Folk Seminar Plovdiv

The changes in the 2008 Seminar program were greatly influenced by the student evaluations from last year's program. Thanks to all of you who submitted evaluations. Changes include:

We added accordion and clarinet teachers
The lunch break and after lunch program have been lengthened to 1 hour each.

How can I request that some other instrument class be offered (e.g. violin, accordion, clarinet, zurna, bitov ensemble)?

Go to the “Contact Us” page, enter your name and email address, select “About Classes & Teachers,” and in the message section list your instrument of interest. If your attendance at the Seminar is contingent on that instrument class being offered, please specify this requirement.

What’s the cut-off date for registration?

Registration will stay open until the last day of the Seminar (August 2, 2008).
Registrations using the www.FolkSemimarPlovdiv.com web site may be submitted through August 2, 2008 with payment using PayPal.
Mail-in registrations (with payment by check) will be accepted with postmark date no later than July 10, 2008. Mail-in registrations postmarked after July 10 cannot be processed and will be returned to the sender as soon as possible.
On-site registration at the Music Academy will take place for the duration of the Seminar, from July 27 through August 2, 2008; payment must be made by check or cash at this time.

When is the Seminar orientation?

The Orientation, which we strongly suggest all students attend, will take place in the Music Academy’s Concert Hall at 5:00 pm on Sunday, July 27, 2008. The Music Academy is located in the center of the city, at the top of the hill in “Old Town,” just above the ancient Roman Theater. The Orientation will give students, teachers, and the Music Academy rector and staff an opportunity to get acquainted. This will also serve as an opportunity to discuss local restaurants, the schedule for the week (including last-minute changes), planned evening events, and logistical questions. Instrument loan will take place at this time. The Orientation will end with a short dance party at the Academy.

What is the Full-Time College Student Rate and to whom does it apply?

This rate is approximately 50% of the adult rate and applies to students who have been enrolled full-time in a college or university during the 2008 calendar year.

What is the EEFC (East European Folklife Center)?

The East European Folklife Center (EEFC) is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to educate the general public about the folk music, folk dance, and folklore in the Balkans through promoting and sponsoring activities which honor and celebrate the richness of these cultures; and to foster understanding and respect of all peoples through shared experiences of Balkan cultures. — EEFC mission statement

The EEFC (www.eefc.org) and the Bulgarian Folk Music and Dance Seminar are Supporting Partners, whose programs share many common educational goals.

How can I contact Seminar staff when I am in Bulgaria?

The general telephone number for the Music Academy is (032)-628-311. (Note that the city code (032) does not need to be used if you are in Plovdiv.) If you would like to reach me (Larry Weiner) or Lyuben Dossev in Plovdiv, we can be reached at:

Larry Weiner (tentatively beginning July 23)
Plovdiv home phone number (dialing from outside Bulgaria): 011-359-32-627-009
Plovdiv home phone number (dialing from within Bulgaria): 032-627-009
Cell phone number (dialing from outside Bulgaria): 011-359-889-663-238
Cell phone number (dialing from within Bulgaria): 0889-663-238

Lyuben Dossev
Cell phone number (dialing from outside Bulgaria): 011-359-886-710-668
Cell phone number (dialing from within Bulgaria): 0886-710-668

How can I make cheap phone calls to or from Bulgaria?

A fairly reliable and relatively inexpensive calling card for making calls between Bulgaria and North America (originating in either country) is available through www.bulink.com. There is a local access number in Plovdiv for this service; calls back to the USA are 7 cents/minute. (Sorry, we don’t currently have info for calls between Bulgaria and other countries.)

How can I get from the Sofia Airport to the Music Academy in Plovdiv, or to my hotel?

The Sofia Airport now has two terminals. The older terminal (Terminal 1) is now used by intra-Bulgarian airlines and smaller, “low-cost” European carriers. As we understand it, almost all international flights arrive at the new terminal (Terminal 2), where most banks and ATMs are located and you can change some currency into Leva. At Terminal 2, taxis are always available and there is public transportation (Sofia city buses); there are also places to buy phone cards for use with the local pay phones, car rental kiosks, a bookstore and most other services one usually finds at major international airports. For more information about the airport, go to http://www.sofia-airport.bg/ .

