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Workshops "...Bill was very personable and gave an excellent assembly to our 7-12 population. Also two workshops were presented to our music and history classes 9-10, 11-12 respectively. A fine musician and gentleman..." "...Mr. Hall was very well received by our students and staff. His workshop was excellent well organized with good visuals..." "Very interesting and educational. Guitar playing is excellent. Bill had a very nice way with the kids..."      --ARTS IN EDUCATION EVALUATIONS "...This tour was especially good for the children of our area since it was geared about The Adirondacks; fourth and seventh graders could relate this or teachers could correlate this enjoyable experience with their Social Studies classes..."      --DIRECTOR, ARTS IN EDUCATION Bill's workshops are an extension of his performances. He has developed into an Adirondack singer/songwriter/guitarist of many styles of music. His foundation goes deep into the core of musical development. Because Bill grew up playing by ear, and then later on made an intense self-study of music, he can relate to a wide range of students. Bill easily brings Adirondack traditions into the concert halls and classrooms because he was born and grew up in the heartland of these mountains. He instills love and the power of nature into the hearts of his listeners due to his own love for the Adirondacks. Not only has Bill been handed down an appreciation for nature and traditions through his family legacy, but also he has been to the places and talked with many of the folks he writes about. In a Bill Hall workshop, students walk in the footsteps of some great Adirondack pioneers. The pupils learn about logging, mining, and railroading. They also experience his fingerpicking guitar style, which he calls "pick-a-dilly." Bill brings life to the strings of a guitar when he simulates the white water of the Hudson River, the delicate sounds of a bubbling brook, and even the confusion of the pesky black flies, within his own style of playing. When Bill's workshops are all said and done, the students will have achieved not only a knowledge of American, New York State, and Adirondack history, but they will go away having learned how to be his or her own self. It was while participating in a workshop conducted by his idol, Nashville guitarist Chet Atkins, that Bill himself learned the importance of this lesson. It was at that point he returned to the Adirondacks and his family roots. This move helped motivate him to build a solid foundation for his own style of singing, playing guitar, and later on composing. That's why it is so easy and natural for Bill to share his knowledge and love of the Adirondacks. He enjoys demonstrating his own style of fingerpicking and also comparing it to the works he has written in the styles of his influences. He composed these different style pieces while working his way through the different stages of guitar study. His ballads as well as his guitar instrumentals reflect country, blues, folk, and songs from the 50s Workshops available: A general workshop is available for all age levels, though the material presented is tempered to fit the needs of the age and abilities of the participants. Some of the ideas covered in the workshop are: The guitar as an instrument (accompanying and solo) Demonstration of different styles of playing Discussion about his original songs and how they relate to the Adirondacks. (this includes a slide presentation of people and places mentioned in his songs) A slide show about the life of Theodore Roosevelt to the sound track of Bill's song "Teddy" A nature slide show to the sound track of Bill's guitar piece "Autumn and Juliana" Copyrights and scores (examples of each will be provided for the students to see) Writing music or books (as a hobby/as a business) Recording an album (what's involved) Question and answer session The main messages to be shared are: The importance of learning to be yourself in becoming successful. The importance of learning the rules through study and at the same time developing the sense of creative freedom...using the rules for your base and extending outward from there towards new ideas and fresh approaches to the old and familiar. Workshops concentrating on any one of the above topics can also be arranged for special interest groups such as lyrics, English, History, or guitar classes.   © 1999-2008 High Peaks Productions. All Rights Reserved.