Specific complaints last year...from at least 3 people I knew...were concerning an instructor who was not prepared to work with beginner level students, and who did not do a good job of accommoding this need. That instructor was a not there previously, and not this year. So an isolated experience, I hope.

I have not been to the Balfa camp, but know many who do both. I think it's fair to say Augusta is a much more structured learning environment, and Balfa more a cultural experience. I had two friends who did Balfa this year and had a great time, and one who had gone the last 3 years and will not go back. His specific complaints were about a lack of organization and scheduling, and food. Personally, I would do both if I could afford it, but will likely stick with Augusta because my primary motivation is the instructional component.

Hope that helps. I'm sure others will offer thoughts, all good to hear.

Chuck & Russ,
Thanks for the specifics. I'd heard that there were problems with over-crowded classes at Balfa Camp this year, and it seems that Augusta's structure would limit that kind of problem.

Plus, Balfa Camp comes at a bad time of the year for me, professionally. So, it looks like Augusta may be the place for me next year.

Jude

I went to Augusta in '99, which is a long time ago. Dirk Powell was a great teacher, but there were 14 accordion students in a rebverberating indoor classroom. I get the impression that classes are smaller now that the 90's Cajun music surge has died down a bit. It was a very rewarding experience, but I did feel somewhat isolated.

I went to Balfa this year. Chef Patrick Mould and staff did an outstanding job with the food (just my opinion). You had to wait a while if you wanted seconds, but that fit OK with my feeble attempts at restraint.

Morning classes were shorter than Augusta (1.5 hours), but Ray Abshire's class was really good and having it outdoors under an awning was acoustically better (opinion again). The band lab feature at Balfa takes some guts, but I witnessed some fairly shakey folks integrate some of their new learning rapidly under fire. The critiques from a who's-who of Cajun and Creole music were truly useful. Besides, Rob Krumm was in our band so how could we not be cool?

True, you had to have some discipline to get any practice time in with all the master's presentations and dance tent nights, but I've always thought that a little dancing (which happens wonderfully at Augusta too) is a great teacher about Cajun and Creole music.

I just felt the urge to stand up a bit for the Balfa thing: both Balfa and Augusta are ultra-excellent experiences.

Steve

I second everything Bob and Chuck wrote about Augusta 2007. Another outstanding presence was Creole accordionist Mary Broussard, Bois Sec Ardoin's niece. The week was devoted to Bois Sec's memory, and many songs were dedicated to him. Mary is also the mother of T-Broussard, who fronts a popular zydeco band. Fourteen year old Briggs Brown on accordion and Mary Broussard performed the final song of the last dance on Friday night with Corey Ledet's band, Allons Danser, which became Bois Sec's signature song. The recording of it on the Bois Sec - Balfa Toujours CD, with the spontaneous audience call and response, was made at an Augusta performance in 1994. All the teachers played in the jams, and were accessible to students throughout the week. The social scene can be laid back or intense as you choose. I was up well into the 4 AM hour several times playing music and hanging out with friends. I learned to nap, and didn't miss a minute of class time with Jesse Lege. Jesse is a living archive of Cajun music, and he played dozens of songs for us, including all the ones the class requested. He gave the story of many songs, including which of many versions became popular, who influenced it, and he demonstrated different accordion styles reflected in the versions. Corey Ledet offered an extra triple row accordion class one afternoon. Along with members of his band, he played bass or drums at two afternoon zydeco jams which allowed everyone with an interest to jam out with a good zydeco band. On Wed night it's traditional to have a zydeco dance at the campus bar, call The Icehouse. It's a round stone building shaped like a castle turret. You enter on the top floor, where you can look down the center space to the band and dancers on the second level, and all the way down to the bar on the ground floor. Corey had that place pumping till after 2 AM. Mid-set, he opened up the floor to other accordion players who wanted to take a ride with him on drums, JB Adams on scrubboard, and Al Berard on guitar. It was a ridiculously good time. I started the RedLine Zydeco band directly after having had the experience of sitting in on accordion at the Icehouse in 2005 with the Creole Cowboys. It was the classic "Ah ha" moment when I learned what it felt like to play with an accomplished zydeco rhythm section. Someone asked about food. The cafeteria fare ranged from okay to good. There's also an excellent on-campus restaurant, and if you're in the right place at the right time (Wed night Gumbo party on the porch, for example), the results of both Jackie Miller's Cajun cooking class and Charmaigne Thibodeaux's Creole cooking class could be sampled. It's an immersion week for everyone, and a reunion for many. I'm looking forward to next year's session already.

Yes, I forgot to mention Mary Broussard. I had the pleasure of sitting with her and playing a couple of BoisSec tunes with her and a rhythm guitar player. We jammed for about an hour. Got some of it on video too. She was a wonderful player with lots of stories to share with us.

For me as a 'hack' player, it was an awesome experience to talk to these greats of Cajun music.

Bob O'M>

Augusta was great. I was in intermediate accordion with Paul Daigle and Charley Terr doing the instructing. It was a big jump for me but I got alot out of the class and felt the instructors did a great job of managing a large group with widely varying skill levels. I met some great people in that class. The concerts were great and the fait do-do Wednesday was great. Jams of all levels on the porch.
See you there next year.
Leslie

I had a great time, although I'm a little under the weather this year eith my MS. My hands not too affected except for the numbness on the skin. Didn't make hardly any of regular classes (2 out of how ever many there were), but I did make Larry Miller's mini classes, which were much more beneficial. He remelted the wax on my accordions, fixed some stripped wood and adjusted my thumb straps. Larry is a great man.

I was, however the last person jamming Cajun almost every night (except for the last night).

I met lots of great new people, (including Leslie and Bob from the board!) and saw some old friends. My dad had a great time too, and that was the most important thing to me.

I got to all the dances, but don't dance so I spent more time on the Hallihurst porch in the evening, jamming until some people came back.

This year was fun, but not like other years. I really missed the whole Pine Leaf crew and Mitch Reed and Gary and Goldman and others whom I spent alot of time with three years in a row. I didn't make it last year, so I can't compare it to that.

Anyway, it was fun. I think next year I'll be taking a trip down to Louisiana, possibly for Mardi Gras in Eunice/Lafayette

Cheers

Jim