CTMS Summer Solstice Festival concertina workshops/sessions

[eskin]

Hi y'all,

So glad to have a concertina (and those other things that look like strapping an air conditioner on your chest) forum right here on C&F! Now I can get my pipes, whistle, flute, and concertina fixes all in one place!

I caught the anglo concertina bug about 2 years ago after trading a flute to Bob Tedrow for my first instrument. I then bought a Frank Edgley C/G, and am now waiting on a custom instrument from Frank. At sessions you'll generally see me on the pipes, with the concertina and whistles right next to me. I've also posted a few playing samples on the Clips and Snips board over the past few months. I'm a great fan of Noel Hill's playing style and fingering system, have embraced his methodology on the instrument. Noel understands exactly what it takes to put the Uilleann pipes feel on the concertina, which very much aligns with how I approach the instrument.

I'm told I've been given the go ahead to teach a few beginning and intermediate trad Irish anglo concertina classes at the upcoming California Traditional Music Summer Solstice festival at Soka College in Calabasas, CA the last weekend of June. I hope I tease a few more local players out of the woods for the event, there just aren't that many anglo Irish trad players I know of in the SoCal area. None in the session scene that I've run into the last couple of years, only those visiting from Ireland. If you are busy for the festival I highly recommend you come to the all-night sessions at the festival hotel (Mariott Warner Center in Woodland Hills) the Friday and Saturday nights that weekend!

Cheers and hope to meet some of you in June!

Michael

[StevieJ]

So glad to have a concertina forum right here on C&F!

I knew this would happen....

[eskin]

There, I edited my original post to include those other reeded appliances...

[fel bautista]

Michael- good for you- see you there

[Azalin]

I caught the anglo concertina bug about 2 years ago after trading a flute to Bob Tedrow for my first instrument. I then bought a Frank Edgley C/G

We started pretty much at the same time, my Edgley being dated june 2004 Very nice clip you sent a few days ago by the way. I like having a way to compare progress with someone else, sometimes it gives me a kick in the arse, although I'm going (hopefully) for a completely different style. I really like Mary McNamara's playing and Claire Keville, and some other Clarish players.

I'm sure you'd agree with me, the Edgley was a very good choice. It's so easy to play compared to some other concertinas I tried before. I am on the waiting list for a Dipper's, I got two years to manage to save 2500 pounds The Dipper really has the ultimate sound I'm looking for, the famous wonk I'm dreaming about, especially on the chords, makes them sing while being smooth and mellow.

The other thing I like about the concertina in general is the extra lower octave we can now reach. It's an amazing feeling to be able to go down to those great low As and Bs, makes a big difference in some tunes.

[Caj]

The other thing I like about the concertina in general is the extra lower octave we can now reach. It's an amazing feeling to be able to go down to those great low As and Bs, makes a big difference in some tunes.

Yeah, if you have the left pinky for it. Just the F# is enough pinky to mess me up a little: tunes like the Gander in the Pratie Hole take a little work before the notes actually come out exactly in rhythm.

Caj

[Azalin]

Good point. I posted a message on tina.net about my pinky being weak and not used to work synchronized with my other fingers. But I practice some parts of hard low tunes every day and I can slowly see some progress, but I've never had to work that hard. I think last time I had to work hard on a technique was when I learned to do some good a and b rolls on the whistle.

[eskin]

I agree, its nice to be able to play some of the fiddle tunes like "Paddy Ryan's Dream" and Fergal O'Gara without having to fold octaves. It sure is hard work training that left pinky!

I had the opportunity to play Frank's latest concertina last night, just picked up last week by my friend and session buddy Dave Bowen. Its an amazing instrument, Frank continues to evolve and perfect his designs.

Cheers,

Michael

[eskin]

Just got confirmation that I'm definitely on the schedule to teach at the CTMS festival starting on June 24th, here's a link to the festival program:

http://www.ctmsfolkmusic.org/festival/S ... hedule.asp

Hope to see some of you there!

Cheers,

Michael

[eskin]

Just a quick reminder about the two hours of anglo concertina classes I'm teaching at the CTMS festival in Calabasas, CA this Sunday. Hope to see some of you there. The first hour will be a beginner class, the second will be intermediate.

[Martin Milner]

Hi y'all,

I'm told I've been given the go ahead to teach a few beginning and intermediate trad Irish anglo concertina classes at the upcoming California Traditional Music Summer Solstice festival at Soka College in Calabasas, CA the last weekend of June. I hope I tease a few more local players out of the woods for the event, there just aren't that many anglo Irish trad players I know of in the SoCal area. None in the session scene that I've run into the last couple of years, only those visiting from Ireland.
Michael

Hi Michael,

The Irish (C/G) Anglo seems a fairly rare instrument in England too. Avanutria plays a C/G anglo, and there's only one workshop a year in London, at the Return to Camden week. Last time, there were four students in the class.

There's a concertina weekend run by Hands On Music once a year in Witney, but it focusses almost entirely on English Concertina - so much so that they didn't actually mention that in the guff they sent, so poor Avanutria attending the classes was the only Anglo player.

There's a big focus on Anglo concertina at the Warwick Folk Festival this year, and we're hoping Ava will find some useful workshops, but so far she's pretty much alone in trying to develop Irish tunes on the instrument.

[jGilder]

I offer a concertina workshop daily at the Lark in the Morning camp in Mendocino, CA. I used to get more students until Noel Hill started having his summer schools. Most people that play concertina save up their money and attend his classes every year. I still get 3 or 4 students at Lark Camp, and I teach them a lot, but if they're really obsessed they'll end up at Noel's school. Also, the Catskills School has been getting some major players and people are flocking there as well.

One year I had no students and I was sitting in my designated spot waiting to see if anyone would show up. Along came this lovely girl that played harp and she asked if she could play a few tunes with me. I looked around at the empty room and said, "Sure... why not." Then we decided she would return the next day to see if any students came... and they didn't -- so we played again. A fiddler heard the music from outside and asked if she could join... then a second fiddler joined... as well as a flute. The next day they all returned and we were getting a good buzz... it attracted a couple of more musicians. For the rest of the week we had our daily afternoon session and it was the highlight of my camp that year.

On the last day, after we finished playing the final tune, I stood up and asked for their attention. I thanked them all for participating in my class and I told them that together we have demonstrated a very important and interesting aspect about the concertina: no matter how many instruments are playing -- you can still hear the damned thing.

[avanutria]

[johnkerr]

I thanked them all for participating in my class and I told them that together we have demonstrated a very important and interesting aspect about the concertina: no matter how many instruments are playing -- you can still hear the damned thing.

Slight correction needed here, I think: No matter how many instruments are playing, everyone except for the poor person playing it can still hear the damned thing.

[jGilder]

I thanked them all for participating in my class and I told them that together we have demonstrated a very important and interesting aspect about the concertina: no matter how many instruments are playing -- you can still hear the damned thing.

Slight correction needed here, I think: No matter how many instruments are playing, everyone except for the poor person playing it can still hear the damned thing.

Funny, that...