Workshop Program
ALMONTE CELTFEST 2009 WORKSHOPS
SATURDAY, JULY 11th, 2009 - 10:30am - 5:30pm
REGISTER USING THE ONLINE FORM AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
Celtfest 2009 in association with the Ottawa Valley School of Traditional Music is pleased to offer a variety of music and dance workshops this year. A prerequisite for all workshops will be some fundamental working knowledge of your instrument such as basic notes and scales or basic chord patterns.
Workshops are $15 for the first plus $10 per workshop for each additional one.
ALL registrations will be at the Old Town Hall in Almonte. Please register (and pre-registrants check in) 30 minutes in advance as many of the workshops will be held in other locations and you’ll need a few minutes to get there (locations: OTH - Old Town Hall, MMW - Mississippi Mills MusicWorks, TBA - to be announced ).
A half-hour break is provided between workshops to allow participants to move between locations, grab a coffee or ice cream, or just enjoy some of the other Celtfest activities going on in town.
The Celtfest committee appreciates the participation of all instructors in our program and the support of Mississippi Mills MusicWorks and the Ottawa Folklore Centre.
Fiddle
Beginner Fiddle: Irish (10:30 - 11:30 am, OTH)
- Matt Pepin
Beginner Fiddle: Ottawa Valley & Contest (12:30 - 1:30 pm, OTH)
- Terri-Lynn Mahusky
Beginner Fiddle: Cape Breton (2:00 - 3:00 pm, OTH)
- Alexis MacIsaac
Intermediate/Advanced Fiddle: Irish (12:30 - 1:30 pm, OTH)
- Matt Pepin
Intermediate/Advanced Fiddle: Ottawa Valley & Contest (2:00 - 3:00 pm, OTH)
- Terri-Lynn Mahusky
Intermediate/Advanced Fiddle: Cape Breton (3:30 - 4:30 pm, OTH)
- Alexis MacIsaac
Advanced Fiddle: Improving Technique in Various Styles (3:30 - 4:30 pm, OTH)
- Matt Pepin
Bodhran
Introduction to Bodhran & Bones (12:30 - 1:30 pm, TBA)
- Alistair Dennett
Intermediate Bodhran: Playing with Others (3:30 - 4:30 pm, TBA)
- Alistair Dennett
Guitar
Introduction to Tune Accompaniment for Guitar (12:30 - 1:30 pm, TBA)
- Paul Hawtin
Intermediate Guitar Accompaniment (2:00 - 3:00 pm, TBA)
- Paul Hawtin
Piano
Introduction to Celtic Piano Accompaniment (2:00 - 3:00 pm, MMW)
- Jim Hunter
Intermediate Celtic Piano Accompaniment (3:30 - 4:30 pm, MMW)
- Jim Hunter
5-String Banjo
Beginner 5-String Banjo: Three Celtic Tunes, Three Distinct Styles (12:30 - 1:30 pm, MMW)
- Dean Adema
Intermediate 5-String Banjo I: One Celtic Tune-Six Ways to Play It (2:00 - 3:00 pm, MMW)
- Dean Adema
Intermediate 5-String Banjo II: Choke, Hammer & Roll (3:30 - 4:30 pm, MMW)
- Dean Adema
Mandolin
Beginner Irish/Celtic Mandolin (10:30 - 11:30 am, OTH)
- Bruce Barton
Whistle
Beginner/Intermediate Whistle for Celtic Music (2:00 - 3:00 pm, TBA)
- Chuck Quick
Dance
Introduction to Step-Dance (12:30 - 1:30 pm, OTH)
- Clare Dwyer
Intermediate Step-Dance: the Valley Style (2:00 - 3:00 pm, OTH)
- Clare Dwyer
Ensemble
All Workshop Participants (4:30 - 5:30 pm, OTH)
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS AND INSTRUCTOR PROFILES:
Fiddle All fiddle courses are arranged through the Ottawa Valley School of Traditional Music (OVSTM). The Ottawa Valley School of Traditional Music was started in Almonte in 2009 by Matt Pepin to provide opportunities locally for learning the fiddle and passing on the legacy of the rich musical heritage of the Ottawa Valley.
The Beginner and Intermediate fiddle workshops in each style will run consecutively to allow attendees to participate in both if they choose and feel comfortable playing with others at the intermediate level, or simply listening in. Workshops for each style are also staggered to allow beginner or intermediate players to participate in workshops in all three styles at their own level.
