Festival to showcase well-known guitarists

If resident David Feffer has it his way, Bigfork and the Flathead Valley will soon become the center for guitar innovation in the world.

Feffer is the founder of the Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation, a non-profit formed last fall to provide avenues to celebrate the guitar.

"Our ultimate goal is for Bigfork and the Flathead Valley to become internationally and nationally recognized as a center for the guitar – to establish it as a place to go to study, perform and compose," Feffer said. "This is the place where innovation in guitar happens."

The idea for the foundation came after a fundraising concert for the Ravenwood Outdoor Learning Center last summer.

"Everyone literally had a fabulous time," Feffer said. "They said this should be happening more often."

To Feffer, Bigfork is the perfect place since there already are a number of talented guitar players in the area.

To kick it off and to put Bigfork on the map, Feffer knew it would take a major international event. After some market research in the fall, Feffer and the foundation's board decided to go for it and hold its first annual guitar festival and workshop in conjunction with the Glacier National Park centennial celebrations.

"We needed to do something on a really exciting scale and work with people who knew what they were doing," Feffer said.

The festival won't be until the end of August, but it's already generating buzz and filling up.

That's partially because of whose scheduled to appear and the groups lining up to support the foundation's effort, much to organizers' surprise.

"Our hypothesis was that given the location we would be able to attract top artists around the world," Feffer said. "We expected it to take a good two or three years to be able to attempt this level of entertainment. It just took off."

A number of well-known guitarists are on board for classes and jam sessions including seven consecutive Grammy-winner Pat Metheny, Grammy-nominated Larry Carlton, solo guitarist Alex De Grassi, and Scott Tennant, founder of the Grammy-winning L.A. Guitar Quartet.

The National Guitar Workshop, one of the leading guitar education programs in the country, is supporting the group. They've also garnered support from Guitar Aficionado, the leading high-end guitar magazine which is based out of New York.

Aside from the setting, the workshop and festival is unique in other ways, Feffer said. It covers multiple genres with smaller and more intimate class settings than usually found at similar set-ups to allow teachers and artists to work together. Unlike other workshops that turn into camps with very simple accommodations, this festival will be put on with style and concierge service at Flathead Lake Lodge, Feffer said.

The workshop will have room for 60 to 75 people and many guitarists from across the nation have already registered since it was announced at the beginning of March.

"It's not a success yet, but all the pieces are falling into place very nicely," Feffer said.

The festival is being held from Aug. 29 through Sept. 5 and is open to any and all with a passion for playing the guitar. Registration for the festival is on a first come, first served basis by calling 800-234-6479 or visiting www.cocguitarfoundation.org. Costs vary based on participation and accommodations.

The foundation will also be giving scholarships to local guitar teachers to attend the workshop. Nearly three are funded, but Feffer hopes to be able to offer five or six.

Right now, the money to put on the event is coming out of organizers' pockets and through fundraising. In the future, proceeds will go to support other area non-profits including The Glacier Park Fund, Montana Public Radio and Public Broadcasting, The Montana Land Reliance, North Valley Music School and Ravenwood Outdoor Learning Center.

Aside from its workshop and festival, which will be its main event of the year, the foundation also plans to put on concerts throughout the year, including its first May 1 at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts.

At this concert, Mike Boshka will premiere a composition he created to honor the Glacier centennial and several other recording artists will appear.

"It's going to be pretty spectacular," Feffer said.

Feffer said he also hopes to work with others in the arts, such as the theatre and artist communities, in the area to establish the area not just as a center for guitar but a "cultural tourist Mecca."

"I don't see anything standing in our way," Feffer said. "We have the setting and the talent."