The
musical traditions of Scotland and Ireland, possessing separate,
distinctive personalities, nonetheless share a common heritage.
Many of western North Carolina’s early white settlers
were either Highlanders or ‘Ulster Scots’ –
the Scots-Irish. Our Celtic Week acknowledges
that varied heritage with a program that features some of
the best from those traditions.
This year’s stellar staff lineup features present or former members of the supergroups the Bothy Band, Patrick Street, Ossian, and Green Fields of America, as well as several other exciting new faces, the return of some old friends, and new classes in Irish myth & folklore, Scots Gaelic work songs and the dances that accompany them, and Scottish history & culture through song. For those taking any of the style classes for fiddle, it is recommended that students should play at an Intermediate level: students should have mastered beginning skills, be able to tune their instruments, keep time, play the principal scales cleanly, and know how to play a few tunes with confidence. Fiddle classes are double-length, and students may take either intermediate or advanced classes, but not both. The uilleann pipes class is also double-length. Fiddlers
who plan on taking both Irish and Scottish fiddle should
consider their stamina and the available practice time before
registering for two 2 1⁄2 hour classes. For novices, Fiddle for Complete
Beginners will cover the basics, Fiddle
Technique will address technical problems for players
of all levels, and Intro
to Celtic Fiddling will provide beginnners with a repertoire
of simple tunes, while Tinwhistle
for Complete Beginners will provide whistle players
with a similar repertoire. For those students bringing their
families, we also offer a program for kids, but space is
limited. Our Children’s
Program for ages 6-12 features kids’ activities
scheduled during all the daytime class sessions, and we
will provide evening childcare at no additional cost. You
can view classes here as
well as staff bios. Or go
directly to an individual instructor’s bio by clicking
one of the names to the right.
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