Jorma Kaukonen: Songwriting: All Levels

This will be an extremely hands on session. In the course of the weekend, participants will find themselves writing a number of songs. We will be demystifying the creative process and hopefully opening the door to where each student will write songs without being intimidated by the process. I have always felt that music is a great way to dialogue. The really good songs are songs that when you hear them…there’s just something about it that touches your heart, and you don’t know why. I will mentor each of my students on how to keep their heart and ears open, always listening for the story that needs to be told. I will also discuss some different approaches to being creative with chords and chord voicings.

This class requires that all students have fundamental guitar skills and a guitar.

This workshop is currently full. Please fill out an application to be added to the wait list. No deposit required.

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About Jorma Kaukonen

In a career that has spanned over a half century, Jorma Kaukonen has been the leading practitioner and teacher of fingerstyle guitar, one of the most highly respected interpreters of American roots music, blues, and Americana, and an innovator at the forefront of popular rock-and-roll.

Jorma was a founding member of two legendary bands: The Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, The Jorma Kaukonen-Jack Casady duo created much of the Jefferson Airplane’s signature sound, and Jorma’s lead and fingerstyle guitar playing characterizes some of the band’s most memorable tracks.

Over the last three and a half decades, Hot Tuna has performed thousands of concerts all over the world and released more than two dozen records. Jorma and Jack continue to tour as Hot Tuna, in recent years with mandolin virtuoso Barry Mitterhoff. The group has played with many of the legends of the music industry. Jorma was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, along with the other members of The Jefferson Airplane.

Jorma has also had more than a dozen solo albums, beginning with 1974’s “Quah” and continuing through “Blue Country Heart” in 2002 and “Stars In My Crown” in 2007.

Jorma’s Grammy-nominated “Blue Country Heart,” pays tribute to the rich, deep aspects of American roots music with Jorma performing the works of his favorite blues and country legends, “Stars In My Crown” is more personal. It features an abundance of original songs, such as, “Late Breaking News,” “A Life Well Lived,” “Living In The Moment,” and the deeply moving “Heart Temporary,” It isn’t entirely original compositions, though, with songs of many styles, from Johnny Cash’s chilling “The Man Comes Around” to a reggae song, “By The Rivers Of Babylon,” to the celebratory title cut, “Will There Be Any Stars In My Crown.”

At Fur Peace Ranch he’s known as “The Captain,” but for music enthusiasts all over the world Jorma Kaukonen is known as the leader of fingerstyle guitar playing, particularly of American roots music.

Jorma Kaukonen Discography

1. “Quah” (1974) with Tom Hobson
2. “Jorma” (1979)
3. “Barbecue King” (1980) with Vital Parts
4. “Too Hot To Handle” (1985)
5. “Magic” (1985)
6. “Embryonic Journey” (1994) with Tim Constanten
7. “Magic Two” (1995)
8. “Land of Heroes” (1995)
9. “Christmas With Jorma Kaukonen” (1996)
10. “Too Many Years” (1998)
11. “Live” (2001) Jorma Kaukonen Trio
12. “Blue Country Heart” (2002)
13. “Stars In My Crown” (2007)
14. “River of Time” (2009)
15. “Ain’t In No Hurry” (2015)