Hi all,
I’m thinking of attending this year and was wondering if anyone here has been, and what they thought about it. Everything I have heard has been extemely positive, but I’d like to find out specifically what the classes are like as I am trying decide to which two to take? Also, anyone else planning to go?
Cheers
Matt
I went last year. It’s a great week all round.
I took Mary Bergin’s class, which was very instructive and enjoyable. My only wish is that students would observe the guidelines (issued by the organizers) as to which level they should register for. It was supposed to be an advanced class but quite a few of the students really did not meet the qualifications and slowed the rest of the class down too much.
The various events are stretched out over quite a few miles along the main road, meaning that people mainly drove everywhere, which I had a hard time with. I took my bike, and was very happy that I did.
I went two summers ago & I agree with Stevie, that you need transportation. They do provide a shuttle service, but as we had our car, I can’t say how good/useful the shuttle service is. I also agree with Stevie that the “advanced” whistle class with Mary Bergin unfortunately had some absolute beginners. (I have nothing against beginners, but they should be in a beginner class). When I was there, she divided the class into two groups: beginner and advanced and moved from group to group during the class time. As a teacher myself, I found both groups helpful, as I could watch her teaching techniques. However, as an advanced player I really wanted more time spent on “advanced” things. She is a wonderful teacher and a lovely person - you can learn lots in her classes. The evening concerts are great - I’m sure you will have a wonderful time !!
How advanced should someone be to be in the ‘advanced’ class? Anyone have experience with the intermediate class?
(I have, fwiw, a few jigs, a few reels, a pair of hornpipes, a polka (britches…), a few slow airs, and a few ‘pub’ songs to my reperatoire, more if I have sheet music which I can read; I’ve been trained out of tonguing (‘American’s never sound Irish when they tongue…’) but can do it, single, double, tripple, whatever, cuts and tips (taps) are fine, rolls are really, really weak, as are pseudo-crans, triplets are okay… overall speed is ‘moderate’ … I can play at ceili dance tempo no problem, but not at lightning ‘session’ undanceable speeds…)
I don’t think I’m going this year though… I’m running out of vacation time already, and it’s a chunk of money to stay somewhere for a week, plus the cost of the classes… maybe next year… but in case I change my mind, am I intermediate or advance? (I don’t think I’m a beginner… I hope! 
)
Oh, and I learn about a tune a week, so I’ll have another few jigs and reels down by the time I go.
–Chris
(EditPS: Or you can point me to the place where it discusses level on the site… when I was browsing, I didn’t see it. Maybe I’m blind… but there it is…)
[ This Message was edited by: ChrisA on 2002-04-26 17:17 ]
Chris,
Go for the advanced class. If you are already able to play some jigs & reels, the instruction you get in the advanced class will teach you specific style, articulation, ornamentation, phrasing etc.
When I was talking/(complaining??!) about beginners in the advanced class, these were people who were there to learn their first tune - absolute beginners!
Sue, I beg to differ. Chris’s “few jigs, a few reels, a pair of hornpipes, a polka” would not have met the guidelines for the advanced classes, not last year’s anyway. They suggested you should know at least 100 tunes, be capable of leading a session, and probably have students of your own.
If you’re at this level Chris I think the intermediate class is for you - John Skelton was doing it last year and you’ll get plenty to be going on with from him or whoever replaces him this year.
Someone have a link?
Tyghress,
this is their site:
StevieJ and Whistlepeg, thanks for the information. Ouch, the advanced requirement is rough. I think I am about 40 tunes in the hole, and having students of my own…yeah right, that would be the day. On the other hand the tunes that I do know, I know them well, my ornementations are good, and I can pick up tunes quickly. I will probably go for John Skelton’s class, which will be great , but oh how I wish I was a bit further along. Anyway, I just started on flute as well, so I am going two take two classes, one beginner flute and one of the whistle classes. I was wondering about the split schedule, do you fall behind if you take just the morning or afternoon whistle classes?
thanks
On 2002-04-26 19:18, amanderthad wrote:
I was wondering about the split schedule, do you fall behind if you take just the morning or afternoon whistle classes?
No, they are separate classes, i.e. same teacher, same level, but different groups of students in the morning and afternoon. It’s done that way specifically to enable you to take two classes. Or take one class and have the morning or afternoon free, which is what I chose to do.
There are drawbacks though - two classes per day makes for a very heavy workload for the teachers, because they have concert appearances and/or session gigs until late almost every night. And I felt the classes weren’t quite long enough. But still, it’s a great week.
Stevie, I am glad that they are dividing into beginner, intermediate and advanced. When I went, there was only beginner with Mike McHale and advanced with Mary, nothing in between, and no guidelines to determine your level! (Mike is a lovely flute & whistle player by the way)
Also, when I was there they expected you to take only one instrument for the full day. I had to get special permission from the teachers to take whistle in the am and concertina in the pm - I had to promise to keep up, not get behind the rest in the class. I am glad to see that they now accept students doing a split schedule (I was having to learn 2-4 new whistle tunes and 2 new concertina tunes every day!) By the way, a note for new prospective students:none of the teachers I came into contact with used sheet music (I won’t get into a discussion about visual vs aural!!), so people who attend should make sure they take a tape recorder and lots of extra batteries and practice learning by ear before you go!