KlezmerPlaybook CLUB & KlezWeCan e.V. invite you to

This seminar house is simply the most beautiful place you can imagine for a weekend like this - the long journey will be worth it, we promise!

Seminarhof Drawehn in Wendland/Germany

www.seminarhof-drawehn.de

Arrival: Thursday 19 June 2025 – from 3pm
Departure: Sunday 22 June 2025 – 2pm (after lunch)

If you can’t arrive until later on Thursday (e.g. work, long journey), that's no problem. Unfortunately, it is not possible to participate just for single days. You can find directions on the website of the Seminarhof. We’ll organise a pick-up service from the train station in Schnega and help those who need to find a lift. Email us if you travel from outside Germany and need help with planning your trip.

A few words about the food (which is absolutely delicious!!!): Seminarhaus Drawehn provides vegetarian and vegan full-board and the kitchen team has a lot of experience with all kinds of dietary restrictions and food intolerances.

This course is for all instrumentalists (aged 16+) who already have some experience of klezmer music. Our repertoire for this weekend will be the 50 tunes from the Klezmer Playbook. You don’t need to know all 50 tunes - just a handful is enough to participate and have fun. This course is ideal for people who already have a basic knowledge of klezmer and would like to deepen this in a group context.  If you want to participate with piano or percussion, please contact Szilvia (mail@shades-of-folk.com) as these instruments can only participate in limited numbers.

This is a Sphilkurs, so we will spend most of the weekend playing tunes. You need to know your instrument reasonably well and be able to play simple melodies by sight or by ear. We can divide the group in various ways. We can offer a 'slow & easy' group as well as an ensemble for the more advanced players, so there will be a pace that suits everybody. You will receive a short repertoire list in advance so you can prepare yourself.

A Sphilkurs (“playing course”) is a workshop format that focuses on practical music-making rather than on music theory or learning the basics. Participants play music together, often from a predetermined repertoire, in this case, the Klezmer Playbook. The tutors provide assistance on technique, stylistics and on playing in a group.

When klezmer musicians meet to play traditional klezmer melodies together. We try to find tunes in common so everyone can join in, in a fun, supportive and low pressure environment. During this course we will use the Klezmer Playbook as a common repertoire.

For us, the focus is on the community experience and we want everyone to feel comfortable and have fun in a welcoming, friendly environment.
The weekend is all about playing klezmer music, sometimes together as a large orchestra and sometimes split into smaller ensembles. We will get to know the typical Yiddish dances by dancing and playing along. We will look into the roles of the different instruments in the ensemble and practise how to play klezmer tunes by ear and in jam sessions. One of our aims for the weekend is to have great klezmer jam sessions in the evenings, and we’ll provide opportunities during the day to practise jam session skills such as starting a tune, ending a tune, how to create spontaneous arrangements and how to respond to one another musically.

The brand new Klezmer Playbook 2 will be released in early summer and we want to celebrate this with YOU! The tutors will give a short concert to preview the tunes, and signed copies will be on sale.

You pay a course fee as well as three overnight stays with full board in a beautiful seminar house. The total amount depends on what type of accomodation you book and your course fee. It's best to have a look at the overview table.
 
Accomodation full board:   Single room - 295 €  |  Twin room - 235 €  |  3-bed room, campervan - 205 €
Course fee:   patron - 250 € or more  |  standard - 220 €  |  reduced - 110 €

The prices for accomodation and full board are set by the seminar house and we can't reduce them. But we would like people with lower incomes to be able to participate, which is why we have a tiered pricing model for the course fee. If you feel able to make a higher contribution you will enable people with very little financial means to participate, and for that we really appreciate your generosity!

If you can't afford the reduced entry fee yourself - and we really understand! – please write us an email and we will find a solution. Please also ask friends and acquaintances if they can offer any financial help.

The course will be in German and English. We expect a majority of German speakers, but one of the tutors is English and we make sure all the important details are translated.

Please fill in the Google form. You will then receive a confirmation email from us with the payment details and further information. Your registration becomes binding as soon as you transfer a deposit of 150 €. The remaining amount is due by 10 June, 2025. We recommend a seminar cancellation insurance before you register.

If you have been with us to Wendland before and now you're wondering about the new course title: don't worry, everything will be just the same as last time  ;-)

The current conditions of participation for workshops of KlezWeCan e.V. apply (read here).