Beginner Fiddle: Irish (Matt Pepin)
Intermediate/Advanced Fiddle: Irish (Matt Pepin)
Beginner Fiddle: Ottawa Valley & Contest (Terri-Lynn Mahusky)
Intermediate/Advanced Fiddle: Ottawa Valley & Contest (Terri-Lynn Mahusky)
Beginner Fiddle: Cape Breton (Alexis MacIsaac)
Intermediate/Advanced Fiddle: Cape Breton (Alexis MacIsaac)
Advanced Fiddle: Improving Technique in Various Styles (Matt Pepin & Friends)
Matt Pepin is well known to the Ottawa Valley traditional music scene having performed at Celtfest and regional events many times and teaching fiddle at the Ottawa Folklore Centre. Matt recently started the Ottawa Valley School of Traditional Music in Almonte. Matt’s fiddle playing blends traditional Irish and Scottish with his Old-Time, Valley, and Quebecois roots to create a refreshing style of his own, which can be heard on his recently released CD Pass It Down.
Alexis MacIsaac started piano at age six and started on the fiddle at ten. While growing up she was exposed to music masters such as Natalie and Buddy MacMaster, Wilf Gillis, Eileen Ivers and Ashley MacIsaac. Alexis has played extensively in North America and internationally as a principal fiddler with the touring company of Riverdance.
Terri-Lynn Mahusky is an Ottawa Valley fiddler who began the instrument at age 10 and has competed extensively throughout Ontario. She toured Europe with the O.P.P. band and has travelled across Ontario, Quebec and the USA with Gilles Roy and the Stepping Ambassadors step-dance troupe. Terri-Lynn plays presently in the region with her popular band, The Riverthieves.
Bodhran Introduction to Bodhran and Bones (Alistair Dennett) will show participants the basic styles on these percussion instruments for different rhythms and how they fit into Celtic music as an accompaniment.
Intermediate Bodhran: Playing with Others (Alistair Dennett) is designed for those more familiar with their instrument and will show how the bodhran can be voiced for different emphasis when accompanying other instruments (to be provided live).
Alistair Dennett has been a professional musician as a percussionist for a long time and was a founding member of the nationally popular band Prairie Oyster. He was involved with the Winnipeg Folk Festival and the Winnipeg Celtic Festival for many years during which time he also taught privately and conducted workshops. Alistair now plays locally with the band Ball and Chain, James Ross and Keith Glass of Prairie Oyster.
Guitar Introduction to Tune Accompaniment for Guitar (Paul Hawtin) will focus on basic chords and steady right hand strumming for accompanying Celtic music. No experience is necessary although participants will get the most out of this workshop if they already know the chords in the keys of D and G.
Intermediate Guitar Accompaniment (Paul Hawtin) will emphasize various right hand rhythm techniques, and some tricks on how to think through a tune chordally. While DADGAD tuning will be mainly used for this workshop, players of other tunings such as standard and drop-D are also welcome. Participants will be expected to have knowledge of the basic chords for their chosen tuning and be able to change chords without interruption.
Guitarist Paul Hawtin has been playing music for more than 30 years. Before relocating to Ottawa, he was part of a colourful music scene in Vancouver that instilled in him an affinity for Irish traditional music and inspired a change from standard tuning to DADGAD. He has appeared at the Vancouver Folk Festival and the Celtic Roots Festival in Goderich, and has added his skills to a number of recordings including Danny O’Connell’s Green Fields of the Valley and Matt Pepin’s Pass It Down.
Piano Beginner Celtic Keyboard Accompaniment is designed for players with basic familiarity in reading music and forming 3-note chords. We will cover: tips for playing by ear (when to change chords and where to go) as well as the traditional chording styles of jigs, reels, marches and strathspeys. This workshop will use facilities and equipment generously provided by Mississippi Mills MusicWorks.
Intermediate Celtic Keyboard Accompaniment is designed for players having some familiarity with chording. We will cover: left-hand baselines, syncopation in Irish and Scottish music, walking chords, session playing, as well as supporting the solo fiddler. This workshop will use facilities and equipment generously provided by Mississippi Mills MusicWorks.
