Blas Irish Summer School

Whistlepeg · Post by **Whistlepeg** » Tue Jun 04, 2002 3:54 pm

Anyone ever been to, is going to, or knows anything about the Blas Summer Program in Traditional Irish Music at the University of Limerick, Ireland - the last week of June & first week of July?
What about general information about Limerick, music shops, sessions, other interesting things to see or do?
Sue

brendan ring · Post by **brendan ring** » Wed Jun 05, 2002 1:56 am

Sue
Blas is a really good summer school. You stay on campus in UL which is nice and modern. The classes are small and you get to interact with the teachers. There are sessions, concerts, lectures or excursions every day.
The great thing is that unlike something like willie week this is entirely enclosed the only people there are musicians. The tutors are there for you and will be available to talk and socialise, you don't have to squeeze into a really crowded pub to get a glimpse! By the way, I'm one of the tutors there myself this year.

Whistlepeg · Post by **Whistlepeg** » Wed Jun 05, 2002 4:55 pm

Hey Brendan -what are you teaching?
I will see you there!
Sue

brendan ring · Post by **brendan ring** » Wed Jun 05, 2002 11:37 pm

Sue
I'm not sure what I'm teaching! Last time they gave me a mixed class of flute and whistle players. I taught tunes and technique using the low D whistle as my medium. See you there

brendan

DazedinLA · Post by **DazedinLA** » Sun Jun 16, 2002 7:20 am

Is there a website for this so I can get some info?

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Sun Jun 16, 2002 8:33 am

http://www.ul.ie/~iwmc/Blas/index.html

[edited out a comment]

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Peter Laban on 2002-06-16 10:35 ]</font>

Otter · Post by **Otter** » Mon Jun 17, 2002 12:26 pm

On 2002-06-05 03:56, brendan ring wrote:
Sue
Blas is a really good summer school. You stay on campus in UL which is nice and modern.

nice and modern would not be what I want if I flew from the US. There is way too much of that over here

The great thing is that unlike something like willie week this is entirely enclosed the only people there are musicians.

what better way to socialize than in a crowded pub? I'll grant you that talking might be difficult but I'll take the Pub over the modern classroom anytime.

I am sure that this is a top school and I don't mean to put it down at all.
It is just that my own preference goes to the "willie" style.
And I am getting ready for it. Crazy and chaotic (and wet!). I don't care.
I am leaving in three weeks! YES!!!

Otter

brendan ring · Post by **brendan ring** » Tue Jun 18, 2002 12:56 am

I'm sorry if I made Blas sound sterile, it isn't at all! There is plenty of music in the bars on campus every night. There is nothing wrong with modern accommodation, I and a freind were once offered a hot press to sleep in for the princely sum of ten pounds each at Willie Week!

Otter · Post by **Otter** » Tue Jun 18, 2002 12:09 pm

Brendan,

Please forgive me if I sounded judgemental in my reply about the Blas school.I probably should have phrased it differently. I guess I have a tendency to be too "categorical".

I'll tell you a funny story:
My husband and I where living in Paris at the time. When going to restaurants, he would always pick fancy places to go. The food was great but so was the bill.
So one day, I bet him we can find a pretty good restaurant for a tenth of the cost or even less.
I know it! I am sure of it! End of story.
After all we are in Paris, right?
The following week, he takes me to a place "I will love" he says.
We get to a shady basement/kitchen like with five wobly tables covered with spoiled tablecloth. The cook-owner-waiter's hygiene is even more shady. The food? some kind of sausage made with...I don't want to know. It was bad. I ate the french bread.
You get the picture. My husband was teaching me a lesson. This is what we got for a tenth of the cost.(although I know he went to the extreme just for me!). We had a good laugh, especially him. I never said another word about the expensive restaurants.

That is what I mean by "categorical".

Otter