Instructor: Neil Pearlman
All Levels; All Instruments

Although it is less widespread now, the piano has been a traditional accompaniment to the fiddle for many years– longer than the guitar, in fact! Join Neil Pearlman for a tour of piano styles from a variety of fiddle traditions. In this lecture/discussion class we will listen to and break down a selection of recordings and videos featuring pianists who run the gamut from classic old school traditional to modern and innovative. We will track the development of several traditional piano styles and listen to many of the most important players who exemplify and have shaped their styles.

Instructor: Neil Pearlman
All Levels; Accordion

Mystified by the grid of buttons on the left side of the accordion? In this class we’ll break down the logic of the buttons, go over some of the standard bass line patterns and learn some alternate ways to build chords.

Instructor: Neil Pearlman
All Levels; Accordion

Learn one or two of Neil’s favorite tunes to play on the accordion along with specific tips for ornamentation, style and fingering on the instrument.

Instructor: Neil Pearlman
Intermediate/Advanced Levels; Piano

In this class we will explore some alternative techniques and rhythmic patterns that can be used to accompany fiddle tunes. Neil has spent a great deal of time developing new ways of accompanying fiddle music on the piano by looking at other accompaniment instruments like guitar, mandolin and bass as well as drawing on piano styles in other genres of music. Come expand your vocabulary on the instrument!

Instructor: Neil Pearlman
Intermediate/Advanced Levels; All Instruments

So you know a bunch of tunes but what now? How do you keep them fresh, interesting and exciting as you delve into them? In this class Neil will share some of his favorite techniques for adding spontaneous variations and fills to the fiddle tunes you know and love. We’ll cover a variety of ideas from adding occasional “jazzy” runs to re-purposing the ideas already present in the tune to give it an extra kick!

Instructor: Joy Adams
All Levels; Cello

The cello can take on the role of any other instrument in a string band, be it guitar, mandolin, bass, banjo, or fiddle. Learn multiple picking patterns (including clawhammer cello!) that will serve you especially well for accompanying a singer.

Instructor: Joy Adams
All Levels; Cello

Improvising can feel like trying to get through a locked door. As cellists, we find ourselves taking advice from fiddle players on this topic, only to be disappointed by how few of their techniques actually work on the cello. In this workshop, we will study cello-friendly patterns that will unlock the door to a satisfying improvised solo or bass line.

Instructor: Joy Adams
All Levels; Cello

There are some inherent differences between what falls comfortably on the fiddle and what works well for the cello. Thankfully, when we learn a new fiddle tune on the cello, there are adaptations that will make a nearly impossible tune quite playable.

Instructor: Joy Adams
All Levels; Cello

Each genre in the world of fiddle music comes alive with a different set of groove rhythms underneath it. In this workshop, explore the differences between backing up a bluegrass tune, a Celtic tune, an Old-Time tune, and a blues. You will learn specific groove patterns that can be mixed up and applied differently to each genre.

Instructor: Joy Adams
All Levels; Cello

Did you know that all arrangements start from the ground up? As one of the lowest voices in the band, a cellist has more power and responsibility than you might think. Learn how the voice of the cello can influence the tempo, dynamics, phrase shape, and arc of an arrangement, all from the humble bass line!

Instructor: Joy Adams
All Levels; Cello

As an accompanimental instrument, cellists frequently get asked to back up fiddle players on tunes they don’t know. This workshop will present a set of strategies to help you learn the chords and form of a fiddle tune on the fly.

Instructor: Rob Flax
All Levels; Bass players & All Instruments

Inspired by Tom Warrington’s fantastic method book, Rob outlines a simple strategy for creating powerful walking bass lines. Take the guess work out of the low end! While this course is primarily aimed at bassists, all instruments are encouraged to attend, both to practice bass lines of their own and also to better understand what their rhythm section is doing.

Instructor: Mairi Rankin
All Levels; Bowed Stringed Instruments

Jigs and Reels are what we dance our square sets to in Inverness County, as well as the rest of the island. We’ll focus on the rhythm of the bow as it pertains to the Cape Breton dance style, and where we can place ornamentation and other things that aren’t commonly found “on paper” to give the tunes a lift.

 

Instructor: Seamus Connolly
All Levels; All Instruments
Interview

Join fiddle scholars Paul Wells and Sally Sommers Smith as they chat with National Heritage Fellow Seamus Connolly about the musicians and personalities that have made Irish traditional music so prominent in America today. Seamus is a storied player, performer, teacher, and collector of Irish music; he will share with us some of his rare recordings and reminiscences of his own musical heroes. Come listen, learn, and ask a question!

