Requesting advice re: week-long workshops

[ObieWhistler]

My wife and I want to attend one of the week-long Irish music workshops this summer and are seeking advice as to which would be best for us: Catskill's, Augusta, or Swannanoa. (Are there any other such east of the Mississippi gatherings?) We have been playing since our trip to Ireland 1.5 years ago. I am playing intermediate level whistle and she is playing intermediate bodhran and beginner concertina. My impression is that Catskill's has more classes and levels, but having a housing/meal plan such as at Augusta or Swannanoa is also attractive. Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks.

[plunk111]

I can only speak for Augusta - I've attended the last two years...

The classes are excellent - as opposed to Swannanoa, you get intense exposure to a single instrument. Mine is flute - I studied with Ivan Goff and found him to be an excellent teacher (and an awesome player, too!). The first year I went, Joannie Madden was doing the whistle class but she didn't do it last year and I can't remember who did.

The nightly events are great, too - dances, concerts, sessions, etc., and the instructor-led sessions are super. There are always impromptu sessions as well and the quality of play in the bar is, to say the least, incredible. Getting to chat with some of the "biggies" like Cillian Vallely, Mick Coneely, etc, is pretty cool, too.

The best bet is to check their website for the classes for this year - it's at http://augustaheritagecenter.org/irishceltic/ but hasn't got this year's info up yet. You can also "friend" them on facebook to get updates.

I didn't stay on campus - I like to camp just outside of town to save some (a LOT, actually) money. The accommodations and meals on campus are really good, though.

Feel free to PM me if you have more questions.

Pat

[bradley]

Check out Zoukfest.
Definitely West of the Mississippi.


http://www.zoukfest.com/

[plunk111]

I just PM'd this to the OP, but here it is for all to peruse (got it from the Augusta FaceBook site):

A change for summer 2013! This summer, Irish Week students will be able to tailor their schedules to accommodate multiple interests! Register on your main instrument, and you're free to choose a second class area to explore. Breaking your day up like this will add some lovely creative variety and will help make your already intensive week even more fulfilling.

Pat

[Gobae]

I hope someone who's been to the Catskill workshop is able to chime in. I've been saving my pennies (and vacation days) and plan to enroll this year but I was a little discouraged by the looks of the regional accommodations. So much so that I'm tempted to commute from home (north of Albany) 1.5 hours.

[Cathy Wilde]

Irish Arts Week in the Catskills kicks a**. I've been to all three, and while they're all great in their own way I'd say the Catskills week is my favorite. The only thing that's a little tough is that classes, workshops, sessions, concerts, food, and lodging are strung out through an entire small town instead of on a single campus, so a car or a good ability to hitch rides is very helpful. I'd see who's got your favorite players on staff and go from there. The Catskills is kind of "make it up as you go along," and Augusta and Swannanoa are a little more self-contained. Just depends on whether you like a more intimate musical playground or a big, sprawling musical dog park. But they're all really well-done. We're lucky to have such options!

[Latticino]

I've been to the Catskills workshop a couple of times. Have stayed both in town at the central, but rather rustic Shamrock, and at outlying campsites and motels. None have been exactly what I would call 5 star (or even 3 star), but they are convienient to the classes and even more important the endless sessions.

There is so much good music going on there that it is easy to get overwhelmed. I never seemed to have enough time to practice what I was learning in classes, so my advice is to dial it back a bit and possibly either stick with taking two classes in the same instrument in the morning and afternoon or taking a dancing or craft class at one time so you don't get overtaxed.

The class ratings were a bit problematic for me as well. The beginner classes, especially in whistle, can fill up with under 10 year olds. While this isn't always a problem (though at times it seems the parents are just dropping them off for "free" supervision, and the workshop does have an excellent childrens program for that), and they can often learn faster than us old folks, they aren't all that good in sitting still and quietly listening to an instructor talk about technique. While the guide indicates that you are supposed to have at least a couple of tunes under your belt to attend a beginner class, I've also attended some where the participants still hadn't worked out how to hold their instrument, much less work out "Mary had a little Lamb". The intermediate classes are often at a rather high level, and I've never attended an advanced class. I believe that they desperately need to reassign class ratings as: Beginner (for rank beginners who are just learning the very basics of an instrument: scales, note placement, correct hold, embochure...), Tyro (still having only a handful of ITM or the like tunes learned, but the basics of tone production and note placement are worked out and are ready for actual jigs, reels and the begining of ornamentation), Intermediate (already playing tunes up to speed, but ready to work on advanced ornamentation, variation, playing in sessions...), Advanced (if you have to ask, you probably shouldn't be there...).

Other than that, the experience is fantastic. Great concerts, interesting lectures, extremely talented folks everywhere you turn around, sessions lasting right thru the night at more locations than anyone can get to, nightly ceillis, singing sessions, getting the chance to meet some of the "heroes" of the ITM scene and finding them very approachable, humble and generous people. A real total immersion in the idiom. I highly recommend it.

[Bob G]

The Catskills week is a favorite of mine and my kids. We are headed up for 2013 and have already booked our place in advance. The teachers have all been top notch and the sessions after school have been a blast. I highly recommend going there!

[Gobae]

Just a quick follow up re: CIAW. They've launched a new site http://www.catskillsirishartsweek.org/ (new look, not new address) and are in the process updating it for 2013. Additionally, they have a FB page (http://www.facebook.com/CatskillsIrishArtsWeek?fref=ts) and an e-list to keep up to date.

[Tristan]

Hopefully you're in the Catskills right now, living it up! But in case you're not and are still looking for options, another to consider that's maybe a bit closer for you is the Goderich Celtic College in Goderich, Ontario:

http://www.celticfestival.ca/

Milwaukee also has a summer school the week before and in conjunction with their Irish Fest:

http://irishfest.com/Summer-School/Registration.htm

Those are both in August, if that works better for you than July. I haven't actually done any of the above mentioned summer school programs (yet), though my impression from folks I've talked to syncs up with what Cathy and others have said above--that CIAW is the king of the hill as far as North American summer schools go. But any of them could probably be a great time.