visits. Arrange to provide housing, food, and local transportation (as needed) for the teacher during each visit. The teacher's airfare, taxis, shuttles, and possibly rental car, can all be included in the travel budget paid by the VdGSA, as long as the total falls within the $500 per trip allowance. If your area is too small to guarantee 10 teaching hours per visit and is geographically close to an existing Circuit, you may apply to "piggy-back" on the existing Circuit. Piggy-back groups must guarantee 5 hours of teaching ($300) and may apply for a travel stipend of up to $125 per visit. Here are two examples of successful programs that may be used as a model to help guarantee the success of your new program. Here's what you'll get from the program: Coaching for any size or level of group, on music chosen by you or provided by your instructor. Continuity: personalized lessons from the same teacher with time to practice in between. A choice of teachers who are committed to the goals of the program. A special hourly rate below the national average. Because of the Circuit Riders’ generosity and desire to reach as many interested players as they can, the teaching rate for a Circuit is discounted by the teacher and set at only $60* per hour. The Private Lesson Subsidy can be used for Circuit Rider lessons Full Circuit: A stipend (paid directly to the teacher by the VdGSA) of up to $2,000 for 4 visits per year ($500/visit) to cover the Circuit Rider's travel; OR Half Circuit: A stipend (paid directly to the teacher by the VdGSA) of up to $1,000 for 2 visits over 6 months ($500/visit) to cover the Circuit Rider's travel. Additional funds are available for communities that can "piggy-back" their visits so that the teacher can make one multi-destination trip. *Canadian applicants may submit a request with their application for a subsidy to cover the difference between CAD$60 and USD$60. Circuit Rider Teachers: You must choose a teacher from amongst the VdGSA teaching members who have agreed to participate in the program. To browse the list of participating teachers and read about them, please visit the Circuit Rider teachers page. How to apply: Click here to fill out the application form . Deadline: The deadline for applications for each calendar year is October 15 of the previous year. For information about applications or general information about the Circuit Rider Program, contact Coordinator Isabel Hendry .