Carp Camp (Walnut Valley Festival

Carp Camp

Carp Camp is a unique musical experience. The jam is open to those who have "done their homework" and learned the repertoire (and can keep up with the pace). A large percentage of the participants have won top honors on their instruments and normally there are more hammer dulcimers than you'll see anywhere else. Mandolin player Dave Firestine is the leader of the jam and he calls key changes and even tune changes the way a square-dance caller calls the moves. From a distance, the sound is tribal. As you get closer, the sound becomes orchestral. Stage performers and contest winners stop by and join the jam, sometimes being given a seat of honor at the little dance floor at the center of the jam. One such session can be seen (and heard) when David Munnelly and Daire Bracken visited on Saturday night. Late Saturday night, I had the honor of experiencing Carp Camp from the center of the jam — a true "surround sound" experience. Carp Camp has other traditions, such as the Carp Camp Parade and the Pot Luck Supper at the Grier/Swift/Fakoury campsite across the road. Carp Camp has an extensive web site at carpazon.com which is well worth a visit, although nothing compares with a visit in person whether to jam or just to listen.