After your plane lands, you will first go through “Passport Control” and then follow the signs to Baggage Claim. After you get your luggage, you will pass through Customs. Generally, everybody chooses to walk through the “Nothing to Declare” queue, and it seems that rarely are visitors asked to open their baggage for inspection.

Note: If your baggage does not arrive on your plane, there is an office in Baggage Claim where you can get assistance. They will attempt to locate your luggage, and if it has been delayed for some reason, they will deliver it to literally anyplace you are in Bulgaria, within about 48 hours, at no charge to you. (This has happened to me and I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of service. However, this is still a good reason to pack a change of clothes in your carry-on baggage.)

After passing through Customs, you will enter Terminal 2’s main foyer. If you don’t have any Leva with you, you may want to change some of your national currency into Leva at any of the banks or ATMs in the airport lobby (even though Bulgaria is now a member of the EU, Bulgaria still uses Leva as its national currency and almost all “cash” transactions are in Leva). If you arrive late in the evening the banks may be closed, but each of them has an ATM (Bankomat) at their entrance that accepts most bank cards, worldwide. (Note: Do NOT use a credit card to “buy” Leva, unless you want to pay hefty fees — if you use a credit card, it is considered an advance or a loan, and is not the same thing as using an ATM card.)

One of the best ways to get from the Sofia Airport to Plovdiv is by “Avtobus” (bus). However, you will either need to take a taxi, city bus, or combination of the two in order to get from the Sofia airport to the Central Bus Station, “Centralna Avtogara,” in Sofia. If you decide to take the city bus (a large yellow/orange bus, # 284), it stops in front of Terminal 2. It will cost 70 Stotinki and is paid to the bus driver or the person collecting money on the bus (100 Stotinki = 1 Leva). You should get off at the Hotel Pliska and then get on bus #313 at the Hotel Pliska, which goes to the Central Bus Station, “Centralna Avtogara.” (This “first adventure” in Bulgaria, getting from the Sofia Airport to the Central Bus Station, “Centralna Avtogara” by bus, can take about 1 ½ hours.) If you take a taxi from the airport directly to the Central Bus Station, “Centralna Avtogara” it should not cost more than 7–10 Leva (regardless of how many passengers) and take about 20 minutes (45 minutes in rush hour, so the cost might be a little higher then). A third option, a compromise, is to take bus #284 from the Sofia Airport to its last stop at the University, and take a taxi from there to the Central Bus Station.

When you arrive at the Central Bus Station, “Centralna Avtogara,” locate the kiosk that advertises “Plovdiv” and purchase a bus ticket there. The cost is about 15 Leva. They will tell you when the bus is leaving for Plovdiv, and from which bus parking place. It may also be possible to purchase a ticket directly from the bus driver (if in doubt, check at the “Information” kiosk). The bus normally leaves on the hour from Sofia to Plovdiv, until around 8:00 pm. The bus ride is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes and the final stop is on the main street (bulevard Hristo Botev), opposite the Plovdiv “Avtogara Yug,” next to the train station. There should be plenty of taxis in the area. Ask a taxi driver to take you to your hotel (most drivers know where every hotel is, but it is a good idea to have the street address with you) or to the “Music Academy” (bulevard Todor Samodoumov #2, next to the ancient Roman Theater), if you are going directly to the Orientation on Sunday afternoon.

How can I get from Plovdiv to Sofia when the Seminar ends?

In planning your return trip from Plovdiv to Sofia, we suggest taking the bus, which runs every hour. It is usually about a 2-hour trip. You need to be at the bus station 1 hour earlier in order to purchase your ticket on the day of departure. The buses depart from Bus Station “South”- Avtogara “Yug” - close to the train station.

Will the Seminar have a syllabus?

The Music Academy will not be providing a dance syllabus for the dance program, but a DVD of the dance review sessions will be made available for purchase. (See also the section on videotaping, below.) For the singing program, song words (but not music charts) will be provided. For the instrumental music program, some of the instructors may provide music charts.

May I make recordings at the Seminar?

Audio recording will be allowed during all classes. Videotaping will be allowed during all instrument and vocal classes. Videotaping will be allowed during each of the dance review sessions.

Can you give me some general hints about money and travel in Bulgaria?

