Just to know if anyone knows a summer school of Irish traditional music, where they have children classes for beginners. My daughter is 8 and follows a classical training in viola, and I think she would enjoy starting a folk training in fiddle.
On topic, there's a good few 'summer schools' for Irish trad where children are very welcome. Scoil Samhradh Willie Clancy in Clare is the best known but they discourage complete beginners in any instrument except pipes. In practice though, our children have attended both whistle and concertina 'beginner' classes there with only a rudimentary grasp of their instruments and got on fine. If your daughter already plays a stringed instrument and has a go beforehand on the fiddle, I'd reckon she'd be grand. Quite large numbers attend this and classes are run in group format.
There's a good few other festivals which offer exactly the same with smaller numbers: South Sligo, Tubbercurry and Achill and Joe Mooney in Drumshanbo etc. All week long festivals as far as I know with several other weekend ones.
I've just noticed you're French. I'd guess like any 8 year old child, your daughter would relate very quickly to others of the same general age. I'd guess though, whilst music is a sort of 'universal language', she'd benefit most if she can understand English at a reasonable level. Most of these classes are group rather than individual, so she'd need to be able to listen to basic instructions and copy out tune notes etc. Usually the teacher will play the tune slowly and quickly at some stage for anyone with a small voice recorder - like a mobile phone or tape recorder. Could be a little OTT for an 8 yr old but helpful to you if you're helping them later in the day to practise their tunes.
I was gonna suggest Folkworks Junior Summer School as well, but with the reservation (or warning) that it's not specifically Irish. Folkworks is for all kinds of folk music, from anywhere is the world. But I think it's a fair approximation to say that the amount of attention a regional style of music gets at Folkworks is directly proportional to that region's distance from Durham.
You could always see if they are classes this year at An Seisiun ,Mesquer , Brittany usually first weekend in July . Its only a weekend thing but they did have classes in whistle ,singing ,fiddle and Dance last year . The classes were in French apart from the set dance class where the teacher got by in a mixture of English, French and waving my hands a lot
"But I think it's a fair approximation to say that the amount of attention a regional style of music gets at Folkworks is directly proportional to that region's distance from Durham"
In my experience it's as much, if not more, related to the inrterest of the tutor/class.
Yes, of course, if you have a Finnish tutor (e.g.), there's gonna be more Finnish music, but I meant for Folkworks as a whole. The five tutors so far confirmed for the Youth S.S. include 2 Northumbrians, a Cumbrian, a Londoner (who plays Irish music), and a Dutchman. And the directors are from Northumberland and Yorkshire. There is a bias North-East music, and this makes sense, as it's based in Durham.
Summer school for beginning children
Summer school for beginning children
Hi,
Just to know if anyone knows a summer school of Irish traditional music, where they have children classes for beginners. My daughter is 8 and follows a classical training in viola, and I think she would enjoy starting a folk training in fiddle.
Thanks a lot in advance,
Robinson
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by Robinson
Re: Summer school for beginning children
That's a really interesting title for a thread
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by Andy Sugden
Re: Summer school for beginning children
You're well named, Randy Andy!
On topic, there's a good few 'summer schools' for Irish trad where children are very welcome. Scoil Samhradh Willie Clancy in Clare is the best known but they discourage complete beginners in any instrument except pipes. In practice though, our children have attended both whistle and concertina 'beginner' classes there with only a rudimentary grasp of their instruments and got on fine. If your daughter already plays a stringed instrument and has a go beforehand on the fiddle, I'd reckon she'd be grand. Quite large numbers attend this and classes are run in group format.
There's a good few other festivals which offer exactly the same with smaller numbers: South Sligo, Tubbercurry and Achill and Joe Mooney in Drumshanbo etc. All week long festivals as far as I know with several other weekend ones.
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by the wounded hussar
Re: Summer school for beginning children
Will she be 9 before the summer?
http://thesagegateshead.org/event/junior-summer-schools-2012/
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by minijackpot
Re: Summer school for beginning children
I've just noticed you're French. I'd guess like any 8 year old child, your daughter would relate very quickly to others of the same general age. I'd guess though, whilst music is a sort of 'universal language', she'd benefit most if she can understand English at a reasonable level. Most of these classes are group rather than individual, so she'd need to be able to listen to basic instructions and copy out tune notes etc. Usually the teacher will play the tune slowly and quickly at some stage for anyone with a small voice recorder - like a mobile phone or tape recorder. Could be a little OTT for an 8 yr old but helpful to you if you're helping them later in the day to practise their tunes.
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by the wounded hussar
Re: Summer school for beginning children
I was gonna suggest Folkworks Junior Summer School as well, but with the reservation (or warning) that it's not specifically Irish. Folkworks is for all kinds of folk music, from anywhere is the world. But I think it's a fair approximation to say that the amount of attention a regional style of music gets at Folkworks is directly proportional to that region's distance from Durham.
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by Joe CSS
Re: Summer school for beginning children
You could always see if they are classes this year at An Seisiun ,Mesquer , Brittany usually first weekend in July . Its only a weekend thing but they did have classes in whistle ,singing ,fiddle and Dance last year . The classes were in French apart from the set dance class where the teacher got by in a mixture of English, French and waving my hands a lot
# Posted on January 19th 2012 by bazouki dave
Re: Summer school for beginning children
"But I think it's a fair approximation to say that the amount of attention a regional style of music gets at Folkworks is directly proportional to that region's distance from Durham"
In my experience it's as much, if not more, related to the inrterest of the tutor/class.
# Posted on January 19th 2012 by minijackpot
Re: Summer school for beginning children
Yes, of course, if you have a Finnish tutor (e.g.), there's gonna be more Finnish music, but I meant for Folkworks as a whole. The five tutors so far confirmed for the Youth S.S. include 2 Northumbrians, a Cumbrian, a Londoner (who plays Irish music), and a Dutchman. And the directors are from Northumberland and Yorkshire. There is a bias North-East music, and this makes sense, as it's based in Durham.
http://thesagegateshead.org/event/youth-summer-schools-2012/
# Posted on January 19th 2012 by Joe CSS