Instrumental, singing and dancing courses are offered to adult students and invited youth including:
Anglo Concertina | Bodhrán | Bouzouki | Button Accordion | Dancing | Fiddle | Flute | Guitar | Harp | Mandolin | Singing | Tenor Banjo| Uilleann Pipes | Whistle
Anglo Concertina
Anglo Concertina (Fundamentals) — Catrióna Fee
This course is for students who are needing to learn basic skills for playing the Anglo concertina. Attention will be given to fingering choices, bellows management and beginning ornamentation.
Photo by Andrew Simmons.
Anglo Concertina — Aileen Bourke
This course will delve into the rhythmical and technical aspects of concertina playing. Working on both new and old repertoire, learners will have an opportunity to advance their technical skills by learning about variations, chords and harmony which can embellish the melody. The course will also take a look at examples of other styles in concertina playing and the development of concertina playing in recent generations. Before enrolling, please review GUIDELINES for this course.
Bodhrán
Photo by Andrew Simmons.
Bodhrán (Fundamentals) — Rob Forkner
This course will introduce the fundamentals of bodhrán playing. The course will start with an overview of techniques including bodhrán placement and tipper holds. We will dive deep into jig and reel rhythms and we will dissect the hand movements, ascents, and proper groove feeling. Attendees will then learn how to create variations and use ornamentations (triplets & rolls) within individual compositions. Lastly, students will learn the use of the back-hand and we will discuss methods and techniques to properly accompany traditional jigs and reels. During our discussions, we will include topics such as session etiquette and tuning and care of the bodhrán. If time is available, we will move on to other tune types such as waltzes, slip jigs, and hornpipes.
Bodhrán — Cara Wildman
Students will learn how to further enhance tune accompaniment with ornamentation, tonal variation, and develop both space and energetic tension between melody and rhythm in the music. The lessons will explore elements of tune accompaniment, session playing, and modern style bodhrán playing. The goal of the course is to help students become versatile, creative, and sensitive players who are able to accompany tastefully in whatever style they choose. Before enrolling, please review GUIDELINES for this course.
Bouzouki
Photo by Louvain Guiomard.
Bouzouki — Alan Murray
The bouzouki course will cover techniques of tune accompaniment, song accompaniment and melody playing in the GDAD tuning. Classes will explore chord shapes, strumming patterns, basic counter-melody and a versatile method for choosing what chords to play and how to add interest. The lessons will also address tunings, capo use, and choosing an instrument.
Button Accordion
Button Accordion — Dónal Murphy
This course will explore the button accordion played in the Irish style in B/C and C#/D tunings. The focus will be on maneuvering over the keyboard, bellows control, fingering, ornamentation, phrasing, dynamics, chording, etc.
Dancing
Sean-Nós Dancing (Advanced Level) — Rebecca McGowan
Sean-nós dance is improvised, rhythmic, and expressive step dancing, closely tied to traditional music. We’ll start with a warmup and then learn and play with ADVANCED steps – the focus is on making great rhythm. This course is designed for more experienced dancers to develop fluidity and fine-tune their ears with some new step ideas and lots of experimenting in a fun but advanced learning setting. Dance workshops will be held throughout the weekend for students interested in learning basic steps.
Fiddle
Photo by Andrew Simmons.
Fiddle (Fundamentals) — Sarah Collins
This course is intended for fiddlers who are already familiar with their instruments and comfortable playing tunes. It is not for students new to the fiddle, but rather, those who may be new to Irish music or want to become more proficient in the fundamentals of Irish fiddling. The lessons will focus on holding the fiddle and bow, playing in tune, controlling the bow and keeping the rhythm steady and taking technique to the next level. The lessons will also cover learning tunes by ear and the specifics of the Irish style (slurring patterns, bow and finger ornamentation.) Students will learn several tunes of various types.
Fiddle — Sorcha Costello, Matthew Mancuso, James Kelly, and Sinéad McKenna
This course is intended for fiddlers who are familiar with Irish style fiddle playing and are at an intermediate and above level of ability. Students will learn Irish fiddle techniques including ornamentation (rolls, grace notes and bowed triplets), tone, rhythm and the more common bowing patterns used in Irish style playing. Before enrolling, please review GUIDELINES for this course.
Flute
Photo by Andrew Simmons.
Flute & Whistle (Fundamentals) — Brenda Dowling
At the beginning level, this course will combine whistle and flute because of the similarity in fingering and ornamentation. Using a “D” pitched whistle and/or wood or metal flute, students will learn easy tunes using basic fingering and ornamentation. The lessons will examine breathing and explore strategies for creating breathing places in tunes.
Flute — John Wynne
This course is for flute players who already play tunes in a variety of rhythms (jigs, reels, etc.) at a reasonable tempo. These lessons will focus attention on ornamentation, breathing, style and repertoire, while emphasizing rhythm and phrasing in the music. Tunes will be taught using a D flute.
Photo by Andrew Simmons.
Guitar
Irish Guitar (Fundamentals) — TBA
This course will focus on accompanying Irish music in its many forms — jigs, slip jigs, reels, hornpipes, slides, polkas, and more. Primary attention will be given to executing the proper rhythms and strumming techniques. Various tunings will be demonstrated. This is not designed to be for those who are just picking up guitar. Knowledge of chording, strumming, tuning and picking is needed. Melodies will be provided for accompaniment by fiddler ???? .
