Workshop Participant Playing Levels
     In order for teachers to accomplish the goals of their classes, it is important that participants sign up for classes that are appropriate to their experience and playing level. Signing up for a class that is beyond your level creates major problems for the teacher and the other students. Please refer to the following guidelines when choosing your classes:
     Introductory: Appropriate for those who have never touched the instrument through folks who have studied less than a year.
     Beginning: Those who have studied at least one year and can play a couple of parts on at least five songs.
     Intermediate: Those who have played at least three years, can play a few parts on at least 10 pieces, have good technique, understand the form and structure of the pieces, can catch cues and understand how to move through sections.
     Advanced: Those who meet the above intermediate criteria, PLUS: learn quickly, comfortable playing fast, and have played for at least three years at performance level. For marimba, understand concepts such as kutsinhira and kushaura. For mbira, able to learn a kushaura and kutsinhira part in one workshop.

Please do not sign up for any workshop that is beyond your experience level!

DON’T FORGET!!
     Bring any instruments you may need for your workshops, and please consider sharing your instruments and/or bringing extras. Please contact us at 2001@zimfest.org if you will have extra instruments available.
     Bring pens, paper, coffee mugs, earplugs, blankies — whatever you need to make yourself comfortable through workshops and long days on the go. We recommend a hand-held tape recorder with plenty of blank tapes and extra batteries for workshops. Please ask your workshop instructors for permission to tape if the workshop description doesn’t indicate “Audio taping OK.”