Where will you be this Fall?

Before you head off for a busy Summer, you may want to think about where you want to be this Fall! The San Francisco Branch’s annual Asilomar Weekend is later than usual this year - November 17 - 19, 2017.

California coastal weather in November is milder than most places in the US. Average temperatures in November are highs of 63, lows of 47, (with a max. low of 36, max. high of 88 degrees Fahrenheit).

Although Asilomar assigns dates to us, these dates offer a couple of opportunities: if you cannot usually attend in late October, here’s a chance to come at a different time. If you are from out-of-town consider extending your stay in California, as the following week is just a 3-day work week, due to the Thanksgiving holidays, so stay a few extra days at Asilomar and/or touring in Northern California; or visit relatives or friends for Thanksgiving!

This year’s Ball Band, Hood Wink and Swagger, featuring Steve Wyrick, Ron Wallace and Gary Thomas, will be expanded to include additional fine fiddling from Lisa Doyle (of the Amaryllis Trio & Sonoma County Philharmonic), the beautiful cello and masterful bass work of Erik Ievins (of StringFire & the Golden Gate Symphony), and driving percussion of Donald Robertson (of Fiddlesticks & Ivory).

Friday Welcome Dance fiddler Laura Risk, a long-time participant and teacher with Alasdair Fraser’s fiddle camps, has been a staff musician and coordinator for Pinewoods Scottish sessions, and is a world-class Scottish fiddler. In duo with her, pianist Nicholas Williams has also been on staff at Pinewoods and Alasdair Fraser’s Valley of the Moon Scottish camp. And, of course a group of stellar class musicians, as well.

And our teaching staff, Sue Porter from Oban, Scotland, Marry Murray from Vancouver, BC, and Fred DeMarse, now local, but long in demand internationally, are joined by the vivacious Chandi McCracken of Minneapolis, MN and our own Gary Thomas of Santa Rosa. If attendance permits, we will bring in a 6th teacher to be announced.