Larry’s hints:

If you need help with something (and don’t speak Bulgarian), try to find a young Bulgarian person to assist you. Today many young Bulgarians speak some English.
In Plovdiv, taxis are very inexpensive (by Western standards); a taxi rarely costs more than 8 leva (approximately $6.00 US) to go from one side of town to the other. Generally the driver is not tipped. Taxi fares increase somewhat past 10:30 pm. I have found that most Plovdiv taxi drivers will take you to your destination using the most direct route.
In Plovdiv if you want to be driven to the Music Academy, just say “Music Academy” to the driver; they all seem to know where it is.
Changing money — I have found that generally the best rates are available through a bank’s ATM machine using your bank debit card (not a credit card.) The money-changing kiosks at the Sofia airport have among the worst rates in Bulgaria. There are many ATM machines in the downtown Plovdiv area. It is a good idea to ask your bank how much you will be allowed to withdraw using a foreign ATM machine, as usually the limit is usually $200-$300 per day. The exchange rate as of Feb 8, 2008, is approximately 1 USD = 1.31 BGN, or 1 BGN = 0.75 USD. That rate changes somewhat daily and also varies according to where you do your exchange.
Travelers Checks — don’t waste your time. Last year, I found that no bank in Bulgaria would accept an American Express Travelers check. I doubt that situation has changed much.
Most small- and medium-sized businesses do not accept credit cards issued outside of Bulgaria, however, with Bulgaria entering the EU this year I expect more and more businesses to accept foreign credit cards. Large hotels will often accept non-Bulgarian credit cards.
The bottom line is that most transactions are done in Bulgarian leva, although some places will allow you to pay in US dollars or Euros.

What can you tell me about the Bulgarian language class?

We will be offering a daily Bulgarian language class that will attempt to meet the needs of all the students who enroll. If we have students with widely differing levels of experience, we may split the group into beginning and experienced levels.

The class will be taught by Cathie Springer, an American who is an accomplished Bulgarian speaker. She will use the most recent edition (2003) of “Teach Yourself Bulgarian,” which has an accompanying set of 2 CDs. If you are completely new to the language, it would be useful to familiarize yourself with the Bulgarian alphabet beforehand, to make optimal use of this short, week-long class. The book and CD are available through Amazon for $19.98 at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0071430237/103-8252683-9118262?v=glance

What’s included in the Seminar cost and what’s not included?

Food and lodging are not included in the Seminar “package.” There are many accommodations and eateries close to the Music Academy, giving participants a variety of choices to suit their dietary and financial needs/desires. Public transportation is very cheap; taxis are common and inexpensive, by North American standards.

What will the program be like?

The program will have equally strong vocal, instrumental and dance class components, as well as Bulgarian language sessions. Attendees may mix and match classes according to their interests and abilities.
Instrumental classes will be offered in most of the major “traditional” Bulgarian instruments (gaida, kaval, gudulka, tambura and tupan), as well as classes for students experienced in accordion, violin and clarinet. .
Vocal classes will focus on regional styling.
Dance classes will focus on village/regional traditional repertoire.
Bulgarian language classes will give students some basic knowledge they can use while in Bulgaria.
Side trips to some traditional instrument makers are planned.
Instrumental and vocal music classes (divided by experience level) will be held in the mornings, and individuals or small groups will meet with the teachers in the afternoons.

How might this seminar be different from others?

We are combining the wealth of expertise that exists at the Music Academy in Plovdiv with native experts from the villages, who have not previously taught outside of Bulgaria. We will have multiple instructors and assistants for most classes, with each music (instrumental and vocal) session co-presented by faculty from the Music Academy (who are accustomed to teaching) and “old masters,” who have their own regional/local repertoire (and may be not accustomed to teaching).

Bulgarian folk dance classes will be similar in that we will mostly feature regional/village dancers from various folklore areas of Bulgaria (Shopluk, Thrace, Northwest Bulgaria, Pirin, and Dobrudzha), who will be assisted by English-speaking dance staff familiar with how non-Bulgarians learn dance. Dance classes will take place throughout the morning and afternoon.

Why won’t the “old masters” be at the Seminar for the entire period?

In some cases, these “old masters” are not in excellent health and at this time cannot commit to being at the Seminar for the entire week. As the Seminar draws nearer, we will try to update the website to indicate the days on which a specific “old masters” will be teaching.