Teaching is an important part of my life. Not only do I have a lot of
experience teaching language and literature at the college level (Ph.D. in Comparative Literature); I also teache music
privately and at festivals and camps. I have been on the faculty of
Common Ground on the Hill (MD), the Swannanoa Gathering (NC), the
Augusta Heritage Center (WV), Kentucky Music Week, Hcamp in Kerville, TX, the Volksmuziekstage in Gooik
(Belgium), and many more dulcimer festivals than you care to read about! I keep a small private teaching studio for intermediate-to-advanced students who are interested in expanding their knowledge in his specific area of competence, i.e., traditional instrumental ensemble music of American, Celtic, and Western European origin. I especially like working with adult students who (want to) play more than one stringed instrument (guitar—classical and DADGAD— bass, mandolin, tenor or five-string banjo, bouzouki, cittern, and dulcimer), or people who have played other instruments before. I focus on enabling students to become group musicians, rather than solo performers. Online classes this year (2020) folk music moved online. My first zoom classes were for Common Ground on the Hill and went great. www.commongroundonthehill.org Here are a few anonymous student evaluations:
I spent several summers teaching at HCAMP in Kerville, Texas. A HOOT!
The information about my classes is all gathered at oorts4hcamp.pbworks.com (and some also at hcampceltic.pbworks.com) They have a website with student quotes about my teaching. My favorite is laconically Texan: "best I ever had." Here's what one band-aid student from Winston-Salem wrote:
Here's my favorite quote from a Kentucky Music Week student:
Here's a PS to an email from Joanie Blanton, who organizes music weekends with SMAD (Shepherdstown Music and Dance):
Two student evaluations from the same venue: OUTSTANDING. I believe my class with Paul Oorts on Sunday – Improv on GDAE was one of the most I've also done a number of workshops in different places. These may give you some ideas! A nice comment from the friendly folks at the Colorado Dulcimer Festival (February 2016): "Your guitar classes were a great addiition to our festival and your concert performances were inspiring! We are so happy you could participate!"
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