My life extends in interesting ways beyond software and technology. Honestly! One of those ways is playing mandolin. Mostly I’ve jammed with friends every now and then. And then last summer I went to River of the West Mandolin Camp out in the Columbia River Gorge, a stone’s throw east of Portland. It was a transformative experience that changed my playing and how I think about learning and playing.

Brian Oberlin, the guy who puts it all together, just announced the second annual River of the West Mandolin Camp, June 10-13, 2010. Instructors include Brian Oberlin (he’s really good), Don Steirnberg (used to play in Jethro Burns’s band and he taught at the camp last year), and Radim Zenkl (one of the hottest mandolin players in the world). I am really excited!

Watch the promo video and visit the website for more information.