Instructor: Seamus Connolly
All Levels; All Instruments

Join Irish-American fiddle legend Seamus Connolly for informal tunes, tales, songs, and refreshment as Fiddle-icious Traditions invades DaVinci’s Restaurant in downtown Lewiston for an evening of music and fun! Saturday evening, April 18, 2020.

Instructor: Seamus Connolly
All Levels; All Instruments

Are you mystified by the unspoken rapport that develops in a good informal Irish traditional music session? Seamus Connolly will introduce you to some of the basics: tune types, combinations, etiquette, and some familiar tunes from his vast store of lovely Irish melodies. Learn what makes a tune sound “Irish” and techniques necessary to achieve that sound.

Instructor: Barry Saunders
Advanced Levels; All Instruments

In this class we will build on the basic understanding of major scales and their corresponding diatonic chords to introduce secondary dominants and changing keys.

Instructor: Barry Saunders
Advanced Levels; All Instruments

We will explore idiomatic considerations when improvising, i.e. rhythmic and/or harmonic specific language of the idiom.  We will also cover community improv and sharing the joy of music.

Instructor: Barry Saunders
All Levels; All Instruments

Here we will cover how to recognize a key to aid in developing your improvisation. We will also cover community improv and sharing the joy of music.

Instructor: Bonnie Black

We all want it: the ability to play FAST! Not just speedy, but clean, beautiful, steady, dancey, and easy-sounding all at the same time. It’s the gold standard for instrumentalists wanting to jam, play for dancers, or simply make those fast tunes sound like they’re meant to — and, weirdly, you can’t get there just by practicing slowly! In this workshop, Bonnie will show you the techniques and practice strategies you need to start playing fast tunes with ease and excellence. Come demystify the “secrets” of achieving those top tempos!

Instructor: Bonnie Black
All Levels; All Melody Instruments

“So many tunes, so little time” — and the faster you learn them, the more you can get to! Come learn some incredibly powerful techniques that can help you understand, digest, and master tunes in a fraction of the time you’re used to. No matter whether you are learning by ear or reading music, the skills are the same, and Bonnie will have you feeling like a tune- learning ninja by the end of the workshop! Open to any melody-playing instrument.

Instructor: Bonnie Black
All Levels; Cello

Us cello players can sound great on melodies….but sometimes those tunes are just so high up! How do you navigate all those treble clef tunes without shifting up and down endlessly? Enter Thumb Position, a great tool that opens up the treble clef range for cellists, without the need for tiresome shifting. Come explore some common “high tunes” and extend your range to be able to join those violinists on the melody with ease!

Instructor: Bonnie Black
Intermediate-Advanced Levels; All Instruments

This workshop will dive into the joy of helping new fiddlers get started from the very beginning — or more specifically, how to take folks who have never even held an instrument before and turn them into enthusiastic fiddlers for your local fiddle orchestra! Drawing on her decades of experience raising musicians of all ages, Bonnie will show you how to teach beginners of any age (yes, including “I’ve always wanted to play” adults!), starting from scratch and arriving as quickly as possible at a repertoire of classic fiddle tunes that any fiddle orchestra or band would be happy to play. Open to anyone with the desire to teach bowed string instruments (violin, viola, ‘cello, bass) — bring your instrument, your sense of playfulness, and your curiosity!

Instructor: Bonnie Black
All Levels; All Instruments

Every good fiddle group has players of mixed levels …. but every GREAT fiddle group knows how to harness the skills of its less-experienced players and use them to help the whole group sound way better than it would without them! In this workshop, we’re going to throw out the idea of “easy” or “beginner” parts, and learn instead how to create simple, but clever and catchy parts designed for every level of player in your orchestra. We’ll work with classic tunes that any fiddle group would be proud to play, and explore how to create a multi-level arrangement that not only maximizes the skills of every player, but also uses them to build a rich, interesting, and fun arrangement that everyone will love! Open to all instruments — bring your “axe”, and be ready to play!

Host: Andy Reiner Special Guest: Barry Saunders
All Levels; All Instruments

Be part of a live recording of River of Suck Podcast – the evolution of Andy’s “Healthy Musical Attitudes” from a decade of fiddle camp workshops.  “You have to suck at something before you can be good at it.”  River of Suck is real-talk about struggles with confidence, self-doubt and becoming the youest you.  Host Andy Reiner and Special Guest Barry Saunders will parse tough questions about maintaining a healthy attitude in the face of impossible obstacles.

Instructor: Andy Reiner
All Levels; All Instruments

Instruments in hand, we’ll explore techniques to create different sounds and textures.  We’ll listen to each other’s ideas to arrange a tune together, using our new strategies as an ensemble.

