Instructors: Joni Harms; Erica Brown
All Levels; All Instruments
Are you trying to pull a band together or HOLD a band together? It can be very difficult. Joni and Erica will tell you how they have handled this task over a successful career.
Ensembles
Backing-up fiddle tunes and songs that you have never played before
Instructor: Fred White
All Levels; Rhythm/Guitar players
Learn how to back-up tunes and songs that you have never played before…even if there is no sheet music on hand. Identify some common tune/song forms, keys, chord progressions, and learn the secrets to using a handy-dandy (literally) number system to guide chord selection. A basic chord vocabulary is helpful, but not required. Practicing strategies learned in this course in jam sessions at Fiddle-icious Traditions (& elsewhere) is recommended for best results.
Participation: The Irish Session!
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.
Practicum: The Irish Session
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.
0-5 Songs in 60 Minutes: How to Give Total Beginners a Start in Your Fiddle Group
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!
Everyone In: Build Your Own Multi-Level Fiddle Orchestra
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!
Free Improv
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!
Playing in a small ensemble
Instructors: Matt Shipman; Elaine Malkin; Erica Brown; Neil Pearlman
All levels, All Instruments
In this workshop we will work on the elements of playing with others in a small ensemble. Working with instruments different than your own is a great way to expand your musicianship and listening skills. We will work on arrangements, medleys and harmony.READ MORE