No strangers to innovative fan-interaction, Umphrey’s McGee (@umphreysmcgee) is currently hosting the first session of sUMmer school at the Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, New York. Deep in the Catskill Mountains, the five day music camp experience allows 150 of their fans and fellow musicians to interact with the band and crew. Attendees have a chance to go to workshops, Q&A sessions, jam with the band and hang out with the UM crew all week long. School was in session starting Monday and a syllabus of the activities, which run through Sunday, can be viewed here. The first reports from school have been rolling in via Twitter and we’ve rounded some of them up below.
Kevin Browning (@Soundcaresser) the man in charge of the band’s creative and business development, is on site and firing off regular updates:
The barn #summerschool #umphreys http://t.co/nhhM8F5v
— Kevin Browning (@Soundcaresser) August 6, 2012
And we're off. Opening night dinner at #sUMmerschool http://t.co/DmcB8T9M
— Kevin Browning (@Soundcaresser) August 6, 2012
Opening Q&A at #sUMmerschool http://t.co/zC3H8fUt
— Kevin Browning (@Soundcaresser) August 6, 2012
Keyboard wizard Joel Cummins (@goldlikejoel) is also keeping those who couldn’t be there updated with regular tweets from the scene at the Full Moon Resort:
First day of @umphreysmcgee sUMmer school, couldn't ask for a better location or better house staff. Thank you Full Moon! Let's do this!
— Joel Cummins ??? (@goldlikejoel) August 6, 2012
View of Northern Lights house @umphreysmcgee sUMmer school…. Sun sets on day 1! Hard to be better out here…. http://t.co/2aXC55RI
— Joel Cummins ??? (@goldlikejoel) August 6, 2012
Night 1 of @umphreysmcgee sUMmer school in the books. Check out Visions, Conduit & EOTR > JO. Great time hangin & playin w a few of you here
— Joel Cummins ??? (@goldlikejoel) August 7, 2012
A great day of all things @umphreysmcgee ! Sessions, kickball & rawk show: check out Phils > NC > Phils & our 1st @radiohead Weird Fishes
— Joel Cummins ??? (@goldlikejoel) August 8, 2012
Ryan Stasik (@ryanstasik), the band’s bassist and mustache and rat tail grower, is also tweeting from the Catskills:
This sUMmer school is fucking rad. It's like a musician's fantasy camp. I was walking around last night and saw at least four different jam
— BassikStasik (@ryanstasik) August 8, 2012
Sessions going on. New peeps playing with eachother, people raging in the fields, barns, cafes, and tents. Inspiring. Well done team!!
— BassikStasik (@ryanstasik) August 8, 2012
Browning captured this sick image of lighting designer Jefferson Waful (@jeffersonwaful) at work:
@jeffersonwaful en fuego #sUMmerschool http://t.co/J6YrJCXh
— Kevin Browning (@Soundcaresser) August 7, 2012
Waful’s been tweeting from camp as well, including his usual setlist updating:
Roundtable discussion #umphreys #summerschool http://t.co/Y8uXhUCb
— Jefferson Waful (@jeffersonwaful) August 6, 2012
Umphrey's McGee
8.6.12
Full Moon Resort
Big Indian, NYRoom to Breathe, Example 1, Visions>Conduit, Utopian Fir#umphreys #summerschool
— Jefferson Waful (@jeffersonwaful) August 7, 2012
End of the Road>August, Slacker
End Show#umphreys #summerschool
— Jefferson Waful (@jeffersonwaful) August 7, 2012
The view… #summerschool #umphreys #fullmoonresort @ Full Moon Resort Oliverea http://t.co/gAdtmUpi
— Jefferson Waful (@jeffersonwaful) August 7, 2012
Umphrey's McGee
8.7.12
Full Moon
Big Indian, NYPhil's Farm>No Comment>Phil's Farm, Higgins, Go to Hell, Mantis#umphreys #summerschool
— Jefferson Waful (@jeffersonwaful) August 8, 2012
DBK>Comma Later>Weird Fishes/Arpeggi*
*Radiohead cover, first time played, not planned or rehearsed. Myers on vox#umphreys #summerschool
— Jefferson Waful (@jeffersonwaful) August 8, 2012
@jefersonwaful crushing a lighting workshop #summerschool http://t.co/kJwHE8mS
— Kevin Browning (@Soundcaresser) August 7, 2012
The Barn is going off. I love our fans #summerschool http://t.co/KZEpVTmz
— Kevin Browning (@Soundcaresser) August 8, 2012
Grubbing #sUMmerschool http://t.co/NEY9Y7aH
— Kevin Browning (@Soundcaresser) August 7, 2012
Dual Guitar Attack #umphreys #sUMmerschool http://t.co/kpTvhmvl
— Kevin Browning (@Soundcaresser) August 7, 2012
View from the stage for our business & technology workshop #umphreys #summerschool http://t.co/K8wiwGbe
— Kevin Browning (@Soundcaresser) August 7, 2012