More useful links about Cape Breton and its music

by adminKFS on September 9, 2011 · Leave a comment

With my erratic summer schedule behind me, I’m now settling into the fall which means more consistent blog posts! I thought I would begin with a short post to make you aware of some resources that will inform you more about Cape Breton and its music and places you may want to see if you have the opportunity to visit.

http://www.celticheart.ca This is a relatively new site that I have become aware of. It contains great information about festivals, workshops, and other events and venues in Cape Breton as well as other information that can help plan your trip there. You can also find great blog posts about Gaelic culture in Cape Breton contributed by Gaelic instructor Angus MacLeod and musician Tracey Dares MacNeil.

http://www.celtic-colours.com The Celtic Colours International Festival is one of the largest best known Celtic Festivals in the world. Over 9 days in October, Cape Breton musicians join Celtic musicians from all over the world to perform in concerts and other events. About 5 concerts take place each night in various communities across the island. Each night, everyone gathers at the Festival Club at the Gaelic College in St Ann’s to enjoy music in a more informal setting. The festival begins traditionally on the Friday before Canadian Thanksgiving.

http://www.celticmusiccentre.com The Celtic Music Interpretive Centre is located in Judique Cape Breton. This is a great place to drop in to learn more about Cape Breton music. The center offers live demonstrations where Cape Breton musicians talk about the music they are playing. The center also houses an extensive amount of archival material including photographs, videos, and recordings. Each Wednesday evening and Sunday afternoon, you’ll catch a live performance of a well known Cape Breton fiddler.

http://www.gaeliccollege.edu/ In addition to being the central location for the Celtic Colours International Festival, the Gaelic College offers workshops all summer long in fiddling, piping, step dancing, Gaelic language among other disciplines. Throughout the year, the College also offers Gaelic TIP (Total Immersion Plus) weekends.

“Getting into Fiddling”

by adminKFS on July 25, 2011 · 2 comments

Just thought I would write a short note about this topic. It’s something I get asked about a lot, particularly from those trying to make the shift over from classical music and after teaching at three weeks of music camps this summer, I’ve been reminded of this common issue.

The first thing I like to tell students is that ‘fiddling’ is not really a genre. There are so many different styles of fiddling. Even within Celtic music there are the very specific styles of Scottish, Irish, Cape Breton, etc, and they can be broken down even more. So the first step is to find a style that you are really passionate about. And that means doing a lot of listening. Become familiar with the artists in the genre and get to know their repertoire. Attend sessions to see what the common repertoire is. Sticking to something that you love is always a good way to start out. All of these different fiddle styles have very specific nuances that separate them – bowings, grace notes, etc. Diving into everything at once can be daunting and it may difficult to become a good player of any one style.

The process of learning a style of music needs to be treated like learning a language. The bottom line is that to learn a language with all its idioms and inflections you have to be immersed in it. Learning a fiddle style is no different. And today we have great resources like youtube and itunes when a live experience isn’t possible.

If you are making the switch from classical to a style of fiddling, just know that it can certainly be done. One example I like to talk about is the great Irish fiddler, Liz Knowles. Liz began playing Irish music later in her career and is now one of the most respected fiddlers in Irish music with tours with Riverdance and the String Sisters.

lizknowles.com

Just remember to get into something that you love.