Instructor: Andy Reiner
All Levels; Bowed Stringed Instruments

Andy Reiner grew up playing twin fiddle with his Dad, Dave Reiner, in the Reiner Family Band. Learn the essentials of creating harmony “twin parts” to fiddle tunes, alongside backup strategies, counterpoints and other arrangement possibilities.  Some sheet music provided.

Instructor: Andy Reiner
All Levels; Bowed Stringed Instruments

Using ornaments, tune skeletons and smaller phrases, we’ll learn strategies for on-the-spot rhythmic and melodic variations.  Keeping tunes fresh, alive, and 3-Dimensional.  (Can you find the mysterious fourth dimension of fiddle tunes?)  Game-changing for contra dance tunes as well as taking solos in bluegrass jams.

Instructor: Andy Reiner
All Levels; All Instruments 

Tunewriting is for players who want to explore the compositional side of traditional music. In this workshop, we’ll dissect fiddle tunes to find out what makes them tick, explore different compositional strategies, discuss how to use melodic development to turn a small phrase into a coherent fiddle tune, and learn how to open ourselves up to receive those magic bits of inspiration. As a group, we will collaborate on writing a new tune together, and attendees will leave with a new skill set and inspiration for writing new tunes into the future!

Instructor: Andy Reiner
All Levels; All Instruments

Featuring small group musical explorations in a welcoming environment with a strong focus on listening and musicality.  A perfect introduction to improvising, and just as appropriate and deeper for more experienced players.  It’s time to get weird!

Instructor: Andy Reiner
All Levels; All Instruments

With our instruments, we will explore rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic improvisation strategies that enhance our musicianship in any style, while working to cultivate a healthy musical attitude – removing mental barriers and freeing ourselves to be creative, improvising musicians.

Instructor: Andy Reiner
All Levels; Bowed Stringed Instruments

Chopping – unpitched bow noises that turn the violin into a drumset.  Learn the technique and feeling at an incremental pace.  Take the oath and learn how to chop wisely, musically, and tastefully.  You will emerge with the tools and strategies to practice your chopping into the future, and employ the technique wherever your creativity takes you.

Instructor: Andy Reiner
All Levels; Bowed Stringed Instruments

Tracy Silverman’s recently developed Strum Bowing method encompasses all the different alternative bow techniques – shuffles, ghost notes and chops – by targeting the common thread linking grooves in all styles: the subdivision of the beat.  With Strum Bowing, you physicalize the subdivision with your bow as if you were strumming a guitar, creating grooves by bringing out accents and ghost notes.  In this class, Andy will take you on a strum bowing journey – get ready to groove!

 

Instructor: Steve Muise
All Levels; All Instruments

Steve Muise is a celebrated musician on so many levels: teacher; orchestra leader; band leader; composer; and versed in many different genres. Come to this class with Steve Muise and ask him about ANYTHING! Want to learn how to play in harmony?  Want to learn how he collaboratively arranges
tunes with the Franklin County Fiddlers? Want to learn something that he knows? This is your chance to get the low down on Steve’s expert knowledge and his undivided attention.

Instructor: Steve Muise
All Levels; All Instruments

“Don’t be afraid to be awesome!” This is the guiding principle embraced in all of my teaching. Come learn about school orchestras and fiddling programs through my lens. We’ll talk about ways that you may promote music in your own communities. I’ll bring 30 years of experience of teaching orchestra and traditional music in schools.

Instructor: Steve Muise
All Levels; All Instruments

In this workshop we will demystify chords and jazz chords for improvising. We’ll take a look at how to navigate some common basic chord relationships that happen in many styles of music, especially in jazz and swing. Rather than go in depth in theory, we’ll use call and response to start building a starting vocabulary that you can begin to build on.  If you already have a vocabulary of “licks” started, come and share yours, and learn new ones! We may look at a few popular standards, and more.

Instructor: Steve Muise
All Levels; All Instruments

Join a collaborative experience in tune writing. We’ll write a group tune together while gaining some take-away tips
for continuing composing tunes on your own.  We’ll talk about inspiration, tune types,key and phrase structures, call and response, resolutions, a bit of theory and more.

Instructor: Steve Muise
All Levels; Bowed Stringed Instruments

How to employ notes, chords and grooves when accompanying other players, singers, etc. You will learn some basic music “string theory” that you can use to jam, play duos, use as a springboard for improvisation and more.   We’ll play some basic chords, go over left-hand finger patterns, and bow grooves.

Instructor: Steve Muise
All Levels; Bowed Stringed Instruments

Techniques will focus on: intonation, shifting, vibrato and tone production.
Learn ideas that you can take away to improve your overall playing, and apply to any style.