Dropped-D Guitar — Micky Fearon
In this course, students will learn to accompany Irish traditional music on guitar using the Dropped-D tuning. The class will explore a variety of types of tunes, dynamics through syncopation and emphasis, chord substitutions and common progressions. Students should be comfortable with basic strumming. Melodies will be provided for accompaniment by a fiddler.
Harp
Photo by Louvain Guiomard.
Harp — Gráinne Hambly
In this course, students will learn a variety of Irish melodies. The lessons will include learning different ways of approaching both ornamentation and accompaniment for the music covered. The music will be taught by ear. Sheet music may be provided by the instructor as a tool for some of the tunes learned. This course is for all levels – from beginners (with some harp experience) to professionals.
Mandolin
Mandolin & Tenor Banjo (Fundamentals) — Simon Lace
This course for mandolin and tenor banjo will focus on the stylistic elements of playing melodies (not chords) in Irish traditional style and the techniques to produce them, plus how and when to incorporate them into any given tune. The idea is that students come away with a box of tools that they can apply to all the tunes they already know and the tunes they have yet to learn, to produce a traditional Irish sound. The lessons also feature how to get the best tone and volume from the instrument while avoiding painful problems, by holding and fingering the instrument and picking in the best manner. The classes apply equally to tenor banjo, mandolin, tenor guitar and octave mandolins and the similarities and differences of approach are included.
Mandolin — Shane Farrell
This course is to help mandolin players get the feel, pulse and flow of Irish music into their playing. We’ll discuss and build on the fundamental job of the picking hand to express the various meters of Irish dance music – jigs, reels , polkas , slides , slip jigs and more. We’ll talk about phrasing and musicality, develop and practice techniques for ornamentation and variation, and for building speed to play in sessions. Before enrolling, please review GUIDELINES for this course.
Photo by Andrew Simmons.
Piano Accordion
Piano Accordion (All Levels) — TBA
This course will explore piano accordion technique as applied to traditional Irish music. The various dance and song/air forms will be explored as well as fingering technique, ornamentation (triplets, grace notes), basses and bellows. Chording and variation tips will also be covered as well as looking at taking non-accordion tunes (e.g. fiddle or flute tune/song settings) and making them work lyrically on the piano accordion.
Singing
Singing — Máirtín de Cógáin
The Gaelic translation of “sing a song” is “Abair Amhrán” … literally “tell” a song. The incredible story of Ireland is written in song, and this course will help students explore the importance of song in the Irish music tradition. There are no prerequisites, and if you simply want to sing in private or public, then this courses is for you. A variety of songs in English will be covered. Topics will include appropriateness of song choice. What do you sing at a pub session when there are a lot of musicians wanting to back you? What about a singing session? Maybe you would like a performance piece? How do you make a song your own? These and other topics will be incorporated into the songs taught. The aim of the lessons is to develop enough confidence to feel comfortable singing with others and/or performing solo and being exposed to some wonderful songs.
Tenor Banjo
Photo by Andrew Simmons.
Tenor Banjo & Mandolin (Fundamentals) — Simon Lace
This course for mandolin and tenor banjo will focus on the stylistic elements of playing melodies (not chords) in Irish traditional style and the techniques to produce them, plus how and when to incorporate them into any given tune. The idea is that students come away with a box of tools that they can apply to all the tunes they already know and the tunes they have yet to learn, to produce a traditional Irish sound. The lessons also feature how to get the best tone and volume from the instrument while avoiding painful problems, by holding and fingering the instrument and picking in the best manner. The classes apply equally to tenor banjo, mandolin, tenor guitar and octave mandolins and the similarities and differences of approach are included.
Tenor Banjo — Elaine Riley
This course will focus on the four-string banjo tuned in Irish style – GDAE and is for students who already play tunes in a variety of rhythms (jigs, reels, etc.), with good technique and at a reasonable tempo. Students will learn plectrum techniques, ornamentation, chord enhancements and, most importantly, melodic variation. Students will also learn simple playing styles, rhythm and syncopation, and pick tricks. Before enrolling, please review GUIDELINES for this course.
Uilleann Pipes
Uilleann Pipes — Seán Gavin
This course will cover everything from basic fingering and working with your bellows to advanced phrasing and staccato triplets. The uilleann pipes as an instrument has particular ornamentation, repertoire, and style different to the other “woodwinds” in traditional Irish music. In the lessons, students will learn what those differences are and how to apply them to their own playing. Additional topics covered will include uilleann pipe tuning (including the chanter, drones, and regulators) and airs in piping as well and traditional music in general.
Whistle
Photo by Phil Wirth.
Whistle & Flute (Fundamentals) — Brenda Dowling
At the beginning level, this course will combine whistle and flute because of the similarity in fingering and ornamentation. Using a “D” pitched whistle and/or wood or metal flute, students will learn easy tunes using basic fingering and ornamentation. The lessons will examine breathing and explore strategies for creating breathing places in tunes.
Whistle — Cedar Dobson
This course is for whistle players who can play tunes in a variety of rhythms (jigs, reels, etc.), at a reasonable tempo. This course will focus on ornamentation, breathing, style and repertoire, while emphasizing rhythm and phrasing in the music. The course will also explore the use of low whistles. Tunes will be taught using a D whistle.