Irish Flute and WhistleThis class will address the fundamentals of traditional Irish flute playing with a focus on North Connaught repertoire and style. During the week, Steph will explore many aspects of the Irish flute, from basic melodic variation, ornamentation, rhythm to technical exercises, with lessons tailored specifically for the Read more…
Kevin’s class will break down the basics of flute and whistle playing, and teach you techniques for generating good tone, breathing, and using ornaments to create expression and style in your playing.
AccompanimentThis class will concentrate on issues of backing traditional Irish music on the guitar (and other instruments). We’ll learn rhythm & feel as well as appropriate harmonic choices. Different voicing approaches will also be discussed. All common tunings are welcome – standard, dropped D, DADGAD, etc – but players should Read more…
Beginner FiddleThis course will focus on developing good habits that can accelerate your progress as a fiddler. We will work on strategies for tune-learning, and playing with good tempo, intonation and phrasing. Techniques that lead to comfortable playing and a lyrical Irish style will be emphasized. ConcertinaThis workshop will be Read more…
Rather than learn new tunes, we’ll focus instead on giving an authentic nyah and pulse to the tunes you already know. I’ll demystify where and when to slur, what notes to emphasize, how to do pedal bowing, and how to invent variations. We’ll also go over cuts, rolls, triplets, smears, Read more…
FluteThis course offers nuances of style and repertoire associated with Irish traditional dance music played on the flute. The repertoire taught here will be used as a point of departure to introduce new techniques and improve upon such that are already familiar. Other points of focus will include breathing and Read more…
Draiocht is a Gaelic word meaning spiritual power or soul. This class will give valuable insight into the essence of Irish music. Students will learn to develop listening skills, and recognize melodic structures within stylistic interpretations and embellishments. They will learn to recognize regional styles such as those of West Read more…
Brian will teach about 5 to 7 tunes, with an emphasis on exploring what makes a tune–and your playing–sound “Irish.” Each tune will be broken down into its components–phrases, articulations, timing. Sheet music will be provided. We’ll dig deep into bowing, phrasing, and ornamentation.