Instructor: Erica Brown
All levels, All Instruments

We will touch on a little bit of everything in this class: from exercises to improve your intonation and speed; vibrato; double stops and chords; chopping; slurs; and more!

Please come prepared with a question to address a specific issue you are dealing with. My favorite thing to do as a teacher is to help my students work through challenges they may be experiencing and help them figure out the best ways to work through them. My goal is to give you a new tool to add to your toolbox, one that will help you overcome not only your current struggle, but future musical hurdles, too.

Instructor: Karen St. Clair
All Levels; All Instruments

Just imagine being able to calm any anxiety that you might have before a performance. Do you get anxious at the thought of performing or even jamming socially? Attending this EFT Tapping class will teach you how to calm any level of anxiety that’s been holding you back. Learn how to manage stress and anxiety by gently tapping on your energy meridian points (we all have them!) Enjoy the freedom of peaceful playing.

Instructor: Fred White
All Levels; Guitar

Do you want to learn to play “up the neck” and spice up your style?  If you already have three or four or a dozen chords down, and want to multiply them exponentially, this brief course may be for you.  If you’ve already tried to memorize lots of chords, but they don’t seem to be there when you want to grab them on the fly, this course is just what the doctor ordered.  This will be a relaxed non-intimidating experience covering some introductory theory, chord chemistry, and physics.  No test will be given.

 

Instructor: Fred White
All Levels; All Instruments

Did you know that most people who experience “stagefright” actually practice feeling it, increasing the likelihood it will be experienced when performing in front of others or playing with others?  Join Dr. Fred to learn simple behavioral and psychological strategies for increasing your comfort and pleasure in your own practice, rehearsals, and performances.  Hear true tales about some famous musical heroes and their journeys with “stagefright.”  Learn tactics for preventing and recovering from “clams”…those times when you flub a note or phrase or your fingers turn into sausages that will just not get with the program!

(* Picturing your audience in their underwear is not a recommended strategy.  No mollusks will be harmed.)

 

Instructor: Elaine Malkin
Intermediate and Advanced Levels; Fiddlers

How do you make your tunes come alive and tell a story? In this workshop we will take a simple tune and discover how to reveal the energy, tone, color, and emotion within the piece. By focusing on phrasing, dynamics, and expression, we will play with the many stories that can be created with these tools allowing the tune to speak in a new voice. You will leave with many ideas to play with in your own repertoire.

Instructor: Elaine Malkin
All Levels; Fiddle/Violin

Just what are the differences between being a classical player and being a traditional musician? How do you switch between the two roles and why might you wish to incorporate some techniques from the “other side” into your playing? Many musicians get their start in classical training then find themselves drawn to traditional music, while some traditional players pursue classical training to develop their sight reading skills and other techniques. Explore how these two modes of approaching the fiddle (ahem, violin) overlap and differ, and how to merge the strengths of both in your playing.

Instructor: Matt Shipman
All Levels; All Instruments

People make a living not only songwriting, but interpreting traditional songs and tunes and even other people’s songs. Learn more about thinking and hearing out of the box and using your own style and creativity to reshape and arrange or a song or tune. We may even choose a song and/ or tune and do this together as a group!

 

Instructor: Erica Brown
Experienced Fiddlers with Chord Knowledge Only

Chopping* is a rhythmic, percussive bowing technique that is used to provide backup to singers and while another instrument is taking a solo. It sounds a little like beat boxing on the fiddle using chords and different rhythms to create a really cool sound. It was made popular recently by fiddlers like Casey Driessen and Darol Anger.

*Being able to play and have a general understanding of chords is a must!

Instructors: Erica Brown and Matt Shipman
All Levels; Vocals

In this class we will illustrate the fundamentals of harmony and harmony singing for duets and trios as done in Bluegrass and Country styles of singing. We will learn to sing and identify different harmony parts and to sing specific songs in harmony with the rest of the group.  This class is open to anyone who is interested in learning to sing or who already has some singing experience.

Instructor: Erica Brown
All Instruments; All Levels

In this class we will demystify the (what some might call scary) world of improvisation. We’ll talk about what it means to improvise and learn a few tips and tricks to improvising. You can use this skill to embellish a simple fiddle tune or to work up a solo to a song.

Instructor: Erica Brown
All Levels; All Instruments

In this class we will go over all the dos and don’ts of backing up a singer*. We will talk about how songs are structured, what to do in those little spaces between the lyrics, what to do and not to do while the singer is singing, when to chop, how to create a solo and some basics on how to arrange a song within a group.

*Please familiarize yourself with the following song before coming to the class:
Katy Daley- https://youtu.be/o8bmCZMOSpg