Jim Hunter is a well-known session player in Ottawa and began chording as a kid when the world was a lot younger. Over the years Jim has played with many local Canadian and Celtic fiddlers and groups including the Ottawa Fiddle Ensemble, the Ottawa Comhaltas Ceili Band, the Dunvegan Ceilidh Band, the Valley Stompers, and the Sarah Burnell Band.
Banjo Beginner 5-String Banjo: Three Celtic Tunes, Three Distinct Styles (Dean Adema) is designed for novice players. If you can transition more-or-less smoothly from G to C to D7 chords, you’re ready for this course. The venue for this and the other banjo workshops has been generously provided by Mississippi Mills MusicWorks.
Intermediate 5-String Banjo I: One Celtic Tune-Six Ways to Play It (Dean Adema) will add spice and variety to your banjo playing. Styles covered in this workshop will include the “up-picking” technique, three-finger (Scruggs) picking, various strumming techniques, ”vamping”, and more! This course is designed for any player except the true novice.
Intermediate 5-String Banjo II: Choke, Hammer and Roll (Dean Adema) will cover many right-hand and left-hand techniques, useful in “jazzing up” your playing of Celtic music. Interesting uses of string-bending, pull-offs, hammering-on, rolls, and double-thumbing will be covered, and more!
Dean Adema is an accomplished banjo player and folk singer. In addition to performing regularly in Ottawa and the Valley, he is currently working as a banjo instructor at Mississippi Mills MusicWorks in Almonte, and at the Ottawa Folklore Centre. Dean has appeared on stage with his banjo at Centrepointe Theatre, Carleton Place Old Town Hall, the Britannia Yacht Club, and at many local pubs, including the Postmasters Pub in Almonte.
Mandolin Beginner Irish/Celtic Mandolin (Bruce Barton) is intended for beginning players with some basic knowledge of the instrument, but interested in developing their approach to traditional Irish and Celtic fiddle tunes, namely jigs and reels, as they’re played on the mandolin.
Bruce Barton is a guitar player who started playing Celtic style mandolin about 20 years ago, and now plays mostly mandolin and Irish tenor banjo, along with mandola, octave mandolin and guitar. While living in the U.S. Midwest, he played regionally with the North Country String Band, the Sioux Falls Ceili Band, and Fiddler Nelson, a string band that focused on the rich fiddle music heritage of the Missouri Valley.
Whistle
Beginner: Starting with holding the whistle, breath pressure control and covering the holes, we will try to learn a simple tune. Some focus on tuning (and listening) and how this is influenced by the breath pressure. Answer student questions.
Intermediate: Work through a tune and look at the basics of ornamentation (cuts, taps, rolls). Answer questions.
Chuck Quick - Living in Brockville, Chuck plays the uilleann pipes, wooden flute and tin whistle. He has taken workshops in Lunenburg (Boxwood Festival), Goderich (Celtic College), Toronto (Chris Langan Weekends), and attended a number of other workshops and learning experiences. He plays regularly in Brockville with Fiddlers Plus who perform in the community for seniors groups and other events, and in a smaller group, Avalon, who does weddings
He has just finished giving two 5 week sessions in the tin whistle to seniors as a part of the Encore programme here at the Brockville campus of St Lawrence College.
Dance Introduction to Step-Dance (Clare Dwyer) will teach some basic reel steps with an emphasis on the original Irish “sean nos” and Ottawa valley styles. All are welcome but hard-soled, closed-toe shoes should be worn.
Intermediate Step-Dance: the Valley Style (Clare Dwyer) will focus on more complicated foot rhythms for reels in the Ottawa Valley style and, time permitting, will touch on jigs, clogs, slip jigs or waltz clogs. Some dance and tune experience would be helpful, and hard-soled, closed-toe shoes are definitely preferred.
Clare Dwyer grew up with step-dancing and Irish music in the family and has studied dance with the Canadian master, Gilles Roy. In addition to step-dancing with the popular dance troupe, the Stepping Ambassadors based in Carleton Place, Clare plays the Celtic harp and is also well known in the region for generously hosting her house concerts throughout the year featuring Canadian, U.S., and Irish artists in all forms of Celtic music from fiddle to song.
Ensemble The Ensemble will allow all participants in all workshops to gather as a group and play common tunes in a “Sesiun” setting. All music workshops will work on one simple reel and one simple jig in common that the group can play together. Don’t be shy!! - It’s great fun and a great way to learn and participate in Celtic music.
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