Summer is finally here with a vengance! Our first warm and sunny weekend was the weekend of the Maine Fiddle Camp, June 16-18. I and many other staff (and some students) camped out for the weekend. Classes were held outside though under tents, so we were grateful for the beautiful weather! The weekend was awesome. The emphasis at this camp is learning by ear and being exposed to several people's fiddling styles within the tradition as it has evolved here in Maine. Each group stays together for the weekend and meets with four different teachers, who may do related or un-related material. Then there are specialty workshops, which can be outside of the tradition (mine was on Cajun fiddling), tracks for other instruments (banjo, piano, guitar, mandolin), staff concerts and variety show, dances, and all-camp jams at night, a Fiddle Gospel hour Sunday morning, camper concerts, less-structured jamming later at night, great food, a swimming pond - all packed into a weekend! Doug Protsik does a great job organizing the whole thing and keeping it fun for everyone. Another bonus for the staff - we are scattered across the state, and it's great to have an opportunity to hang out together and swap tunes and stories for the weekend! The Maine Fiddle Camp Week will be held Aug. 6-11. I'll be there teaching with many of Maine's finest fiddlers - www.mainefiddle.org for more info.